Craig Bradley
Career : 1986 – 2002
Debut : Round 1, 1986 vs Hawthorn, aged 22 years, 159 days
Carlton Player No. 931
Games : 375
Goals : 247
Last Game : Round 19, 2002 vs Port Adelaide, aged 38 years, 291 days
Guernsey No. 21
Height : 182 cm (5 ft. 11 in.)
Weight : 81 kg (12 stone, 11 lbs.)
DOB : 23 October, 1963
Premiership Player : 1987, 1995
Carlton Legend
Carlton Hall of Fame : 1995
Best and Fairest: 1986, 1988, 1993
All Australian: 1986, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997
Captain: 1998-2002
Team of the Century: Wing
International Rules Series vs Ireland : 2000, 2001 (captain), 2002
Off the field, Craig Bradley was a somewhat quiet, unassuming character who never hungered for the spotlight. But when the umpire’s whistle blew for a game of Australian football, he became a consummate professional whose outstanding ball-winning ability, accurate disposal, punishing non-stop running and longevity in the game made him one of the all-time greats. “Braddles” captained the Blues for three years, won two AFL Premierships, and picked up almost every possible honour in a stellar career that spanned 17 seasons and a record 375 games for the Carlton Football Club.
He began his football journey at Pooraka in outer-suburban Adelaide, where his father was coach of the Under-19 team. Craig was a standout junior footballer, and in 1981 he was recruited by SANFL club Port Adelaide. At the same time, Essendon also made a big pitch for his signature. The Bombers were very intent on getting him to Windy Hill, but Bradley wasn’t then ready to make the big move interstate.
Essendon redoubled their efforts after Bradley’s sensational debut year for Port Adelaide, which culminated in the Magpies’ 51-point demolition of Glenelg in the Grand Final. Playing on a wing, but roaming the length of the ground, 17 year-old Bradley was one of his team’s best. He followed up by winning Port’s Best and Fairest in 1982, before departing for England later that year, as a member of the Australian Under-19 cricket team. Cricket was Braddles’ other great sporting passion, and he would eventually play two Sheffield Shield games each for South Australia and Victoria, before giving the game away to further his football ambitions.
Because of his cricketing commitments, Bradley missed most of the 1983 pre-season with Port, but it made little difference, because he had another dominant season for the Magpies and was named All Australian for the first time. Two more Port Adelaide Best and Fairests followed in 1984 and ’85 – with the latter complemented by All Australian honours again.
In that year of 1985, four South Australians were named as All Australians; Bradley, Stephen Kernahan, Peter Motley and John Platten – and to the chagrin and envy of every other VFL club (especially Essendon) the first three all signed to play with Carlton. In the following year that trio of stars took to VFL football like they were born to it, and a time of bubbling confidence began for the Old Dark Navy Blues.
Braddles wasted little time in announcing his arrival into the upper echelons of our national game by playing in the 1986 Grand Final in his debut season at Princes Park; the same year he won his first Carlton Best and Fairest award in a tie with Wayne Johnston. The Blues lost heavily to Hawthorn on Grand Final day, but twelve months later bounced back to snatch the 1987 flag from the Hawks in Bradley’s 47th senior match.
By then, he was already a budding champion whose amazing stamina was too much for almost every opponent. He simply ran his taggers into the ground, and he was as effective in the last minutes of a game as he was at the start. He won two more Carlton Best and Fairest awards in 1988 and 1993, and by the end of his superb career had been an All Australian six times.
Aged 32, he picked up his second Premiership winner’s medallion in 1995 when the unstoppable Kernahan-led Blues demolished Geelong in a one-sided Grand Final, but those who thought he might retire after that triumph were right off the mark. He still had his zip, his footy smarts and his brilliant foot skills, and he had transformed himself from a purely attacking weapon into an equally-effective sweeper across half-back. And to cap off a memorable season, he became one of only a handful of players to be inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame while still playing out their career.
In 1997, at the age of 34, Bradley won the Sunday Age Footballer of the Year award. ”It’s not the end of the world when you reach 30,” he said in a blunt response to those who kept asking how long he intended going on – to his considerable annoyance.
After being named All Australian yet again that year, he answered all those sorts of questions when he was appointed captain of his beloved Blues in 1998 – after the retirement of his great mate ‘Sticks’ Kernahan. Braddles led the Blues into another Grand Final in 1999, but the Wayne Carey-inspired Kangaroos proved just too good.
Jason Saddington
Carlton Career: 2006 – 2008
Debut: Round 3, 2006 v Sydney (Carlton)
Carlton Player No. 1 092
Games: 20 (Overall 162)
Goals: 6 (Overall 47)
Last game: Round 20, 2008 v Port Adelaide
Guernsey No. 9
Height: 193cm
Weight: 94kg
DOB: 23 October, 1979
Jason Saddington was picked up by Carlton in a trade for a 4th round draft pick with the Sydney Swans. Given the Number 9 guernsey, ‘Saddo’ was released by the Swans after being in the Harbour City for 9 years. He was originally drafted pick 11 in 1997. He was a Rising Star nominee in 1998.
At 193cm, and with 142 games of AFL experience, there was a hope that Saddington could hold down a key defensive post at Carlton, or in the least, provide a buffer of strength and learning before our young defenders could stake a permanent claim.
Saddington made his debut for Carlton in Round 3, 2006 against his former team, kicking a goal but spending much of the game at interchange. ‘Saddo’ would only manage to play a further 5 games for the Blues in 2006, having to battle readjustment to AFL football and a continuing troublesome knee, which would require further work and his season would end prematurely, surely disappointing the player and the Club.
Saddington would play his first game for 2007 in Round 7 as a late replacement for Bret Thornton, who succumbed to a shin injury. Saddington was a key player in defence with 12 marks. One week later, Saddington would bring up his 150th AFL game against the Kangaroos at Carrarra – 8 for the Blues and 142 for the Swans.
Jason’s season seemed to improve under new coach Brett Ratten, who allowed him to play occasionally as a loose man in defence where he chopped off numerous opposition attacks and created play out of the backline. Overall he would play 12 games in 2007, and would find himself on occasion later in the season as the most senior (by age) Blue out there.
With a move to youth in 2008, many supporters may have thought his time at Carlton was up, but our lack of tall defenders saw Saddington get a surprising call-up to play in the Round 19 66-point victory over reigning Grand Finalists Port Adelaide. Saddington was given the job on young forward Justin Westhoff and managed to keep him to only one goal. Saddington was also selected the week after, but it would be his final AFL / Carlton game, with him retiring at the end of the season.
Saddington finished with 162 games, a great effort from a popular player.
Saddington won the Northern Bullants ‘Laurie Hill Trophy’ for their best and fairest player in 2008 and was an assistant coach and an valuable player when the ‘Ants were runners up in the 2009 grand final. Saddington headed back to NSW at the end of 2009, he signed with the Balmain FC for the 2010 season.
Thanks to the Blueseum for player pics and bios.