Alan Mangels: 29th July
Career : 1974 – 1980
Debut : Round 15, 1974 vs Richmond, aged 17 years, 348 days
Carlton Player No. 847
Games : 88
Goals : 25
Last Game : Round 9, 1980 vs Essendon, aged 23 years, 300 days
Guernsey No. 10
Height : 179 cm ( 5 ft. 10 in.)
Weight : 80 kg (12 stone, 8 lbs.)
DOB : 29 July, 1956
Alan Mangels was a gifted footballer who seemed born to play for the Old Dark Navy Blues, although ultimately, his career didn’t do full justice to his ability. Prior to playing 88 games over seven seasons from 1974 to 1980, Mangels made history as the youngest player ever to sign with the Carlton Football Club when he was recruited at the tender age of 10 years and 314 days on June 9, 1967.
At that time, Mangels was in the midst of a close association with the Blues through his grandmother Margaret, who was the sister of Carlton’s legendary 1945 Premiership captain Bob Chitty. As well, Alan’s father; Alan senior, had represented the Blues at Under 19 level, and played in successive Premierships for the thirds in 1948 and 1949 – the latter as captain. Therefore, much of the Mangel’s family’s social life revolved around the club, and Alan was coached in the skills of the game by his father almost as soon as he could walk.
In 1967, Alan officially wore the colours of Carlton onto the field for the first time as captain of our inaugural Little League team. That same year, his family moved house from the northern suburb of Merlynston – in Carlton’s recruitment zone – to nearby Oak Park, in North Melbourne’s territory. So, to ensure that Alan played his future football at Carlton, the Blues took the extraordinary step of registering the promising youngster as an Under 19 player before he had even reached the age of eleven!
Mangels played his first game with the Under 19’s two years later, and soon dazzled some good judges with his ability. Thanks to his father’s diligence, Alan could drop-kick with accuracy and penetration off both feet, was strong in the air for his size, and had plenty of tenacity. The only drawback to his game was that he wasn’t naturally quick, but he read the game well and was a consistent ball-winner.
Ron Stone: 30th July
Career : 1965 – 1969
Debut : Round 11, 1965 vs St Kilda, aged 19 years, 338 days
Carlton Player No. 775
Games : 60
Goals : 13
Last Game : Round 20, 1969 vs Essendon, aged 24 years, 31 days
Guernsey No. 44
Height : 187 cm (6 ft. 1 in.)
Weight : 85 kg (13 stone, 5 lbs.)
DOB : July 30, 1945
As at 2011, only seven players have worn the number 44 guernsey in a senior match for the Blues. The first was Maurie Sankey in 1959, and the second was Ron Stone, a versatile all-rounder from Wangaratta who made his way up through the Under 19 and Reserves teams to make 60 appearances between 1965 and ’69.
Remembered for his awkward but effective kicking style, Stone played as a ruckman in Carlton’s Under 19 Premiership team in 1963, his first season at Princes Park after being recruited from Wangaratta Combined Churches. A year later he was impressing at Reserves level, and in round 11, 1965 he made his senior debut as 19th man for the Blues in a milestone match against St Kilda. That game was Carlton’s first foray to the Saints’ new home ground at Moorabbin, and it finished in melodramatic circumstances when an ex-Blue, Bruce McMaster-Smith, kicked the winning goal for the home side with only seconds left on the clock.
While Carlton headed toward a mid-table finish that year under the coaching of former Melbourne champion Ron Barassi, Stone was given opportunities in a variety of positions during the latter half of the season, including centre half-forward, ruck, and full-back. He proved capable in all of them, and his versatility was a real advantage to a team on the rise.
In round 11, 1966, Stone enjoyed one of the highlights of his career when he kicked the winning goal for Carlton against Collingwood at Victoria Park, and in 1967 the Baggers made the finals for the first time in five years. Stone was stationed in the back pocket to pick up the opposition’s resting ruckman in both of Carlton’s lacklustre efforts that September; a 40-point Semi Final loss to Richmond, and a 29-point defeat by Geelong in the Preliminary Final.
From then on however, Ron’s opportunities at senior level began to dry up. After 11 games during 1968, he was left out of the Blues squad when the finals rolled around again. Carlton was the outstanding team of the competition that year, and duly claimed the flag after a tight scrap with Essendon in a wind-effected Grand Final.
Stone added the last seven games of his career to his tally in 1969. Overlooked again for the finals, he was somewhat inevitably delisted at the end of the year after Carlton’s loss to Richmond in another torrid Grand Final. His last match in navy blue came in round 20, 1969 at Windy Hill, when Carlton staged a stirring comeback from 41 points down in the first quarter, to beat Essendon by 11. Alex Jesaulenko and Brent Crosswell led the revival by the Blues that afternoon, and kicked 11 goals between them.