NEIL Chandler – whose 76 senior appearances for Carlton included the famous Grand Final victories of 1968, ’70 and ’72 – has passed away suddenly at the age of 73.

On the recommendation and the former Carlton ruckman and then Morwell coach Graham Donaldson, Chandler was recruited to the Club from the South Gippsland regional town of Welshpool. It was the summer of 1967 and Chandler suddenly found himself sharing locker space with the likes of Alex Jesaulenko and Brian Kekovich, all budding recruits under Ron Barassi’s watch.

In the presence of champions through a golden epoch in Carlton history, the understated ruck-rover who first wore the No.47 and later the No.22 contributed significantly to the Club’s on-field cause.

In the Round 14 of 1968, at just 19 years and 75 days, Chandler completed his senior debut against Essendon at that most inhospitable of venues, Windy Hill. The visitors went down by a goal in that one, but Chandler was a dozen games from Grand Final greatness and revenge was swift.

In the low-scoring Grand Final of ’68 against Essendon, having shared bench space with the late Peter McLean, Chandler held up his end with a number of crucially contested marks in midfield; in the unforgettable Grand Final of ’70 against Collingwood he again played his part in what was perhaps the game’s greatest come-from-behind victory; and in the ’72 Grand Final against Richmond – in what was his 50th senior appearance – he contributed one of his team’s record-breaking 28 goals off a wing.

Adrian Gallagher, the 165-game Carlton rover who hailed from the South Gippsland township of Yarram, turned out at Windy Hill when Chandler completed his senior debut — and like Chandler savoured the sugarsweet Grand Final successes of 1968, ’70 and ’72.

“Neil was in the right place at the right time, three premierships in 50 games, and he was an important player in each of them,” Gallagher said.

“He took those important marks late in the ’68 Grand Final and was an important replacement for ‘Gooldy’ (John Goold) in the Grand Final two years later.

“He was a ruck-rover-type and ‘Barass’ loved him. He played the game in the right manner and he was an excellent bloke. He was a great country boy, straight off the farm, and he and I always liked to talk about the local footy back home. He was always measured and he was very laidback.”

Chandler’s on-field career ended in 1974 with six senior appearances for St Kilda – Carlton’s opponent at Marvel Stadium next Friday night – but in the ensuing years he always partook in the various premiership reunions and club functions.

He was on hand at Carlton’s Life Members Luncheon at Kew Golf Club back in March and more recently at a gathering of 13 of the surviving 18 of the ’72 Grand Finial when the Blues and Richmond met at the MCG in the opening round.

He would have been a welcome presence at the upcoming 1972 premiership reunion at Marvel Stadium. Sadly, that is not to be.

Chandler was the 806th player to represent the Carlton Football Club at senior level since the formation of the Victorian Football League.

The Carlton senior players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the late Chandler in Saturday afternoon’s match with Fremantle at Marvel Stadium.

JOHN Lloyd, the Carlton half-back in the early years under Ron Barassi’s watch, and patriarch of the Lloyd football family, has passed away after a long illness at the age of 77.

Recruited to the club from Yarrawonga in what was Barassi’s maiden season as Carlton captain-coach, Lloyd was handed the No.18 guernsey now worn by Sam Walsh – and locker space between the 1964 Brownlow Medallist Gordon Collis at No.17 and the ’68 premiership back pocket Ian Collins at 19.

“They were terrific days,” Lloyd recalled in an interview with this reporter eight years ago. “Barassi recruited me to Carlton in ’65 and it was a really good time. There was so much change with him coming to the Club as playing coach, and it was really exciting.”

It was in Round 4 of 1965, against North Melbourne at Princes Park, that Lloyd emerged from the dugout and took his place on the field for the first time. The home team thumped North by 63 points in that one, with Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller booting five goals and the late Terry Board adjudged best afield.

Lloyd’s senior career at Carlton would span three seasons and 29 matches – the last of them the 1967 second semi final against Richmond, when opposition ruckman Neville Crowe was found guilty of striking John Nicholls and duly suspended, thereby depriving him of his place in the Tigers victorious ’67 Grand Final team.

At the time, Lloyd’s 29 outings for Carlton would have been more than enough to ensure son Matthew also donned the dark Navy Blue guernsey.

“Earlier in the piece, 20 games was the number required, and I had 29 to my name,” Lloyd said.

“Carlton had talked about drafting Matt under the father-son rule, but he was only 13 or 14 at that stage and by the time he was due to be drafted the rule was changed from 20 to 50 games – and that was it.”

Regrettably the club fell foul of the red tape, and whereas John never once put the football over the goal umpire’s hat, Matthew would boot 926 career goals for Essendon.

Lloyd was a welcome guest at The Plenary for Carlton’s 150th anniversary celebrations in June 2014.

That night, he talked of the sheer privilege of renewing acquaintances with old Princes Park contemporaries, ‘Barass’ included.

“I’ve seen Adrian Gallagher, Barry Gill, John Gill and Jimmy Pleydell, and I’ve been doing the rounds trying to get to a few more,” Lloyd said towards the end of proceedings.

“But there’s so many in the house that I can’t get to them all unfortunately.”

To the end, John maintained an interest in the on-field fortunes of his former club – particularly so with son Brad’s involvement as Carlton’s Head of Football but he was equally invested in Matthew’s post-football media career and Simon’s progression as Geelong’s General Manager – Football.

Carlton CEO Brian Cook paid tribute to Lloyd’s legacy to the game.

“On behalf of the Carlton Football Club, we send our deepest condolences to the Lloyd family, following the passing of John,” Cook said.

“John paved the way for his family, who have given such outstanding service to football across such a long period of time, a lasting legacy that would no doubt make his family incredibly proud.”

John Lloyd was the 773rd player to represent Carlton at senior League level. The Carlton Football Club mourns John’s passing and extends its deepest sympathies to all members of the Lloyd family.

PICTURED here for posterity are Carlton’s inaugural and reigning John Coleman Medallists – Tom Carroll (to the right of the photograph) and Harry McKay – after meeting for the first time at IKON Park in the lead-up to the team’s Round 10 match with Sydney.

Sixty years separates their achievements – Carroll having earned the medal retrospectively for his 54-goal return from 18 home-and-away matches from full-forward in his inaugural season of 1961, and Harry having won the medal for the competition’s leading goalkicker with 58 from 19 last year – both at the healthy average of three goals a game.

“Harry made me look like a rover,” Carroll dryly suggested afterwards. “It was lovely to meet him at the Club, and I also got to talk to ‘Diesel’ (Greg Williams) and Sam Walsh.

“I also got to say g’day to ‘Vossy’ (Michael Voss) and Matthew Kennedy, who came from Collingullie, not far from Ganmain.”

Recruited to Carlton from Ganmain in the Riverina and now living quietly in Albury, the 82 year-old Carroll, a guest of the Carlton President for the Swans match, is like most former players buoyed by the current group’s recent performances – “and having used 36 players the depth is obviously good”.

At Carlton, Carroll opted for the flat punt throughout his 55 senior matches over three seasons, during which time he took the Club’s goalkicking honours with the Coleman Medal-winning 54 in 1961, 62 in 1962 and 27 in 1963.

So named after John Coleman, the Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend who booted 537 goals in 98 senior appearances for Essendon, the Coleman Medal was first presented to former Richmond full-forward Michael Roach in 1981.

In September 2001, the League recognised all leading goalkickers prior to Roach’s victory – from 1955 (the year after Coleman’s last match) to 1980 – and all including Carroll were named retrospective Coleman Medallists.

Winners prior to 1955 – at Carlton Mick Grace (45 goals, 1906), Ern Cowley (35 goals, 1918), ‘Horrie’ Clover (54 goals, 1922) and Harry Vallence (72 goals, 1931) – were also named Leading Goalkicker Medallists, and in July 2004 medals were presented to their surviving families in a ceremony at the Melbourne Town Hall.

Aside from Carroll and McKay, former Carlton full-forward Brendan Fevola is a two-time winner with 84 goals in 2006 and 86 in 2009.

Ten years ago, Carroll and Fevola were photographed together at Lavington.

In the aftermath of the stirring Carlton-Sydney contest, Tom’s son Dean Carroll said the following:

“Thanks to Shane O’Sullivan and the club, Mum and Dad have had a special couple of days at Carlton and at last night’s President’s Dinner.

“Dad hadn’t been back inside the club for a lot of years – the ‘70s was the last time he reckons! It was pretty surreal for Dad to walk in the door last night and meet ‘Big Nick’ and Syd Jackson straight up! They had a great 15-20mins or so together.

“The dinner was great, Dad was able to mingle pre-game and he loved the Blues’ win!”

CARLTON’S four-time Premiership player and club Best and Fairest Bruce Doull – one of the few universally admired footballers in League history and without question its most shy – has generously agreed to break his silence in support of an important cause led by fellow Norm Smith Medallist David Rhys-Jones.

Doull, a member of Carlton’s and the AFL’s Teams of the Century, is one of 15 former sportsmen who have agreed to be interviewed by the 182-game former South Melbourne/Sydney and Carlton footballer, as part of an annual fundraiser for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Victoria of which Rhys-Jones is an Ambassador.

Joining Doull in fielding Rhys-Jones’ questions as part of the #15for15 Challenge are fellow former Carlton players Matthew Allan, Jim Buckley, Milham Hanna and Matthew Kreuzer; on-field adversaries Peter Daicos, Mick McGuane, Tony Shaw and Dane Swan (Collingwood), Terry Daniher (Essendon) and Scott West (Footscray/Western Bulldogs); and the one-time Australian Super Featherweight boxing champion Barry Michael.

The two-minute video-taped Doull interview has been availed to the Club exclusively. In it, the 356-game great reflects on his great rivalry with Richmond’s Royce Hart (“I didn’t sleep well the night before I played on Royce”) and he offers his thoughts of today’s Carlton and where it is heading under Michael Voss’ watch.

For Rhys-Jones, the coup of securing an interview with Doull was part of a bigger picture.

“This is about getting more people on board and creating an awareness for PWS,” Rhys-Jones said of his commitment to the challenge.

“I’m hoping to raise a few bob for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Victoria because there’s a bit of research happening.”

The #15for15 Challenge takes its name from the actual Prader-Willi Syndrome condition in which several genes on the 15th chromosome are deleted or unexpressed – leading to individuals developing insatiable appetites, difficult behaviour traits and developmental problems.

This rare and complex non-inherited genetic spectrum disorder reduces the average life expectancy for someone with the condition to just 37 years.

Rhys-Jones’ interest in promoting awareness of PWS and raising funds for the cause is deeply personal, as his son Cooper, now 18, lives with the condition. Not surprisingly, much of David and his wife Cheri’s days are taken as Cooper’s carers.

“Cooper was given growth hormone because he wasn’t able to produce it himself. He’s on medication for anxiety, and he’s ticking along.

“He basically needs 24-hour supervision and there are carers to assist. He experiences a lot of anxiety and as a result Cheri and I probably don’t go out as much as you don’t know when or where Cooper could have a melt-down.”

According to Rhys-Jones, around one in 15,000 individuals live with PWS – amongst them the daughter of the dual North Premiership defender Frank Gumbleton, who according to Rhys-Jones “is around 40 years old now and doing quite well”.

Though treatment for PWS has become more accessible and less expensive there is still much to be done, according to Rhys-Jones.

“It would be terrific if anyone was able to throw a few shekels into help,” he said. “The PWA of Victoria does a great job to support the families dealing with this. It’s a real little community and I’m part of it.”

David Rhys-Jones launches his 15-day challenge on his Facebook page today (17 May). Carlton members and supporters who might like to support Rhys-Jones’s cause by way of donation are encouraged to access this link. 

THOMAS Gordon Ross’s name can be found amongst the greats of Carlton’s golden era – men of stature like ‘Pompey’ Elliott, ‘Hackenschmidt’ Clark and ‘Mallee’ Johnson.

And while his time at Carlton ended with his 30th and final on-field appearance in the 1903 semi final with Collingwood, Ross is forever remembered for his bravery in wartime, and a recipient one of the British Commonwealth’s highest awards for gallantry: the Distinguished Service Order.

Born in the captivating gold mining town of Chewton in central Victoria way back in 1878, Ross followed Jack Worrall from Fitzroy to Princes Park – the former having turned out at Brunswick Street in four senior appearances for the Maroons through 1900 and 1901.

Worrall, as Carlton Secretary/Coach, took Carlton to the VFL Grand Final triumphs of 1906, ’07 and ’08, but by then Ross was long gone, his Princes Park playing days having been brought to premature end by the demands of his medical studies down the road at Melbourne University.

Carlton footballer Thomas Ross, a member of Carlton’s 1902 team, poses at far right for the photographer. At the far left is the legendary Carlton Secretary/Coach Jack Worrall, whom Ross followed to Princes Park from Fitzroy.

On completing his medical degree, Ross and his wife Florence relocated to Brisbane, where he established a private practice, and not long after became a Reserve officer with the Australian Army Medical Corps.

When the world was plunged into war in August 1914, 36 year-old Captain Ross was working as a surgeon at Townsville Hospital. He immediately enlisted in the AIF, and by the middle of the following year had been promoted to Major. At Gallipoli he was subjected to a baptism of fire with 12 Field Ambulance – and it was at Gallipoli that the heroics of the stretcher bearers, doctors and other medical staff became the stuff of Anzac legend.

In October 1915, having survived the horrors at the Dardanelles, Captain Ross was admitted to a field hospital with a particularly potent strain of influenza, later dubbed ‘Spanish flu’. He eventually recovered, but the after-effects of that serious illness were to plague him for years.

The following year, Captain Ross was further promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and given command of 12 Field Ambulance. But Gordon Ross was no staff officer. Despite his rank, he led his men into the thick of the action whenever the Australians went on the offensive – as he proved at the village of Warloy in August 1916, when he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for courage and leadership under fire. The official recommendation for this honour reads as follows:

Lt Colonel Ross personally supervised the evacuation of wounded from 6 August 1916, to 15 August 1916 from the firing line to the main dressing stations at Warloy, all of which were carried out without a hitch. He was also responsible for the advanced dressing stations, collection posts, reinforcements to Battalion stretcher bearers etc. He was instrumental in advancing the Regimental Aid Posts on the right and the left about one thousand yards, which greatly facilitated the evacuation of the wounded, and altogether carried out the work in a most admirable manner.

Lieutenant Colonel Ross’s Distinguished Service Order notification.

In February 1917, having been further honoured by being Mentioned In Despatches by his Commander In Chief General Sir Douglas Haig, Lieutenant Colonel Ross was again struck down by illness, his already weakened lungs ravaged by bronchitis. He was invalided to England for rest and recuperation, but it was clear he was unlikely to regain full fitness.

Therefore, as a volunteer non-combatant who had spent almost three years in front line service, Lieutenant Colonel Ross was offered, and accepted, an honourable discharge. He returned to Australia aboard the Megantic in August 1917, and resumed duties at his private practice in Brisbane.

In 1939, when Australia was drawn into another war against the same enemy, Doctor Ross was practising in Sydney – and having maintained his links with the AAMC, he didn’t hesitate when asked to again volunteer. He was immediately restored to his former rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and commanded 104 Australian General Hospital at Bathurst, New South Wales from 1941 to 1944 – by which time he was 66 years old and on the verge of retirement.

Thomas Gordon Ross D.S.O., M.B., B.S., F.R.A.C.S. died at his home in the northern Sydney suburb of Chatswood, at the age of 74 in August 1952. He was amongst the 229 players known to have risked their lives for liberty over the past 125 years – whether in The Boer War or the First and Second World Wars.

There were 22 Carlton players who did in wartime. Their names are as follows:

From the First World War: George Challis, Harold Daniel, Dave Gillespie, Albert Gourlay, Tom McCluskey, Fen McDonald, Stan McKenzie, Charlie Oliver, Alby Paterson, Jim Pender, Willie Rogers and Alf Williamson.

And from the Second World War: Wilf Atkinson, Jim Knight, Norm Le Brun, Jim Park and Henry Thomson.

They were amongst the tens of thousands of Australians who paid for their nation’s freedoms in blood, who sacrificed their tomorrows so that we could have today.