Dan Beauvais
Career : 1945
Debut: Round 8, 1945 vs Geelong, aged 24 years, 232 days
Carlton Player No. 607
Games : 4
Goals : 5
Last Game : Round 12, 1945 vs Melbourne, aged 24 years, 260 days
Guernsey No. 17
Height : 187 cm (6 ft. 1 in.)
Weight : 86 kg ( 13 stone, 8 lbs.)
DOB: 20 October, 1920
Dan Beauvais had a brief 4-game career at Princes Park in 1945 – one of the most tumultuous years in history. It was the year when World War II finally ended with the atomic bombing of two Japanese cities, and when the Carlton football club won a famous, controversial seventh VFL flag in the ‘Bloodbath’ Grand Final victory over South Melbourne.
One of ten young men to wear the Old Dark Navy Blue for the first time in 1945 was Dan Beauvais, a 24 year-old from Jeparit who did well when he came off the bench and kicked two goals in Carlton’s good win over Geelong at Kardinia Park in round 8.
Beauvais was rewarded with a place in one forward pocket the following week (alongside Lance Collins and Ron Hines) and put through another three majors during Carlton’s 9-point loss to Footscray at Princes Park. After this sixth loss of the year, the Blues were languishing in ninth place on the ladder, well out of finals contention.
However, a shock win over second -placed North Melbourne at Arden Street in round 10 revived the Blues spirit, especially when Collins returned to form at full-forward and kicked six terrific goals. Beauvais didn’t trouble the scorers that afternoon, but was still a little unlucky to lose his place in the side when the versatile Ken Baxter returned from injury the next week, and Carlton at home beat South Melbourne by six points.
Beauvais spent just that one week in the seconds before he was recalled as 19th man for round 12 against Melbourne. He sat on the pine throughout the game, even as Melbourne rattled home, kicking 4.1 to Carlton’s 2.1 in the last quarter at Punt Road. The Blues held on to win by 1 point, and moved to within 8 points of the top four.
Even so, Beauvais was apparently dissatisfied with his progress at Carlton, and soon afterward decided to switch clubs to Hawthorn. Carlton wanted him to stay, and the matter dragged on for some weeks until Dan was eventually released. Thereafter, while the Blues continued climbing the mountain toward the finals and eventually succeeded, Beauvais joined the Hawks, and played another seven matches before retiring in 1946.
Peter Jones
Playing Career : 1966 – 1979
Debut : Round 16, 1966 Aged 19 years 297 days
790th Carlton Player
Games : 249
Goals : 284
Last Game : Grand Final, 1979 Aged 32 years 344 days
Guernsey No. 28
Height : 198 cm (6’6″)
Weight : 109 kgs (17.2)
DOB : October 20, 1946
Premiership Player: 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979
Best and Fairest: 1973
B. J. Deacon Memorial Trophy -Best Clubman Award : 1978
Victorian Representative: 1977
Carlton Hall of Fame (1988)
He was part actor, part comedian and an all round quality footballer. Peter ‘Percy’ Jones is one of the truly unique characters in the long history of the Carlton Football Club. His unbounded enthusiasm on the field – and his legendary exploits off it – endeared the lanky Tasmanian to generations of Blues’ fans.
Jones joined Carlton from North Hobart in 1966. He was a 20 year-old, 194 cm ruckman with considerable promise, however a serious car accident soon after his arrival – in which he injured both legs – was a portent of things to come. Happily, he recovered in time to play the last three games of the year and showed enough for new coach Ron Barassi to retain him.
By 1968 ‘Percy’ had settled into the senior team as understudy to John Nicholls. He found his niche in a forward pocket, where his strong marking and accurate kicking was invaluable. And it was about then that his obvious joy at every Carlton goal – whether it be kicked by himself or a team-mate – began to be noticed. As soon as a Blues players’ shot for goal was on its way, Percy would be clapping and cheering – even if it was obviously going to miss. And his Charlie Chaplin-like bewilderment when a free kick was awarded against him was hilarious. He was a handy part of both the 1968 and 1970 Premiership teams, then the Jones legend really started rolling.
In August 1971 at the Junction Oval in St Kilda, Carlton were playing Fitzroy in a game crucial to The Blues’ finals chances. The match started in sunshine, but just after the half-time break a thick fog rolled over the ground from nearby Port Phillip Bay. It was so dense that players only a metre or so apart couldn’t see each other. They relied on their ears more than their eyes, while the time keepers caught only glimpses of the players and had to rely on the emergency umpire to relay the few additional scores. Late in the quarter, the ball came bouncing past Percy, who had dropped back into defence. ‘There it is!’, he shouted – and a Fitzroy opponent pounced on the ball and goaled. Carlton lost an extraordinary game, and missed that year’s Finals by two points!
Percy was quickly forgiven however, when he proved his blossoming talent with a dominant display against a powerhouse Richmond in the 1972 Grand Final. The Tigers went in as hot favourites after drawing with, then beating Carlton in the second semi. The Blues then had to win a tight Preliminary Final against St Kilda, while Richmond had a week off. John Nicholls had replaced Barassi as Carlton’s coach and decided on a bold strategy in the decider. He made eight positional changes, including placing himself at full-forward and handing Percy the daunting task of first ruck. Then he told the Blues to attack at all times and to ignore the inevitable defensive errors and turnovers.
The plan and the switches worked brilliantly, and Carlton won by 27 points in the highest-scoring Grand Final ever. Jones was superb all afternoon, rucking unchanged to dominate the Tigers’ big men, while Nicholls himself bagged six goals. If there had been a Norm Smith medal available that day, Percy would have won it. With his confidence boosted, ‘Perce’ was consistently good throughout 1973 and deservedly won the Blues’ Best & Fairest award. On the field, his exuberance was at its height. The Carlton faithful loved his antics while he drove the opposition to distraction.
On one famous occasion, he played on after a mark in the goal square. But as he tried to guide the ball on to his boot, he missed – and kicked the goal post! On another, he lit a firecracker in the Carlton Social Club while Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was watching a game – and terrified the PM’s minders. Late in his career, he was struggling to keep up in a pre-season training run when a tram appeared, and Perce hopped on board. He might have gotten away with it, too – except that Carlton’s fitness adviser at the time saw him get off!
Jones’ career culminated with the 1979 Premiership. By then aged almost 33 and somewhat in the shadow of future captain Mike Fitzpatrick, Perce responded to his captain-coach Alex Jesaulenko, who challenged the big bloke to show his doubters that he wasn’t a spent force. Perce gave his all that day; more than holding his own in the ruck as the Blues knocked over Collingwood by five points – thanks to some last-gasp brilliance by Wayne Harmes.
Thanks to the Blueseum for player pics and bios.