Paul Meldrum
Career : 1982 – 1992
Debut : Round 15, 1982 vs Melbourne, aged 21 years, 292 days
Carlton Player No. 904
Games : 158
Goals : 140
Last Game : Round 5, 1992 vs Sydney, aged 31 years, 217 days
Guernsey No. 23
Height : 183 cm (6 ft. 0 in.)
Weight : 82.5 kg (13 stone, 0 lbs.)
DOB : 13 September, 1960
Premiership Player 1987
Victorian Representative 1986, 1987
With his short, bleached blonde hair, his distinctive running style and his cheeky grin, ‘Molly’ Meldrum was a real crowd favourite throughout his 11 seasons at Princes Park. At 183 cm and 82 kg, he had wonderful endurance, was skilled, brave and versatile. Carlton was blessed with a number of similar types like Adrian Gleeson, Wayne Blackwell, David Glascott, Ken Sheldon and Peter McConville during Molly’s time at Carlton. All of them were happy forward or back, on the ball or tagging; and they caused constant headaches for our opponents.
Meldrum, who was born in London, is also remembered as the subject of one of the enduring football myths of that time. The story goes that he walked in off the street and asked for a game; that he was given a tryout, impressed; and went on to play in a Premiership for the Blues. It’s a romantic notion that has a basis of fact, but the story has been simplified over time. It goes like this.
Although he had played representative football in his early teens, Molly (whose nickname came from the TV music-show host of the same name) hadn’t been as committed to the game as many of his peers. However, by 1981 – when he was 20 years old and once again thoroughly enjoying playing for Princes Hill (in the E Grade Amateurs!) – he found himself at Princes Park one day in the company of his club’s President. By chance they met with Carlton’s Recruiting Manager Shane O’Sullivan, and on a whim, Meldrum asked how he could get a chance to trial with the Blues in the ‘82 pre-season. O’Sullivan assured Meldrum that he would arrange it, and that an invitation would be in the mail soon. Meldrum took O’Sullivan at his word, and waited. And waited. And waited.
Meanwhile, Molly’s work as a builder’s labourer proved ideal for strengthening his wiry frame, and, in anticipation of getting a chance to show his wares with the Blues, he had begun a punishing program of running the perimeter of Princes Park – against the clock – at least once a day, every day. By January, 1982 the promised invitation still had not arrived, so the super-fit Meldrum cheekily dropped in again to O’Sullivan’s office.
Of course, Sullivan had totally forgotten about their previous conversation. Somewhat embarrassed, Shane told Molly that okay, he could join in pre-season training later that week – but warned him that if he couldn’t keep up, he would be moved on very smartly. Well, as it turned out, Meldrum more than kept up. He impressed everyone, including the Blues’ match committee, and was rostered to play in an intra-club practice game, where he racked up 30 quality possessions.
After that performance, he was approached again by O’Sullivan. “I was given the number 23 jumper, a pair of boots, and told we would talk about money later,” said Molly. He made his senior debut only a couple of weeks afterward in the pre-season night competition at Waverley, starting a memorable eleven-year career for the Navy Blues that included the Grand Finals of 1986 and 1987. He was also a Victorian state representative in those two seasons, and in the latter, finished third in the Brownlow Medal count behind the joint winners; Tony Lockett (St Kilda) and John Platten (Hawthorn).
Thanks to the Blueseum for player bio and pic.