Horrie Bullen

Jim Clark

Lance Collins

The AFL has committed to funding an unlimited number of brain scans for retired footballers as the code ramps up its response to one of the most troubling issues in world sport – concussion.

In a joint research project that the AFL Players Association’s boss is calling  “world leading”, former players and their partners will be surveyed about memory and mental health problems that have struck in football retirement.

The concussion research is a multi-million dollar joint project of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health – the largest brain research group in the Southern Hemisphere – the AFL and the AFLPA.

With a pilot testing phase involving around 12 former players now concluded, the AFLPA is set to target every one of the more than 5600 former AFL/VFL players and enlist them to participate in an initial survey.

Retired footballers deemed to be showing signs of brain trauma will be offered a second, more extensive, assessment and referred to the Florey Institute for brain scans on the advice of experts.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/retired-footballers-to-get-free-brain-scans-20140517-zrftd.html#ixzz32MDAnqtF

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/retired-footballers-to-get-free-brain-scans-20140517-zrftd.html

Happy 60th birthday to Vin Catoggio.

 

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From the Blueseum:

 

Career : 1973-1976, 1978-1980
Debut : Round 7, 1973 vs Collingwood, aged 19 years, 6 days
Carlton Player No. 839
Games : 71
Goals : 97
Last game : Qualifying Final, 1980 vs Richmond, aged 26 years, 116 days
Guernsey No. 4 (1973 – 1976) and (1978 – 1980).
Height : 178 cm (5 ft. 10 in.)
Weight : 77 kg (12 stone, 3 lbs.)
DOB : 13 May, 1954

Vincenzo “the Cat” Catoggio was a pacy, skilful, lightly-framed rover from Princes Hill. Also later called “Spinner” for his elusiveness, he won the Morrish Medal as Best & Fairest in the VFL Under 19 competition while playing for Carlton in 1972, then followed up by winning the Gardiner Medal for the Reserves competition in 1973. During that same year, he made his debut off the reserves bench for the senior team in Carlton’s big win over Collingwood in round 7. After just one more appearance (again, as a reserve) in round 8, the 19 year-old played out the rest of the year in the lower grade – until he was a shock selection in the Blues’starting line-up against Richmond in the 1973 Grand Final.

Carlton was defending their title hard-won in a boilover the previous season against the Tigers, who were hell-bent on revenge. In typical fashion they targeted a number of key Carlton stars that day and set about knocking them out of the game. By half-time, Blues captain-coach John Nicholls, along with key defenders Geoff Southby and Kevin Hall were all concussed. Several others, including Catoggio, were still on their feet, but hurt. Richmond dominated the second half to win by 30 points, and Vinny did not see out the game.

Afterward, Catoggio was branded as one of the scapegoats for a defeat that burned deep. In a newspaper article published years later, one of his team-mates on that day, Brent Crosswell, wrote;
”when Vinny came into the rooms after that game, he was pale and upset. He made straight for the showers because his statistics read three kicks and five handballs. It was sad to see his solitary form sitting in the bath, his arms resting on his knees, his head down, his eyes full of tears. That Grand Final failure was the worst experience of Vinny’s life. It coloured the rest of his sporting career. In fact, he didn’t play a senior game in 1974. He was, in his own words, ‘never in contention.’ Throughout his football career he sought absolution and an opportunity to atone for his failure, but he didn’t get another chance because ’73 was his last Grand Final.”

Driven by his demons, Vinny worked hard to atone, stringing together some handy games in 1975. By then a more mature 21, he was still just 178 cm tall and 77 kg wringing wet. Yet what he lacked in bulk, he made up for with skill. Quick on his feet, always well balanced and frustratingly elusive, he became a cult figure at Princes Park, especially with our female fans. They loved Vinny’s impish smile, his dancing feet, and his trendy afro hairstyle.

By 1976 however, change was in the air. In its wisdom, Carlton’s match committee ‘leased’ Catoggio to WA club Subiaco for two seasons, and urged him to treat the move as an opportunity to work on deficiencies in his game – specifically his goal-kicking. It was a huge wrench for a young man from a close-knit Italian family. Yet to his credit, Vinny embraced the struggling Maroons and gave them whole-hearted service. Former Hawthorn Premiership player Brian Douge was appointed coach of Subiaco in 1977 and Catoggio was one of the chief beneficiaries.

When he arrived back home to rejoin Carlton in 1978, Vinny was confident that the responsibility Douge had demanded from him at Subiaco had made him a better player, and his performances thereafter added weight to that claim. The Navy Blues were on the verge of a golden era; a time that would bring three Grand Final victories in four years, thanks in no small way to the emergence of our legendary mosquito fleet of Rod Ashman, Trevor Keogh, Alex Marcou and Jim Buckley. While Vinny’s opportunities were limited from that time on and he became a regular bench-warmer, he still managed 52 games in three seasons, and produced an impressive return of 94 goals – including two hauls of six, and three bags of five.

In his last season of 1980, Catoggio sat on the pine ten times in his 20 matches, including another bitter defeat by Richmond in the Qualifying Final. Although he gave his all and contributed two of Carlton’s ten goals in that 42-point loss, he was omitted from the side the following week in favour of Jim Buckley, and never played senior football at Princes Park again. In 1981, Catoggio and fellow Blue Michael Young were cleared to Melbourne as part of the complicated Greg Wells transfer deal. After 71 games and 97 goals in navy blue guernsey number 4, Vinnie managed nine more games with the Demons in 1981 -82, and another eight when he transferred north to Sydney in 1983.

After his retirement from the VFL, Catoggio would play with VFA Clubs Prahran and Brunswick.

Catoggio would wore No. 49 when he played with the Carlton reserves team in 1972.

Jack Bennett

Geoff Brokenshire

Vin Brown

Great to hear the WOOF echo around the environs of Princes Park one more time.

 

Happy 70th birthday to Bill Barrot.

 

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From the Blueseum:

Career : 1971
Debut : Round 9, 1971 vs Hawthorn, aged 27 years, 23 days
Carlton Player No. 827
Games : 12
Goals : 10
Last Game : Round 22, 1971 vs Collingwood, aged 27 years, 114 days
Guernsey No. 24
Height : 180 cm (5 ft. 11 in.)
Weight : 81.5 kg (12 stone, 12 lbs.) 
DOB : 6 May, 1944

Billy Barrot was a champion centreman at Richmond for ten seasons from 1961 to 1970. In 120 games for the yellow & black, he kicked 91 goals. As well, he played in two Premiership teams, won Richmond’s Best & Fairest, and represented Victoria on 11 occasions.

Originally from Jordanville in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Barrot was an explosive player, with outstanding stamina and endurance, but he was also notoriously difficult to coach. His time at Richmond, while very successful, was anything but harmonious. At the end of the 1970 season Richmond stunned the football world by announcing that they had agreed to swap Barrot – the star of their 1969 Premiership win over Carlton – to St Kilda, in return for the Saints’ dual Brownlow medallist Ian Stewart.

It was an epic blunder by St Kilda. Barrot played well in his debut match, kicking four goals. But in his second game, he was dragged at half time – and promptly walked out on the Saints. Meanwhile, Stewart was starring for Richmond, on the way to his third Brownlow.

With memories of the ’69 Grand Final all too fresh, Carlton offered the 27 year-old Barrot another chance, which he accepted. Coach Ron Barassi said later that Barrot’s arrival had lifted the Blues, however all that fell apart in the last match of the season – Round 22, 1971.

As Ian Collins remembered; “at half time against Collingwood, Barrot told Barassi he wasn’t going to play for him any more. Barassi said ‘thats good – give us your jumper,’ and that was the end of Billy with Carlton. We were six goals down and we went back and won the game. It was hard on the player, but the other seventeen reacted to it positively – which is what Barass wanted.” (History shows that Bryan Quirk did a ‘Teddy Hopkins‘ when he replaced Barrot in this game…but we digress).

Barrot’s 12 games and 10 goals for Carlton in guernsey number 24 gave him career totals of 134 and 105 respectively. Although he left the game somewhat prematurely, his list of achievements was the envy of many others with much longer careers. After being delisted by the Blues, Barrot trained with North Melbourne in 1972, but wasn’t retained. He then headed to VFA club Oakleigh (where he later coached), and SA club West Torrens in 1973.

“The clash of the Old Foes” event at Visy Park yesterday was unfortunately impacted by Melbourne’s nasty weather.  The crowd was well below expectation so our fundraising targets for the two charities, Peter Mac and EJ Whitten Foundation will not be able to be met.

However, we would like to extend a big thanks to all those supporters of both clubs who braved the nasty elements to attend and see some great past players strutting thier stuff on field again.   Congratulations to the Collingwood team for their narrow win.

The pre-match lunch and aftermatch funtions were a great success, with excellent contributions from, Wayne Johnston, David Parkin, Mick Erwin (Collingwood coach), Peter Mckenna, Andrew Dawson.

 A highlight were the presentations by Professor Michael Henderson of Peter McCallum and Ken Sheldon, who opened up his heart with a stirring account of the incredible cancer jouney he and his family have gone through with his daughter, Melissa.

 

Extra Donations to the Charities

We encourage any Carlton supporters who were not able to attend yesterday but want to donate to either or both charities, Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation and EJ Whitten Foundation, you can make a donation through their respective websites.

http://foundation.petermac.org/

http://www.ejwhittenfoundation.com.au/

 

We would like thank the following people and organisation for thier generous assistance in the organisation and running of the event.

 

Volunteers & Sponsors

• All the supporters who braved the nasty Melbourne weather to attend the game.
• The Carlton & Collingwood Past Players participating
• The Auskick players and organisers from both teams
• Mick Erwin & David Parkin, Coaches
• Game sponsor, Vince & Patrick Lamanna from LaManna (For the Love of Food) – Essendon Fields
• Col Kinnear, Organiser of the Carlton Team, the special pre-match lunch and MC of the lunch.
• Carlton & Collingwood Volunteer trainers and support staff
• Volunteer Match Doctors, John Bartlett (Coll) & Cameron Norsworthy (Carlt)
• Collingwood Past Players Group, particularly Mark Orval & Keith Burns
• SOC Members -Ian Collins, John Warden, Dennis Munari, Alex Marcou, Geoff Southby, Jamie Sanderson, David McKay, David Rhys-Jones, Jason Reddick
• Martin Shannon,  Facilities & Event Manager of CFC
• Shane O’Sullivan, CFC Football Dept
• Mandy Hunter – CFC- Lunch Coordinator
• Antonietta Makulski and Cheryl Couvalias, from the CFC
• Special Luncheon Guests and attendees
• Professor Michael Henderson from Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation
• Ted Whitten, CEO of the EJ Whitten Foundation
• John Crooks & CUB for donation of beer and auction item
• The Carlton Footy Club, Marketing & Events Dept
• The Collingwood Footy Club
• Tony de Bolfo – Event Announcer
• Andrew Dawson, Lunch Auctioneer
• Doug Stevenson and the Carlton Shop
• Damien Kammermann and the Carlton Cafe
• All the supporters in attendance today
• The Melbourne Media- Print, Radio, TV and Online for their support in promoting the event

Happy 40th birthday to Peter Green.

 

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From the Blueseum:

 

Career: 1994
Debut and only Game: Round 10, 1994 vs Footscray, aged 20 years, 25 days
998th Carlton Player
Goals: Nil
Guernsey No. 37 (1994)
Height: 186cm
Weight: 86kg
DOB: 3 May, 1974

Peter Green was recruited from Sydney who recruited him from Barellan NSW, which is east of Griffith in the Riverina. Green was a mid-sized defensive utility who played the solitary game with Carlton.

The game in question was the Round 10 game versus the Bulldogs at Princes Park, 1994 that Carlton won by 12 points. Green was brought on to the field in the second quarter, and missed a tackle (from memory), and was taken off after only a few minutes. After some strong performances in the seconds, Green was only afforded a short ‘time in the sun’ at senior level.

Happy 70th birthday to Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller.

 

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From the Blueseum:

 

Career : 1964 – 1965
Debut : Round 1, 1964 vs North Melbourne, aged 19 years, 350 days
Carlton Player No. 758
Games : 11
Goals : 29
Last Game : Round 8, 1965 vs Melbourne, aged 21 years, 32 days
Guernsey No. 22
Height : 183 cm (6 ft. 0 in.)
Weight : 84.5 kg (13 stone, 4 lbs.)
DOB : May 3, 1944

When Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller arrived at Carlton in 1964, The Navy Blues were hopeful that a ready-made replacement for retired star full-forward Tom Carroll had been found. Like ‘Turkey Tom’, Jim was a country boy – from Garfield in West Gippsland. As far as key forwards of that time were concerned, he wasn’t particularly big at 183 cm and 84 kg, but his list of achievements was.

‘Frosty’ had kicked 121 goals to spearhead Garfield’s drive to the West Gippsland Football League Premiership in 1963, and won the Clancy Medal as Best and Fairest in the competition. A born forward, he read the play superbly, accelerated hard on the lead, and had strong, safe hands. Best of all, he was a deadly accurate set shot on goal. At least two other VFL clubs had also approached him, so Carton’s match committee was chuffed when he agreed to play for the Blues.

Carlton acknowledged Miller’s potential by presenting him with the number 22 guernsey made famous by our greatest full-forward – Harry “Soapy’ Vallence – and unveiled him to the football public in the Blues’ first match of the 1964 season, against North Melbourne at Princes Park. Jim kicked two majors in a modest debut, while Carlton won a scrambly affair by eight points.

A week later, in his second game, Carlton supporters glimpsed Miller’s potential for the first time when he kicked five majors in a hard-fought win over Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval. He steered through another four against Footscray in round four, and after his first six matches had notched up a creditable total of 13 goals. In their wisdom, the match committee then decided to ease the pressure on the youngster and he played out the remainder of the season in the Reserves.

In 1965, the most sensational football story in decades was played out at Princes Park when Melbourne champion Ron Barassi was appointed captain-coach of the Blues, and immediately set about putting his methods in place. Under Barassi, Miller began his second season impressively, and by round 8 had kicked 16.9 in his first five games – including a big haul of six against Collingwood at Victoria Park.

Soon after that however, and to the chagrin of Carlton’s coaching staff and supporters, Jim told Barassi that he had never felt settled at Princes Park, and that he wanted to return home. Despite his tally of 29 goals in just 11 games, League football wasn’t for him. Perhaps it was the hard, regimented training, or the sacrifice of individualism to team rules. Whatever the reason, Jim wasn’t enjoying his football. So the club bowed to the inevitable, and let him go.

Back at Garfield, Jim took up where he left off, and booted a mammoth 148 goals to lead the Stars to yet another WGFL flag in 1966. Two years later, he created another surprise when he joined VFA club Dandenong at the age of 27. Over the next seven seasons, Frosty became a VFA legend in 183 games for the Redlegs, by kicking 883 goals at the spectacular average of 4.8 per game.

Six times in those seven seasons, he headed the VFA goal-kicking list, and twice notched the ‘ton’; 106 goals in 1969, and 108 in ‘73. He starred in Dandenong’s 1971 VFA Premiership, before eventually retiring in 1974, at the age of 34.

In 1996, the VFA became the VFL, in a move designed to attract the grass-roots supporter back to local football. Now, each year, the ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal is presented in his honour to the top goal-kicker in the competition. Meanwhile, those Carlton supporters who saw him play at both League and Association level can’t help but wonder just what greater deeds he might have achieved, had he stayed on at Princes Park for a little longer.

Picture courtesy of FullPointsFooty.

Miller also wore Guernsey No. 15 during thew 1962 season whilst playing with Carlton’s reserves team.

George Bailey

Jim Baird

Frank Bateman

Jim Mooring

Vin Arthur

Frank Anderson

Dear Past Player,

Please find attached an Invitation to participate in the AFL Combined Past Player Golf Day at Kingston Links Golf Day on Friday 2ndMay 2013.

We are hoping to field two teams and at the moment we have confirmed players –  Ian Collins and Dennis Munari

Please note that the SOC will pay for the day and there are 6 spots still available.

If you would like to play please contact Dennis Munari on -0419 388 222 or confirm via email dennis@hbmadvisers.com.au before Friday 25th April 2013.

If you like your Golf please come and join us.

Regards,

Dennis Munari – SOC Golf Co-coordinator.

Happy 80th birthday to former blueboy, Colin Holt.

 

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From the Blueseum:

 

 

Playing Career : 1955 – 1957
Debut : Round 10, 1955 Aged 21 years 58 days
693rd Carlton Player
Games : 20
Goals : 0
Last Game : Round 10, 1957 Aged 23 years 56 days
Guernsey Nos. 38 (1955) and 27 (1956 – 1957).
Height : 175 cm (5’9″)
Weight : 79.5 kgs (12.7)
DOB : April 27, 1934

Wearing guernsey #27 and #38, Holt who was a centreman played 20 games in Navy Blue commencing in Season 1955. Holt’s debut was dramatic, being suspended for 8 weeks as a result of kicking Charlie Sutton.

The Age May 16 1958, reported that Holt had been cleared to Richmond.

He finished his career at Richmond in 1959 after playing 21 games and scoring 2 goals for the Tigers.

Holt was a member of the under 19’s 1948 and 1951 premiership teams.

He was recruited from Brunswick and later played with the Blues U19s, before graduating to the senior team.

Mark Maclure

Ken Hands

Ron Savage

Peter McConville

Ken Sheldon

Greg Sharp

By Loretta Smith

Carlton versus Collingwood: is there any greater rivalry in Australian sport than that shared by football’s most famous inner city clubs?

It’s a hatred that can be sourced as far back as 1910 – to the days of “Jock” McHale and “Pompey” Elliott, when the old dark Navy Blues lowered their colours but once to the men from the Carringbush in a Grand Final.

But as any self-respecting Carltonian will remind you, that happened on the first Saturday in October – not the last Saturday in September – and Carlton’s Grand Final triumphs over Collingwood in the Septembers of 1915, 1938, 1970, 1979 and 1981 have more than made up for that early blemish.

Nevertheless, expect old wounds to be reopened once more when former greats of both teams again run out, in a Carlton-Collingwood charity match for cancer research and awareness at Visy Park on Sunday 4 May.

The match will be in aid of Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation, a key charity of both clubs, and the Ted EJ Whitten Foundation for Prostate Cancer Awareness for Men’s Health.

Don’t miss the famous 1995 CFC Premiership duo Anthony Kouotofides and Ange Christou, and their team of top-line CFC players, take on Peter Daicos, Leigh Brown, Damien Monkhurst, Gavin Crosisca, Phil Carmen and many other Pies stars of the 1990’s and 2000’s

The organising committee members from the Spirit of Carlton including Col Kinnear, Dennis Munari, Ian Collins, John Warden, Geoff Southby, and David Rhys Jones, together with Collingwood Past Players Keith Burns, Murray Browne, Ronnie McKeown and Mark Orval, have joined forces to reunite in combat “old timers” of the 1980s, ’90s and ’00s.

In addition to Kouta & Ange, others from Carlton expecting to run out include: Alex Marcou, Setanta O’Hailpin, Glenn Manton, Brad Fisher and Ian Aitken. The Pies will also produce many of their other stars from the same era. Legendary coach David Parkin will head up the Navy Blues, while Mick Erwin will return to coach the Pies outfit.

Bookending the game are pre-match and post-match functions in the Carlton Cafe and surrounds, with AusKick Under 12 matches to be staged at halftime, along with other special halftime activities.

The pre-match function will be a special lunch at the Carlton Café, which holds about 150 people.  It will feature interviews and footage of many past greats from both clubs, and an auction of the match players’ jumpers.

The contest, which organisers anticipate will draw as many as 15,000 people, is sure to fuel that passionate and intense rivalry which exists between Carlton and Collingwood supporters like no other.

What: Navy Blues v Pies legends games
Where: Visy Park
When: Sunday 4 May, 2.00pm
Cost: Entry to the match is $10 adults, kids under 15 free.

Ticket price for the lunch is $120.00 per person, or $1,200 per table of 10. Book your ticket by contacting Mandy Hunter at the Carlton Football Club on 03 9389 625603 9389 6256.

For Carlton past players and Auskick participation, contact Col Kinnear on 0412 315 1780412 315 178.

For lunch sponsorship and other information, contact Geoff Southby on 0411 440 5430411 440 543.

Geoff Southby

Des English

Robbert Klomp

A very happy 80th birthday to Graham Kerr today.

 

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From the Blueseum:

Graham Kerr

Playing Career: 1954 – 1955
Debut: Round 1, 1954 v South Melbourne, aged 20 years, 11 days
Carlton Player No.: 675
Games: 13
Goals: 4
Last game: Round 14, 1955 v Fitzroy, aged 21 years, 108 days
Guernsey No.: 35
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 73 kgs
DOB: April 6, 1934

Kerr wore guernsey #35 in 13 games for Carlton commencing in 1954. He snagged 4 goals. He was recruited from University Blues.

Kerr headed to Melbourne for the 1956 season, in 1957, Kerr played three games with Melbourne.