May 16th: Ian Aitken
Career: 1987-1992
Debut: Round 2, 1987 vs Collingwood
Carlton Player No. 942
Games: 61
Goals: 10
Last Game: Round 9, 1992 vs West Coast
Guernsey No. 22
Height: 190cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 16 May, 1967
Premiership Player: 1987
A premiership player and rookie of the year in his debut season for the club. From the Strathmore Football club like fellow former Blues Andrew Merrington and Glenn Manton. Aitken played prior seasons in the Under 19s where he won the 1985 Under 19s Best and Fairest, and the reserves before his debut and was a member of the 1986 and 1990 Reserve Premiership sides. A capable and physically well built defender, his best and most consistent season was in 1987 and his contribution to the premiership should not be understated. In his debut season he was widely acknowledged as being the VFL rookie of the year. Aitken was a strong mark and provided plenty of dash out of defence. In an exhibition game in 1987 in London, he was felled by a king hit from Alistair Clarkson of North Melbourne (and later Hawthorn coach) which broke his jaw. He never seemed like the same player after this incident…. for more read here.
May 17th: Denis Collins
Career : 1978 – 1979
Debut : Round 3, 1978 vs Melbourne, aged 24 years, 333 days
Carlton Player No. 873
Games : 30
Goals : 12
Last Game: Round 12, 1979 vs Geelong, aged 26 years, 36 days
Guernsey No. 1
Height : 178 cm (5 ft. 9 in.)
Weight : 85 kg (13 stone, 5 lbs.)
DOB : 17 May, 1953
Anyone who has seen the best-selling Channel 7 football highlights package “Sensational Seventies” will be familiar with Denis Collins as the Carlton player involved in a famous confrontation with St Kilda’s Robbie “Mad Dog” Muir, late in the last game of the 1978 season at Moorabbin.
Collins had joined Carlton earlier that same year from Footscray. A bushy-bearded winger/half forward whose key asset was his pace, he had played exactly 100 games and kicked 60 goals for the Bulldogs over six seasons, before looking for a fresh start elsewhere. At Princes Park, he was honoured with our number 1 guernsey for his debut match, which came against Melbourne at Princes Park in round three. Playing on a wing, he was solidly effective in a 13-point win, and held his position in the senior team right through the season.
The week after his clash with Robbie Muir, Collins lined up for only his second career final when Carlton met Geelong in the Elimination Final at the MCG. His experience, and his speed in the open spaces on the wing, proved valuable in helping the Blues to an emphatic win by 33 points. In the following week’s Semi Final clash with Collingwood, a tough, fiery encounter was indispersed with some brilliant passages of play from both sides. Collingwood jumped away to an early good lead and although the Blues fought back to within four points at the last break, the Pies weathered the storm and ran out 15-point winners….for more read here.
May 18th: Brett Backwell
Career : 1999 – 2001
Debut : Round 1, 1999 vs Essendon, aged 18 years, 310 days
Carlton Player No. 1029
Games : 18
Goals : 12
Last Game : Round 4, 2001 vs Adelaide, aged 20 years, 338 days
Guernsey Nos. 10 (1999) and 2 (2000-01)
Height : 171 cm (5 ft. 7 in.)
Weight : 68 kg (10 stone, 9 lbs.)
DOB : 18 May, 1980
AFL Rising Star Nominee: Round 3, 1999
In light of his achievements after he left Princes Park, it is not hard to conclude that perhaps Carlton was a little premature in delisting rover Brett Backwell in 2001. Recruited from West Brisbane via the Northern Eagles (he also played for West Brisbane & Western Taipans), ‘Mouse’ Backwell was the first of our recruits from the 1998 National Draft to play a senior game, despite being the last one drafted at pick 67. The earlier choices, Murray Vance and Brendan Fevola, played in the reserves for most of the season, while Ian Prendergast was hampered by injury and did not get his call-up until 2001.
Backwell’s football pedigree was impressive. His father, Owen Backwell, was a skilful, hard-running rover who represented Queensland 20 times in interstate matches, and played more than 300 games for Western Districts. He also played with Fitzroy for a season where he notched up 10 games. Twice a Grogan Medallist as Best and Fairest in the QAFL, he was the competition’s leading goal-kicker in 1977, and a driving force in Wests’ Premiership double in 1977-78……for more read here.
May 20th: Scott Freeborn
Career: 2000-2002 (Listed Player: 1998-2003)
Debut: Round 5, 2000 vs Essendon
1039th Carlton Player
Games: 48
Goals: 17
Last Game: Round 9, 2002 vs Adelaide
Guernsey No. 17
Height: 183cm
Weight: 87kg
DOB: 20 May,1978
Scott Freeborn was a blonde-haired left footer originally rookied by the Blues in 1998. Brother of Collingwood / Kangaroo player Glen, Scott played 48 games for the Blues between 2000 and 2002. He was recruited from Port Adelaide Magpies, but also played for Woodville-West Torrens.
Freeborn’s time on the rookie list was spent on the wing and half forward, in the #46 guernsey. His form was sufficient to be promoted by season 2000, when he made the seniors for the Round 5 clash against the Bombers. Over the season, he played as a defensive midfielder where his strength and endurance were most useful….. for more read here.
May 21st: Kevin Hall
Playing Career : 1963-1973
Debut: Round 12, 1963 Aged 19 years 66 days
756th Carlton Player
Games : 169
Goals : 51
Last Game: Grand Final, 1973 Aged 29 years 130 days
Guernsey No. 3
Height : 188 cm (6′ 2″)
Weight : 89 kg (14.00)
DOB : May 21, 1944
Premiership Player 1968, 1970, 1972
Carlton Hall of Fame (1999)
Kevin “Racehorse” Hall was a solid, reliable, often inspirational member of three Premiership teams for the Blues, and later, a valuable and long-serving committee and board member.
He was a somewhat reluctant recruit when he arrived at Princes Park in the summer of 1962, because until then he had wanted to play for Footscray. Although he was a Carlton local (from West Preston YCW) the Bulldogs chased hard after the strapping 19 year-old, 191 cm, 83 kg centre half-forward and the Blues were lucky to hold him.
His form in the 1963 pre-season practice matches was impressive, so Carlton assigned him guernsey number 3 and he made his senior debut that year as a forward. Later he was tried in defence, and found his niche on a half-back flank. Tall, very quick for his size and a strong mark, he proved to be a wonderful big occasion player. By 1968 the stands and the fences at Princes Park were echoing to the roar of “Go, Racehorse!” as Kevin went for one of his regular downfield dashes. In September of that year, Hall was a one of the unsung heroes in the Blues’ fighting three point Grand Final victory over Essendon – a low-scoring, dour struggle in which the Bomber half-forward line had little influence…. for more read here.
May 23rd: Rod Waddell
Career : 1981 – 1982
Debut : Round 18, 1981 vs Geelong, aged 23 years, 70 days
Carlton Player No. 898
Games : 5
Goals : 2
Last Game : Round 8, 1982 vs Footscray, aged 24 years, 357 days
Guernsey No. 10
Height : 178 cm (5 ft. 10 in.)
Weight : 76 kg (12 stone, 0 lbs.)
DOB: 23 May, 1957
Rodney Steven Waddell was a talented, pacey, part-aboriginal footballer who forced his way into one of the strongest Carlton teams ever assembled when he made his debut for the Blues on the eve of the 1981 finals. Although he was a reluctant recruit at first – having already played Reserves football at Collingwood – Carlton claimed him under the VFL zoning rules in force at the time, and Rod eventually played five matches while the Navy Blues won back to back flags in 1981-82.
Waddell began his senior football career with Southern Districts in NSW, but it was his slashing performance as a ruck-rover for Lalor in the 1980 Diamond Valley Football League Grand Final, against Reservoir-Lakeside, that made VFL scouts take notice. Collingwood and Carlton soon became involved in a tug of war over his services, and the Magpies seemed to have come out on top when Waddell turned out for two Reserves games with them early in 1981. Carlton however, was convinced that the 23 year-old was residentially tied to us, and a VFL investigation quickly agreed. Collingwood were fined $500 for flaunting the zoning rules, and stripped of the four competition points they had earned with Waddell in their team. Rod was then welcomed to Princes Park, and presented with our number 10 guernsey….for more read here.