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CARLTON Football Club Premiership Player and star Syd Jackson is aiming to raise much-needed funds to help Roeland’s Village.

Syd Jackson was taken to Roelands Mission (now Roelands Village) when he was a child and he lived there until age 16.

He played with both South Bunbury then East Perth Football Clubs, before being recruited for the Carlton Football Club by Ron Barassi. Syd returned to Roelands Village in 2013 to assist his former mission brothers and sisters to convert the former mission into a happy, and productive place of healing, skills development and business, including agricultural business on the farm the children worked in former mission days.

Syd’s dream is to see many community members developing skills, getting fit and healthy, and having employment through Roelands Village enterprises in food and honey production, tourism and accommodation, health and fitness programs on site, and contracting works opportunities.

Syd believes that Roelands Village will continue to change the lives of young people and others for the better through the social enterprises on site, alongside opportunities for education, employment, healing and sports programs.

“I’m running a fundraiser for my community and my home, Roelands Village,” Jackson said.

“My dream is to see many community members developing skills, getting fit and healthy, and having employment through Roelands Village enterprises in food and honey production, tourism and accommodation, health and fitness programs on site, and contracting works opportunities.

“I believe that Roelands will continue to change the lives of young people and others for the better through the social enterprises on site, alongside opportunities for education, employment, healing and sports programs.”

But Syd needs your help. Your donations will assist Syd to achieve his dream of seeing Roelands Village as a thriving community business hub. Any contribution is appreciated. All donations are tax deductible with Woolkabunning Kiaka Aboriginal Corporation, the organisation that manages Roelands Village today, having DGR1 status.

Multi-year pledges are welcome.

Carlton fans can click below to find out more and to help contribute to Syd’s cause. 

JOHN Dorman Elliott, the Carlton Football Club’s longest-serving President – and perhaps its most polarising – has died ten days short of his 80th birthday.

Elliott, the former Federal President of the Liberal Party once touted as a future Australian Prime Minister, was the unmistakable face of Carlton through a record 20-year presidency which surpassed Sir Kenneth Luke’s 18 years in office.

Replacing Ian Rice as President the year after the back-to-back Premiership seasons of 1981 and ’82, the autocratic Elliott and his board of directors presided, for the most part, over a period of on-field and off-field prosperity.

Immortalised as the cigarette-smoking, scotch-swilling “Rubbery Figure”, the larger-than-life Elliott saw his beloved Blues triumph in the Grand Finals of 1987 and ’95 – the latter affording the club its 16th piece of silverware, at the time more than any other.

On Elliott’s watch, a new grandstand bearing his name was built by the north-eastern wing to cater for the corporate heavyweights of the country who’d significantly contributed financially to the club through “The President’s Men” – a coterie personally championed by Elliott, the one-time head of Elders and the Foster’s Group.

On match-day luncheons, Elliott would welcome football identities and VIPs to his dominion, then take his place at his designated seating area in prime position for the first bounce. There he’d open the sliding glass, light a cigarette, and take great pleasure in flicking the ash onto the heads of unsuspecting opposition supporters filing past on the concourse below.

In the immediate aftermath of a stirring Blues victory, more often than not back then, Elliott would lead Members in a rousing rendition of the club’s theme song, over clinking beer glasses on the first floor of the Carlton Social Club (George H. Harris Stand). Just as the players of his day could walk the walk, ‘Big Jack’ talked the talk.

In 1994, Elliott was party to negotiations for the ground’s naming rights arrangement with the communications conglomerate Optus – which in turn afforded Carlton the financial wherewithal to build the Legends Stand at the Garton Street end of the ground.

Under Elliott, Carlton furthered its reputation as a powerhouse both on and off the field – “the best in the business” as he proudly declared with genuine conviction.

But his presidency would ultimately end in ignominy with his resignation on Remembrance Day 2002 – on the very day the club was first charged by the AFL for illegal player payments – and on the end of a season in which his beloved Blues became the last of the VFL’s foundation clubs to take the wooden spoon.

Elliott claimed he had no knowledge of any rorting. In the end, his moniker was removed from the grandstand and renamed the Carlton Heroes Stand as a mark of respect to the football club Members who paid off the club’s League-imposed salary cap fines which totalled almost $1million.

Fiercely committed to his club and generous to a fault with his players, Elliott found loyalists in the likes of Anthony Koutoufides and Stephen Kernahan. Kernahan, himself a former Carlton President Stephen Kernahan and the man who captained Carlton to Grand Final triumphs in the Elliott years of 1987 and ’95, was taken aback by news of the man’s passing.

“I’m truly in shock,” said Kernahan, football’s longest-serving captain.

“I knew John was battling with his health, but I thought the great man would live forever.

“He was a loved man and he was very good to Carlton people. He may have polarised a few, but whatever people thought of him there was no doubting his love for the Carlton Football Club.”

Elliott was never one to shirk an issue. In clubland for example, he insisted that Essendon be stripped of its 1993 Grand Final victory over Carlton as punishment for its own salary cap discrepancies.

As for city hall, Elliott best voiced his disproval when he memorably declared: “No-one barracks for the AFL . . . they barrack for Carlton and Collingwood”.

In September 1984, Elliott convened a clandestine meeting of VFL club Presidents at his Mt Macedon retreat Sefton, at which the concept of a breakaway Super League competition was discussed.

The concept never gained traction, but the fact that the meeting took place reflected the view of a number of club Presidents of the day that the VFL had adopted a “Big Brother” approach to what had become the football business.

To the end of his Presidency he was at war with the League and its commissioners – a war that he (and by association his club) ultimately lost. He never forgave the AFL commissioner for conveying by way of a phone call the demise of Princes Park as a League venue after 118 years.

Through the dark winters of the 20th century, as a once great club struggled to find its way, Elliott’s great love for Carlton endured – and he was there for the final game in May 2005, when ‘Kouta’ handed the final match-day footy to ‘Big Nick’.

One tale told by Tom Elliott on a Ghosts of Princes Park Tour relates to that very match, when Elliott was invited back to the President’s pre-game Luncheon – ironically convened by Ian Collins – in a nook of the grandstand that once bore his name.

Tom recalled his father lighting a customary cigarette in the room at a time when smoking laws were finally invoked, but through the course of the match refused an attendant’s repeated requests to butt out his “ciggy”.

When the frustrated blue coat ultimately returned with reinforcements to evict the smoke-puffing former Prez from the room, the final siren sounded on the historic final contest – which then prompted a gleeful Elliott to puff smoke into the hapless attendant’s face and bellow: “This is no longer an AFL venue, the smoking laws no longer apply”.

John Elliott died in the Epworth Hospital after a short illness. His first wife Lorraine, a former Victorian state parliamentarian for the Liberal Party, predeceased him in 2014. He is survived by his four children – 3AW Broadcaster Tom, daughter Caroline, son Edward and daughter Alexandra.

The former Carlton President is also survived by his second wife Amanda Elliott (later the first female Chairperson of the Victoria Racing Club) and his former partner Joanne Hurley.

A SEQUENCE of four photographs of Carlton’s inaugural Brownlow Medallist Bert Deacon in full flight have surfaced almost three quarters of a century after the much-admired centre half-back earned the game’s most coveted award.

Captured in an unknown suburban parkland, the photos show Deacon in his long-sleeved Dark Navy guernsey (possibly carrying the original No.14 on the back) and highcuts, magnificently executing the game’s basics –the high mark, the field kick and the art of “selling the candy”. 

The images, which do not carry a photographer’s name, were stored in a box of miscellaneous football images in the keep of Peter Valentino, a former volunteer at the State Library of Victoria, who graciously availed copies to the Club.

Peter believed the photographs were captured for the national magazine Sporting Life (published from 1947 to 1957) and the Australian pictorial magazine Pix (published from 1938 to 1972).

They are thought to have been taken in 1948 – the year after Deacon, with 23 votes, earned the Brownlow by two from St Kilda centreman Harold Bray. 

To complete his stellar year, Deacon also featured in Carlton’s famed one-point Grand Final victory over Essendon in ’47 and tied with the then Carlton captain Ern Henfry for the club’s Best & Fairest award.

Henfry also featured on the front cover of the May 1951 edition of Sporting Life, a copy of which Peter also supplied. 

Both Henfry and Deacon featured in Sporting Life’s Teams of The Year (a forerunner to All-Australian teams) – Henfry in 1947 and ’49; Deacon in 1947, ’48 and ’49.

A feature of the IKON Park redevelopment includes space dedicated to significant Carlton Football Club memorabilia.

To assist in showcasing the rich history of our Club, we’re putting the call out to the Navy Blue community to see what artefacts might be out there amongst the treasure caves of suburban abodes.

Think boots, guernseys, trophies, medals – the older and more momentous, the better.

Do you have a historic item that deserves to be on display for all Carlton people to experience and enjoy?

If you are able to help the Carlton Football Club source any items of significance, please get in touch by taking a photo and submitting details about your item here.

More information on the redevelopment can be viewed here: https://www.carltonfc.com.au/club/ikon-park-redevelopment

UNTIL Melbourne’s most recent lockdown, Peter Bosustow had planned to jet in for a fundraiser to help him through the disastrous collapse of a lifetime home lease scheme in which he’d invested.

Now the Mandurah-based Western Australian must rely on the goodwill of the Carlton fraternity and the football community at large; the Blues’ flamboyant back-to-back Premiership player of 1981 and ’82 having now confirmed he’s been diagnosed with colon cancer and facing a series of chemotherapy sessions in the months to come.

“It’s been a bit of a shock,” said the 63 year-old Bosustow, who first experienced health issues last Christmas. “I was losing a bit of weight, which I thought was good at the time, until my doctor sent me off for a colonoscopy. The colonoscopy revealed a mass, and subsequent tests revealed spots on my liver, which means it’s spread a bit. But I’ll be in the fight. I’m not going to shirk the issue.”

Bosustow is of the view that his health issues can be put down to the stresses brought on with the collapse of lifetime home lease scheme Sterling First, which cost a number of retirees their life savings, and in his case a quarter of a million dollars.

“But that’s all by the by now,” Bosustow said. “I’m in the fight now and I’m meeting it head-on. I’m positive about it all, which is the way you’ve got to be.”

A much-loved favourite of the Carlton faithful through the halcyon years at Princes Park, Bosustow and fellow Western Australian Ken Hunter sensationally impacted on the game when they crossed the Nullarbor and turned out for the David Parkin-coached Blues on the cusp of season ’81.

In just 65 games through three seasons, ‘The Buzz’ contributed to an extraordinary highlights reel – which included the Mark and Goal of the Year double in that maiden season – as part of an irresistible half forward line which took in Mark Maclure and Wayne Johnston.

Ultimately, the health of Peter’s father Bob, himself a 20-game Carlton player through 1955 and ’56 , prompted Peter’s untimely return to the West – and Bob was 63 when he died of leukaemia in December 1997.

Bosustow had also planned to be in town for the 40-year reunion of fellow teammates of 1981 and ’82 – sadly also postponed – but had already won the support of Carlton luminaries including Parkin and Stephen Kernahan – “the second greatest No.4” as Bosustow dryly suggested.

The Carlton legend Alex Jesaulenko is also lending Bosustow his support by promoting the My Cause crowdfunding page established by his daughter Kate. At the time of writing, the fund had raised $6300.

Carlton Members and supporters wanting to support Peter can do so via the following link – https://www.mycause.com.au/p/262303/the-legend-peter-bosustow

FORMER Carlton full-forward Tom (“Turkey Tom”) Carroll – the Club’s inaugural Coleman Medallist for most goals kicked in the home and away period of League competition – has commended Harry McKay’s breakout season to earn the medal some 60 years after he completed the feat.

Wearing the No.22 of the famous Carlton full-forward of yesteryear in Harry ‘Soapy’ Vallence, Carroll earned the medal retrospectively for his 54-goal return from 18 home and away matches at an average of 3.0 – in what was also his inaugural season with the club after joining from Ganmain in the Riverina.

“Wasn’t it great,” said Carroll of McKay’s medal victory from his home in Albury.

“Harry averaged three goals a game – 58 goals from 19 – and three a game is what I averaged in ’61.”

“I haven’t met Harry before as I can’t get down to Melbourne, but it’s wonderful that his achieved this milestone, just for the history. He was pretty much a lone hand without Charlie Curnow and Mitch McGovern there for the most part.”

Tom conceded to having “a few reservations” with McKay’s kicking for goal from the left forward pocket.

“He’s such a lovely field kick, and from the right forward pocket he’s good, but when he gets in the left pocket he hasn’t got an answer there has he? My answer would be for him to keep practising the drop punt more until he could perfect the banana, and for the club to get ‘Fev’ (Brendan Fevola) in as a goalkicking coach.”

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

“I reckon Jack Titus introduced the drop punt from close in – anywhere within 20-30 metres out, but until Peter McKenna came along – and he could kick it 50 metres couldn’t he? – the flat punt was used . . . and I used the flat punt all the time.

“They talk about the snapshot (kick around the corner) and how you get more foot on the ball. Well that was the flat punt. You got the full purchase because the side of the ball was at the right angle to the foot. The only thing I did differently was the angle kick from the right pocket – the banana – every now again.”

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.

Aside from Carroll and McKay, former Carlton full-forward Brendan Fevola (who was unavailable for comment) is a two-time winner with 84 goals in 2006 and 86 in 2009.

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.

FORMER Carlton wing/half-back Graeme Whitnall, the father of the club’s 200-game former captain Lance, has died in Darwin at the age of 69.

Hailing from Talbot, within close proximity of John Nicholls’ home town of Maryborough in 1973, the 21 year-old Whitnall found his way to Princes Park, having earned Maryborough Football Club’s senior Best and Fairest award at 19 and savoured Premiership success with Maryborough the following season.

After earning Best and Fairest honours at Carlton reserve grade level, Whitnall broke into the seniors for the first of 66 senior appearances – the opening round match of 1974, against Melbourne at Princes Park. He was named on the bench in that one, alongside Castlemaine’s Peter Hall, a future National member of the Victorian Lesgislative Council. A month later at Victoria Park, Whitnall slotted two goals against Collingwood and was on his way.

Whitnall’s strength was in his versatility, and in 1977 was the only Carlton player to feature in all 22 senior contests of the home and away season, Ray Byrne aside. But an apparent difference of opinion with Carlton Captain-Coach Alex Jesaulenko saw Whitnall’s appearances confined to just four in ’78. On being refused a request for a clearance at season’s end, Whitnall returned to Maryborough and duly took out the club’s ’79 B & F.

A former teammate, the 158-game three-time Premiership player Alex Marcou, was deeply saddned with the the news of Whitnall’s passing – for it was Whitnall who showed the way to him and fellow members of the famed Mosquito Fleet, the likes of Buckley, Harmes and Sheldon

“I was just starting out and Graeme was playing in the back pocket. He was a quiet achiever, a nice guy, he was respectful and he helped the young guys coming in,”Marcou said.

“Graeme loved a beer and I always enjoyed his company. He was a passionate Carlton player who loved the Blues and he was a great man.

Following Jesaulenko’s much-publicised departure in support of the incumbent President George Harris, Whitnall accepted an invitation to return to Princes Park. He managed another 11 senior appearances through 1980 (the same year he took out the reserve grade’s award for Club Champion) and ’81 – but he gave the League caper away after being overlooked for the finals campaign in what was ultimately a Carlton Premiership year.

Graeme Whitnall was the 842^nd player to represent the Carlton Football Club at senior level. Sixteen years later, Graeme’s son Lance Whitnall – the heir apparent to Stephen Kernahan in the front half – donned the famous old dark Navy Blue guernsey for the first time, in a career that would bring him the captaincy of the club, a Grand Final appearance in 1999, All Australian selection, the 2006 John Nicholls Medal, and 216 senior League appearances – while another boy Shane flew the Carlton flag at reserve grade level.

In August 2018, when Lance was inducted into the Carlton Football Club’s Hall of Fame with Brent Crosswell, Graeme was there to savour the moment.