Jesaulenko! …. Your Birthday!

Happy Birthday Alex Jesaulenko

Playing Career : 1967 – 1979
Debut : Round 1, 1967 vs Fitzroy, aged 21 years, 255 days
Carlton Player No. 793
Games : 256
Goals : 424
Last Game : Grand Final, 1979 vs Collingwood, aged 34 years, 57 days
Guernsey No. 25
Height : 182 cm (5 ft. 11½ in.)
Weight : 89 kgs (14 stone, 0 lbs.)
DOB : August 2, 1945
Premiership Player: 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979
Leading Goalkicker : 1969, 1970, 1971
Captain: 1975, 1976
Captain-Coach: 1978, 1979
Best and Fairest: 1975
Carlton Hall of Fame
Team of the Century
AFL Team of the Century
Carlton and AFL Legend

In 1995, legendary player and coach Ron Barassi published his memoirs, which included three teams made up of (a) the best players he had played alongside, (b) the best players he had coached, and (c) the best players he had seen, throughout his celebrated career that began in 1953 at Melbourne. Only two men made all three teams, and both were from Carlton; John Nicholls and Alex Jesaulenko. Nicholls of course, is widely regarded as Carlton’s greatest ruckman and most influential player. But when it comes to sheer football ability; to that rare spark of match-winning genius that sets champions apart, the immortal ‘Jezza’ – Alex Jesaulenko – has had few peers.

Born in Salzburg, Austria to Ukrainian migrants who later emigrated to Australia and settled in Canberra, Alex played soccer and rugby as a boy as well as having the occasional run in with a lorry. He was 14 before he discovered Aussie Rules, and only five years later he was a star in the local competition for Eastlake. Carlton soon had him in their sights, but North Melbourne swooped on him first and signed Alex to play with them on match permits.

It was certainly a rebuff, but Carlton’s recruiters would not be deterred. After convincing Alex and his parents that Princes Park offered greater opportunities than Arden Street, a loophole was found in the VFL’s regulations, and, much to the disgust of the Kangaroos, Carlton successfully appealled to have North’s agreement with Jesaulenko ruled invalid by the ANFC. In the summer of 1966, coach Ron Barassi welcomed Alex to Princes Park, where his form in both training, and pre-season trial matches, was nothing short of sensational.

He was named in the team for the Blues’ first match of 1967, and went on to play in all 20 games that season, including two finals. Wearing the number 25 that became his icon, and playing mainly as a half-forward flanker, he kicked 34 goals, won Carlton’s Best First Year Player Award, represented Victoria in that year’s Interstate Carnival – and finished third in the Brownlow Medal count – some kind of debut!

In subsequent years the crowd roar of “Jezzzaaa!!” swelled from the terraces at every Carlton game. It was a golden era for the Blues, and Alex was soon the team’s brightest star. A fabulous high mark, brilliant at ground level and deadly around the goals, he was also remarkably versatile. Although at 183 cm and 83 kg his build was more suited to the flank or the centre, during his career he played in every position on the ground except first ruck. And when he went to full-forward in 1970 he kicked 115 goals – still the only occasion a Carlton player has slotted the “ton”. On his way to that remarkable achievement, he scored 10.2 off his own boot in round six against Fitzroy.

Jezza played 256 memorable games for Carlton – none more so than the fabled 1970 Grand Final, where took his glorious “Mark of the Century” over Collingwood’s Graham Jenkin. However, perhaps the match that demonstrated his freakish ability best of all came in July, 1972 against Essendon at Princes Park. Essendon held a four-point lead at quarter-time that day, before a human cyclone in navy blue number 25 tore the game from the Bombers’ grasp in a few unbelievable minutes. A contemporary report from the game said; ‘In just eleven minutes in the second quarter, Carlton wizard Alex Jesaulenko kicked six goals, in a show-stopping demonstration of football magic.’

Thanks to the Blueseum for player pic and bio.