THE DEPTH and breadth of David Parkin’s influence in the great Australian game, let alone at Hawthorn and Carlton, is incalculable – which is why those aligned with both clubs saw fit to come together in celebration of a wonderful football life truly well-lived.

Amongst the hundreds gathering in tribute to Parkin at ZINC Federation Square included many former Hawthorn and Carlton greats whose lives were not untouched by the former player and coach. Rodney Eade, a member of Hawthorn’s 1976 and ‘78 premiership teams coached by the late John Kennedy sen. and Parkin respectively, noted: “Whereas Kennedy said ‘Don’t think, do’, with Parkin it was ‘Don’t do, think’.”

Paying homage to Parkin were Hawthorn’s champion full-forward Peter Hudson (“to me, he’s No.27, to him I’m No.26”); Don Scott who followed captain Parkin down the race and into Grand Final glory in 1971 (“we’re still friends and I don’t have many left”); and Michael Tuck who in 1978 under Parkin’s watch savoured the second of his seven premierships.

Following suit were Carlton’s Jim Buckley and Val Perovic who were there for the Parkin-coached back-to-back premierships of 1981 and ’82, and former President Stephen Kernahan with whom coach Parkin raised the silverware following the Blues’ record-breaking Grand Final victory of 1995.

Buckley touched on Parkin’s extensive ‘In Retrospect’ match-day critiques which were distributed to all players, but didn’t seem to serve their purpose in his case.

To quote Buckley: “a lot of the paperwork ended up all over Royal Parade, which didn’t matter because ‘Sellers’ (Mark Maclure) was working for the local council at the time and he picked it up”.

“But David changed the face of football at Carlton,” said Buckley. “He was professional and he was thorough.”

Perovic acknowledged that while his former coach set out to change the solid Carlton social culture, “he never had any hope”.

“But we always had our eyes on the prize and in truth we had the utmost respect for David,” Perovic said.

“We all tried our best for David because we respected him so much.”

Kernahan too remembered Parkin advising him of the Carlton players’ capacity to party hard prior to his much-heralded arrival from Glenelg – which actually had the opposite effect.

As Kernahan said: “‘Parko’ warned me that ‘these blokes drink a bit, don’t let that worry you’ … and I thought this mob might just suit me’.”

Parkin’s son Anthony offered a fascinating family insight, declaring that his father’s association with the game had exposed the clan to all manner of humanity, each bound by a genuine love of football.

“Dad taught us about work ethic and future education, and he taught us about people,” Anthony said.

“Effectively Mum raised my sister and I, and when we were at the footy, depending on whether our team won or lost determined whether we went home with Mum or Dad.”

A measure of Parkin’s extraordinary reach was reflected in the diversity of characters in the room, from current and former players and officials through to fellow staffers – all of whom Parkin has afforded a genuine interest in and empathy for in a ruthless results-driven industry.

Amongst those representing Hawthorn was former Victorian Premier and club President Jeff Kennett and Premiership players Ian Bremner, Alle De Wolde, Russell Greene, Bob Keddie, John Kennedy jr., Peter Knights, Peter Murnane, Ian Paton and Peter Russo.

Those representing Carlton included Premiership players Rod Austin, Peter Bosustow, Des English, Adrian Gallagher, Ken Hunter, Wayne Johnston, Peter Jones, Trevor Keogh, Mark Maclure, Alex Marcou, Phil Maylin, Peter McConville, David McKay and Geoff Southby.

Former Carlton players Matthew Allan, Anthony Franchina, Aaron Hamill, Trent Hotton, Ben Nelson, Mark Porter, Ian Prendergast and Lance Whitnall also turned out in support.

Current Hawthorn President Andrew Gowers was there, as was Carlton Vice-President Patty Kinnersly, CEO Brian Cook and Senior Coach Michael Voss, together with Director of Football Brad Lloyd and assistant coaches Tim Clarke, Hamill, Ash Hansen and Luke Power.

Parkin’s storied career at Hawthorn and Carlton – together with his coaching tenures at Subiaco and Fitzroy – span five consecutive decades. Include his subsequent duties as coaching director, media commentator and Australian Football Hall of Fame selector, and the ‘Parko’ factor extends to seven – notwithstanding his extraordinary contributions in teaching and academia.

His football CV runs off the page of course, but includes in part:

– 211 senior appearances for Hawthorn between 1961 and ’74;
– a Hawthorn Best & Fairest award in 1965;
– a premiership as Hawthorn captain in 1971;
– five-time Victorian representation;
– the premierships as coach in 1978 at Hawthorn and 1981, ’82 and ’95 at Carlton;
– coach of the All-Australian team in 1995;
– coach of the Carlton Team of the 20th Century, named in 2000;
– Carlton Football Club Hall of Fame induction in 2011;
– Hawthorn Football Club legend status in 2013;
– Australian Football Hall of Fame induction in 2002; and
– Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction in 2010.

Sporting a half blue and white, half brown and gold jacket specifically tailored for the occasion, Parkin delivered a typically impressive oration to close the tribute, the proceeds of which are to be divided between each club’s past player associations in support of player welfare.

“I’m pretty emotional about the whole thing. I couldn’t believe the two clubs would do something in my honour,” he told the captive audience.

“I’ve come across so many people today whom I’ve met, worked alongside and coached … it’s been a very moving experience for an octogenarian with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana skin.

“Both these clubs have been a massive part of my life. How fortunate I have been to live the life I’ve lived …”

With the notable exceptions of Barassi, Malthouse, Matthews, McHale and Sheedy, few have given the game more as a player, coach and mentor than David Alexander Parkin OAM.

NEXT to Bruce Doull’s matchworn headband, the distinctive set of black-rimmed glasses worn by the former Carlton ruckman/forward Tony Southcombe probably ranks amongst this club’s most famous item of on-field apparel.

Though Southcombe only wore the glasses into 13 senior appearances for Carlton through 1977, the football fashion accessory strikes a chord with those old enough to remember or newcomers to IKON Park’s museum showcase where both items are prominently displayed.

It’s 46 years now since the bespectacled Southcombe last took to the field in dark navy – and yet the glasses he so generously loaned to the Club were worn with distinction throughout his storied on-field career with Bendigo Football League club Golden Square.

But why spectacles and not contact lenses? In truth, Southcombe had no choice.

“The surfaces of my eyes were rough so if I wore contact lenses and got tackled or copped a bump the lenses would either fall out or move to different parts of my eyes,” Southcombe said.

“I’ve worn glasses since my first day at school and although I played football without the glasses as a junior, I wore them from the time I was 19 into all but the first two or three games of senior football I ever played.”

Southcombe’s spectacles were crafted by a local Bendigo optometrist Bill Wilkinson, who managed to source unbreakable lenses which the player wore for 95 per cent of his career, Carlton included. The glasses weren’t supposed to shatter but they in fact shattered twice – on both occasions due to Southcombe’s “close-checking” opponent “when I was getting on a bit and having a kick for Boort in the North Central League”.

It’s a little-known fact that Southcombe was on the cusp of joining Carlton five years previous – the Premiership year of 1972 – but glandular fever put paid to those plans.

“I won the Medal in Bendigo in ’72 and was all set to go down to Carlton until I got sick,” Southcombe recalled. “I had an ordinary year in ’73 – I got too fat – then I got really fit in ’74 and coached Golden Square to premierships in ’75 and ’76.

“I then got myself really fit and in ’77 I called the club to ask if I could come down to play in a practice match.”

Southcombe was 110 days short of his 27th birthday when he first took to the field for the Ian Thorogood-coached Carlton in the opening round match with Geelong at Princes Park. On a day in which Kennington’s John Trezise also completed his senior Carlton debut, Southcombe, wearing the No.4, booted one goal in the team’s 78-point rout of the visitors.

In the following round at the same venue against Fitzroy – the game in which the former Collingwood full-forward Peter McKenna first ran out for Carlton – Southcombe booted three goals in the Blues’ 32-point win; and he backed it up with another three at the Carlton ground when the Blues banged on 24.26 against St Kilda – to this day the highest Carlton tally totalled against the Saints.

Reflecting his great versatility, Southcombe (in Jones’ absence with a thigh injury) dominated the ruck contests against Melbourne in Round 7 at the MCG – prompting an Inside Football scribe to declare the big redhead known as ‘Bluey’ as a candidate for the League’s recruit of the year.

But Southcombe’s League career would last just six more weeks.

Though Carlton was well-represented by Bendigonians at that time – the likes of Ashman, Keogh, Southby and Walsh – Southcombe, who took up lodgings in the motel across the road from the old ground, found it somewhat difficult to settle into Carlton life, and by season’s end was back in Bendigo.

“I should have stayed,” Southcombe conceded in retrospect. “It (leaving Carlton) was the stupidest thing I ever did in my life.”

Though he can’t turn back the hands of time, Southcombe still follows the fortunes of the mighty Blues from afar with genuine interest – and the Carlton Football Club is forever indebted to him for loaning those famous spectacles for display at Ikon Park.