The Carlton-Collingwood rivalry has long been considered the marquee rivalry in the game – yet it is a rivalry that unfortunately cannot be given its due recognition due the lack of film footage remaining in terms of these two combatants.
On a world sporting level, the Carlton-Collingwood rivalry pre-dates those of the NFL (Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears), English Premier League (Liverpool v Manchester United) and Major League Baseball (Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees). Yet the great shame is that unlike these international rivalries, precious little remains in terms of footage of Carlton-Collingwood contests, especially prior to the 1980s.
Though Carlton and Collingwood have contested nine finals matches since 1969, complete footage of almost half these matches has been lost.
And at the time of writing, one such Carlton-Collingwood game of historical importance continues to gather dust in the Seven studio archives. The match in question is the 1969 Second Semi-Final, which drew 108,544 people through the turnstiles and featured club legends from both sides of the divide – Nicholls, Jesaulenko, Gallagher, Jackson, Silvagni and Jones of Carlton; McKenna, Price, Greening, Richardson, Tuddenham and Thompson of Collingwood.
Carlton took out the match by an even six goals that afternoon. But how do we, as Carlton supporters, get to turn the key to unlock the Seven vault? In truth, it takes only 15 supporters to express an interest in viewing the match and parting with $31.95 of their hard-earned for AFL Name-A-Game to release the footage in DVD format.
So if you would like to be amongst the privileged few to view the 1969 Second Semi in all its black and white glory match for the first time in more than 42 years, please email your name and contact details to christian@veg.com.au.
And as a postscript, if you’re a supporter with film footage of Carlton-Collingwood matches (or any Carlton matches for that matter) from the 1980s or earlier in your keep, please contact Tony De Bolfo on 9389 6241.
SOC members have the opportunity to get premium seats and access to the Past Players room for the big Round 4 clash with Essendon at the MCG on 21st April.
Access to these premium seats is free for SOC members. These tickets are only for access to the seats, not for entry into the ground. In order to get into the ground you will need to use your Carlton/Life membership or purchase a general admission ticket.
Please call Mandy Hunter on 03 9389 6256 before close of business wednesday before the game to secure your tickets. Numbers are limited so they are available on a first in best dressed basis.
Career : 1962 – 1968
Debut : Round 10, 1962 vs Fitzroy, aged 20 years, 87 days
Carlton Player No. 750
Games : 78
Goals : 6
Last Game : Round 18, 1968 vs Collingwood, aged 26 years, 135 days
Guernsey No. 39
Height : 175 cm (5 ft. 9 in.)
Weight : 67 kg (10 stone, 7 lbs.)
DOB : April 4, 1942
A blonde-haired, lightly-framed wingman recruited from Gippsland club Thorpdale, Howard Clifford Stewart played seven seasons of senior football with Carlton during the mid-sixties. Although he was nimble and had good foot skills, Cliff came in for plenty of punishment in the hurley-burley of sixties football. In particular, Des Tuddenham of Collingwood seemed to make a point of seeking out Cliff when the old foes met, but what endeared Stewart to Carlton fans was that no matter how many times he was bowled over, he always bounced straight back up.
Wearing guernsey number 39, 20 year-old Stewart made his debut as 20th man against Fitzroy in round 10, 1962, in a cracker of a match at the Brunswick St. Oval. Carlton charged home from 12 points down at three-quarter time to win by a point that afternoon, but it was a rare bright moment in a gloomy era of little success for the Blues.
It took another two seasons for Cliff to establish himself as a regular senior player, and in 1964 he didn’t miss a game. Under new captain-coach Ron Barassi in 1965 he played all but two games, although the emergence of two of Carlton’s great wingers in Garry Crane and Bryan Quirk made Stewart’s regular place in the team less secure. Still, he carried on playing good football, and in 1967 was selected in a Victorian B team for a match against Tasmania. The Blues made the finals at last that same year, and Cliff experienced the thrill of finals football, as well as the bitter taste of defeat in successive losses to Richmond and Geelong.
The trend toward taller, physically-stronger wingers, and a bout of glandular fever combined to restrict Cliff to only nine senior games in 1968. In what turned out to be his last appearance, he was as keen and courageous as ever when Carlton thumped Collingwood by 37 points at Victoria Park in round 18. But after that he was overlooked for a place in Carlton’s historic finals campaign, and amidst the wild celebrations of Carlton’s first flag for 21 years, Cliff realised that the time had come to move on.
The main beneficiary of that decision was Diamond Valley Football League heavyweights, Eltham. Stewart joined the Panthers in 1969, and, playing dominant football as a free-ranging centreman, helped drive them to consecutive Premiership victories over Diamond Creek in 1969 and ’70. He was also a popular winner of Eltham’s Best and Fairest award in 1970-71.
Happy 50th birthday to former Blue, David Honeybun today.
From the Blueseum:
——————————–
Honybun was a mobile ruckman who joined the Blues around the time that Wow Jones and Justin Madden were the first choice talls. Originally zoned to Geelong as a youngster, Honybun was recruited from NSW country town and Murray League club Coleambally, which is located between Jerilderie and Griffith. He was cleared from the Cats to the Blues as part of a deal that saw rover Denis Lenaghan move to Geelong.
His debut game against North Melbourne was an eventful one. After making a very good debut and being one of the best players on the ground, Honybun was knocked out nine minutes into the third quarter and stretchered off the ground. Unfortunately for Honybun what he described as an”elbow to the jaw” left his memory of his debut game dimmed, when asked about his memories he said “I wish I could, but I can’t remember much of the game at all”.
Although on the list for a few years, he only played 5 games and Madden or Jones were dropped to the reserves. He was plagued with a few injuries and moved to North Melbourne for the start of the 1986 season after the Blues had loaded up their playing list with the likes of Kernahan, Dorotich, Bradley, Motley, Evans etc. In 1988, moved to Richmond where he played 55 serviceable games for the Tigers and will be remembered for taking a few screamers which occasionally pop up in the highlights reels.
Back injuries ended his career in 1992 and he total league career was 60 games and 41 goals.
Other than Coleambally, Honybun also played at few other clubs prior to his VFL debut, they included, University Blues, University Blacks thirds, Scotch College and Mackay, QLD.
A very happy 70th birthday to former Blue, Trevor Best today.
Career : 1963 –1964 Debut : Round 10, 1963 vs Melbourne, aged 21 years, 87 days Carlton Player No. 755 Games : 21 Goals : 10 Guernsey No. 6 Last Game: Round 16, 1964 vs Collingwood, aged 22 years, 128 days Height : 175 cm (5 ft. 9 in.) Weight : 74.5 kg (11 stone, 10 lbs.) DOB: 2 April, 1942
A sometimes flashy rover from North Hobart, Trevor Best showed promise in his first season at Princes Park in 1963, when he made his senior debut in round 10 and thereafter played every match of the season.
But his form – especially his goal-kicking – tailed off in ‘64, and his last 12 games produced only five goals. In fact, all of Carlton’s recognised rovers failed to fire that year, which helps to explain why the Blues eventually tumbled to tenth place on the ladder.
Best played his twenty-first and last match in navy blue in round 16, 1964 at Princes Park, against a finals-bound Collingwood team that was expected to have little trouble with the battling Blues. However, when Carlton captain Serge Silvagni won the toss, he had no hesitation in kicking with a howling gale to the Lygon Street end. The Blues piled on 6.5 (41) to 0.3 (3) and it was game on.
Collingwood wrestled back the lead by 3 points at half-time, as the wind showed no sign of abating, and at the last change the home side had again stretched out a 27-point advantage. In a titanic last quarter, Carlton coach Ken Hands stacked his backline and his team fought tooth and nail to hold the Magpies out – only for a rushed behind to Collingwood to level the scores right on the siren.
At the end of that season Best was released by the Blues and returned to North Hobart, where his playing career lasted until 1971. The number 6 guernsey he had been privileged to wear for two seasons was then passed on to a mop-haired youngster from Yallourn North named Garry Crane.
The Spirit of Carlton Past and Present is pleased to announce it will be holding four match day functions for members during the 2012 season. These functions will be available to SOC members, so if you have not purchased your SOC membership please do so now by downloading the 2012 Membership Application Form.
R4 V Ess – MCG
R 9 V Melb – MCG
R 14 V Hawks – MCG
R 18 V Rich – MCG
Limited premium seating will be available at these games as well as use of the nearby Past Players room in the Ponsford Stand. Seating will be allocated on a first in best dressed basis by ringing Mandy Hunter on 03 9389 6256 before close of business on the Wednesday before each game. These premium seats will be available at no cost to Spirit of Carlton members, your only requirement will be getting into the ground either by using your club/AFL/life memberships or purchasing general admission ticket/s.
To get your SOC membership CLICK HERE to download our application form.
Happy 40th Birthday to Carlton Past Player, Andrew Balkwill today!
Andrew Balkwill came to Carlton as part of the Brent Heaver trade at the inception of the Port Power Football Team. The Blues traded away Heaver and sought Ben Nelson– 1999 Grand Final player- together with Balkwill in return. Balkwill was originally from Central Districts
Balkwill, a 192cm blond haired mobile tall, played just a solitary game for the Blues in Round 3, 1997 against Adelaide but would have the unique distinction of being the only player in Carlton history to have played senior football without donning the famed Old Dark Navy Blue. For this game was the one where Carlton wore light blue as part of a Sponsorship Deal with M&M! He remained on Carlton’s list for 2 years: 1997-98 but other than the one senior game would spend all that time in the reserves. Balkwill headed back to SANFL club Central Districts for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. he retired at the end of 2000 due to injury problems.
Andrew is one of those horribly unlucky yet also amazingly lucky players to play a solitary game for Carlton.
It’s nigh on 46 years since Maurie Fowler first donned the famous dark Navy Blue guernsey. It came in the opening round at Princes Park on Anzac Day 1966 – appropriately enough against Richmond, the team Carlton confronts at the MCG on Thursday week.
Recruited to the club from Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley, Maurie was one of three senior debutants for Carlton that day. Also named were Traralgon’s Max Thomas and Dalyston’s Ian Robertson, who would soon enough savour the Grand Final successes of 1968, ’70 and ’72 – as would Kevin Hall with whom Maurie shared the pine as 20th man for that match.
By the time he trudged from the field at Glenferrie Oval in the 9th round of ’66 against Hawthorn, Maurie had turned out for his eighth and final game, taking with him a lifetime of memories.
Those memories were recently rekindled for Maurie on his return to the Carlton Football Club, to the place that was home for an all-too-fleeting moment of his sporting career. In a quiet moment he found a corner of the players’ changeroom by the No.29 locker. The moment prompted him to reflect on his time at Princes Park and pen the following first-person account of what it was like to take to the field in the colours of Carlton.
This is Maurie’s story, My Time At Carlton, as told to Tony De Bolfo:
My Journey To Carlton
I was so lucky to get a game for Carlton. The club could quite easily have turned its back on me between 1963 and ’66, but for each of those years Carlton gave me another chance.
I first came under the club’s notice as a centre half-forward in Kyabram’s Under 17 premiership year of 1960. I felt comfortable playing at centre half forward, but because I was too short for this position at Carlton I had to try and make it as a rover, which I found extremely difficult.
Carlton first invited me to try out in 1962, after I’d played two games for the Kyabram senior side as a 17 year-old. From ’62 until ’65 included I’d take my holidays in February/March, come to Melbourne to train, play in the practice games and be lucky enough to make the final training list each year… only to return to Kyabram.
In ’63 I was actually offered 12 senior games at Carlton under coach Ken Hands, no matter how I played. I refused, basically because I was worried about relocating to Melbourne and had doubts about whether I could actually make it as a rover. In retrospect, by not accepting Carlton’s offer to play in those 12 games I probably ruined my chances of a long-term League career.
When Ron Barassi was appointed Carlton Captain-Coach in 1965 I was tempted to move to Melbourne, but again I returned home, hopeful of playing in a premiership side with Kyabram. Kyabram had been defeated by Shepparton, then coached by Tommy Hafey, in the 1963, 64 & 65 Goulburn Valley Grand Finals and I dearly wanted to be around to experience Grand Final success.
But in 1966, together with three other members of Kyabram’s 1965 Grand Final players Dick Clay (Richmond), Ross Dillon (Melbourne) & Frank Fanning (Footscray), I made the move to Melbourne to try my luck.
Although I only played eight senior games and about 14 games in the reserves and considering I did not capitalize on the opportunity I had been given, I regard my time at Carlton as an incredibly exciting time in my life.
Barassi was one of three coaches during my time at Carlton, together with Hands and Jack Carney. I have to say that playing under Barassi was probably the highlight of my entire football career. In those days the only access a country kid had to any League footballer was by way of the back page of The Sun and there was this intrigue with Barassi. I always believed, even back in ’66 that ‘Barass’ would coach Carlton to a premiership(s).
The Memories
I remember how apprehensive I was on that first night I went to training in 1962. As I was only 17, I used public transport to get to training from North Balwyn where I was staying with my cousin.
The late Allen Cowie, the Carlton secretary at the time, took me into the rooms and introduced me to some of the players. It was strange, because I knew all the players’ names, but no-one knew mine.
After these quick introductions I was invited to get changed and go out and train. I remember that I was so nervous that I struggled to run a couple of laps. I also remember wearing my Kyabram jumper (Essendon colours) with number 27 on the back and whenever I got the ball during training other players would call for me to kick to them by referring to me as “Essendon” or “27”. It was terrific when the practice games started and players began to remember my name. I was fortunate enough to show a bit of form in my first practise game and after that it was like I’d been at the club for a year or more.
It’s hard to convey the feeling I had when I heard I was selected to play in my first game in 1966 against Richmond. I still remember walking into the changeroom and opening locker 29 (my number) to prepare for that game. I looked to my left and beside me at locker 28 was the 6’6” Peter (Percy) Jones. To my right at locker 30 was strongman ‘Vinnie’ Waite and one up from him at locker 31 was Ron Barassi. I felt totally overawed and that “what the hell am I doing here?!!!” feeling was only accentuated every time I felt like a “nervous pee” and on the way to the toilet passed Serge Silvagni and John Nicholls who both had thighs bigger than my waist.
It’s nice to say that I was part of winning Carlton teams; that I kicked the winning goal against South Melbourne at Princes Park in 1966 and that I can still rattle off the numbers worn by the players in that year.
It’s also nice to experience a contentment and pride in later life, knowing my family and my grandchildren can say “my Dad/Pop played for Carlton”.
After Carlton
My time at Carlton provided me with an opportunity to experience a lifestyle largely supported and financed by football. I became a much-travelled player and for the next 15 years moved throughout south-eastern Australia thanks initially to my time there.
On leaving Prices Park, I, along with other ex-Carlton players Ian Nankervis & Bobby Lane, played with Williamstown in the VFA. After one season at “Willy”, which was also a great place, I was transferred in my employment to Shepparton where I played a season with Mooroopna in the Goulburn Valley League before going home to Kyabram.
I then embarked on a coaching career which took me to Palm Beach-Currumbin on the Gold Coast, Robinvale in the Sunraysia League, Hay (Mid Murray League) and Cobram (Murray League).
During my 13-year coaching experience the net return was 10 finals appearances for three Grand Finals, two Premierships and one runner-up.
The Return
I doubt that I could adequately explain how I felt the day I returned to Carlton. The honest truth is that it was quite incredible to think that the club would be at all interested in me, and how I viewed my time at Carlton.
I guess I’ve always thought that because I only played eight games I was never really part of the club after 1966. For that reason, the Carlton experience has remained more a personal feeling of satisfaction for me.
But having returned, it became a bit more than that. Now I think of the “not so famous” guys who played for Carlton, who would get a huge kick out of going back to the club and being treated like I was.
I actually left feeling “important” and thinking (for the first time in my life) that no matter how many games I had played, I was a part of the history of the Carlton Football Club forever.
I was most impressed with all the facilities including the Membership Shop & Bistro and the player facilities are sensational.
My reaction to seeing my old No.29 locker was to immediately include Heath Scotland in my Supercoach & Dreamteam sides! That’s true, but seriously it was a terrific feeling.
Maurie Fowler in front of the No. 29 locker
With regards to me giving any advice to young guys trying to make it in League football today, to do so would probably make me a bit of a hypocrite because the advice I would give today would be the advice I should have given myself 50 years ago.
But if asked, I would have to say that; “Your football career will be great for as long as you are playing but be aware that it won’t end there”.
“It will be with you for life”.
“Your football career provides so many positive personal, social and emotional benefits/feelings for you all the way through life”.
Harrison Hyundai in Melton are offering a great deal for Spirit of Carlton members.
This exclusive opportunity, only offered by Harrison Hyundai to past players and their immediate family members, is the equivalent of Government pricing on Harrison Hyundai’s great range of Hyundai Vehicles.
For further details and who to contact at Harrison Hyundai please download the letter using THIS LINK.
Don’t forget, if you haven’t got your Spirit of Carlton Membership yet it is not too late, you can download our membership brochure using THIS LINK.
Looking for the perfect excuse to enjoy the wonders of Tasmania in Autumn and still follow the Blues? The Spirit of Carlton Past and Present and the Carlton Football Club will be jointly hosting a function at the Welcome Stranger Hotel in Hobart on the 27th of April to coincide with the Blues big clash with Fremantle.
Attending the function will be Carlton past player superstars, Jim Buckley, Ken Hunter and David Rhys-Jones. There will be memorabilia auctions, speeches and lots of fun to be had when the Spirit of Carlton takes Tasmania by storm.
So if you live in Tassie or want to make the short hop across the straight please download the order form by CLICKING HERE and we will see you in April!
The Carlton-Collingwood rivalry has long been considered the marquee rivalry in the game – yet it is a rivalry that unfortunately cannot be given its due recognition due the lack of film footage remaining in terms of these two combatants.
.jpg)
