The bell was used for Trade Week to signify "time's up" at Optus Oval. Prior to this it was used to let Alan Espie's children on their Wandin property to come home.Why Al chimes in for Carlton Tony De Bolfo, Carlton Media Feb 20, 2014 11:05AM Alan Espie with the famous bell. (Photo: Carlton Football Club) Alan Espie with the famous bell. (Photo: Carlton Football Club) Related Etched into the rim of the bell Alan Espie has rung at every trade week gathering since 1994 is a touching quote attributed to his grandson. Dear Pa, May you always ring true blue, Love Harry Just thinking about that inscription often brings big Al to tears. The story of the Espie bell has its origins at the old family property at Wandin in the picturesque Yarra Valley, in the days when the Espies’ kids were at the neighboring creek fossicking for local platypus. “If they got too far away we’d ring an old cowbell,” Espie recalled, “and years later, my daughter Jo brought me this replacement bell from some second-hand naval place”. “Not long after Shane (O’Sullivan) asked me to officiate at trade week and that’s when the bell came into vogue.” A permanent fixture at trade week, Espie would ring the bell to signal the opening of trading when club recruiters gathered – initially within the confines of the Carlton Heroes Stand at Visy Park, more recently at Etihad Stadium. In those early days at Carlton he caused a stir as bell ringer, drawing curious responses from officiating journalists, recruiters and coaches alike. “I even remember (Kevin) Sheedy asking me if I was selling muffins,” he recalled. Then, when trade day was relocated to Etihad, Espie’s daughter thought it appropriate to get the bell inscribed. “Because the bell was leaving Carlton, Jo got it inscribed on my grandson’s behalf, because he was only four or five then. When I saw what was inscribed I was tearful,” Espie said. “The bell is very important to me, particularly at this time, because Jo is battling health problems at the moment, my grandson is autistic and she’s fought like hell to get him through.” Espie joined Carlton’s Under 19 committee on the eve of the senior Premiership season of 1979 and managed the club’s junior squads, the Bert Deacon Squad included. “I worked very closely with Geoff Southby, ‘Swan’ McKay and Trevor Keogh when they were coaching the Under 19s and I was recruiting as well,” he said. “In 1981 and ’82 I forward scouted for ‘Parko’ (David Parkin) and later on I did the same for ‘Wallsy’ (Robert Walls). After that I coordinated recruiting in central Victoria and it was nothing for me to do 25,000ks a year in my own car – and I loved every minute of it.” Espie’s passion for Carlton and empathy for its wartime players Bert Deacon, Ollie Grieve and Jack “Chooka” Howell can be sourced to his childhood years. His grandparents lived not far from the old ground on Wilson Street “and that’s how I got in for the ’45 Grand Final”. “My uncle, who had just got back from the war, grabbed a ladder from Wilson Street and set it up against the barbed wire fence at the ground. I climbed the ladder and caught my arm on the barbed wire, but I got over the top and saw the game while I straddled the fence,” Espie said. “What I saw was what you would today call ‘spotfires’ and I reckon it took football 20 years to get rid of it.” Today, Espie continues to ring in the yearly trade talk days at AFL headquarters (with the notable exception of 2012 when he was hospitalized), but he’s in no doubt as to where the bell belongs. “This bell has had nothing to do with Wandin but everything to do with Carlton - and with the 150th year of the club I think the bell stays here (at Visy Park). I still hope to ring the bell for the AFL this year, but at least I’ll know where it is,” Espie said. “I’ve told Jo about this and she tells me Harry’s rapt, because he’s a big Carlton supporter and he’s so happy his name is on the bell.”Wooden handle attached to a brass bell."Dear Pa, may you always ring true blue, Love Harry"

1918 Team Photo. .A players only photo of the 1918 team. Unfortunately the players aren't named.The worst years of World War I had finished by the start of the 1918 season, and Essendon and St Kilda were able to again field teams. Melbourne were still missing from the competition, but World War I would end in 1918 and they would rejoin in 1919. Carlton again made the final 4 but would lose to South Melbourne in a close second Semi Final by 5 points. The Blues were eventually ranked third, with their failure to make it through Grand Final was a mirror performance of 1917. Coach: Norman Clark Captain: Rod McGregor Leading Goal-kicker: Ern Cowley - 35 goals. Cowley also kicked the most goals for the competition in 1918. A black & white photo mounted on cardboard

Souvenir Football Optus Oval Farewell Game May 21 2005The Football was issued to commemorate Carlton Football Club's last game at Optus Oval/Princes Park in 2005. Farewell Princes Park Damn football! It’s just a game and it’s just an oval; dirt, grass and a few bumbling stands. Oh and there is the ghost of dad standing under the clock, smiling, dancing his jig, God love him, he loved his Bluebaggers. Oh and Pop's over there too, his scissors in his hand; he's rushed across from Lygon Street again to see the boys play. Both, like the ground now, gone for good - never to be seen again though their memories shine still. And then there's me as a lad, surrounded by men, the cans wobbling beneath my feet, my neck stretched up; I can see, I can see Ragsy!!!!!! and brave Gary Crane and Quirky on the wing and…. and it’s just a ground, just dirt and grass and the distant sound of trams. And there I am as a young man standing with my brothers, all of us singing wildly this GF evening as another flag is brought home! And there I am with Keith standing, always beer in hand, and watching Kouta and SOS and dear beloved Motley flying. But it’s only a ground just dirt and grass and late afternoon sun. There I am now, older, sitting beside me is my son, he holds the record and marks the goals, though these come far fewer nowadays. But it is only a ground and dirt and grass and memories that linger and the taste of shared drinks and the voices cheering in the outer. But it is only a ground, a ground whose moment has passed, who’s time in the sun is now time in shadow and no more balls to be bounced on that dirt nor football boots running across that grass, for there will be no more games played at Princes Park. Never again the tram down Royal Parade, never again a beer at The Rising Sun or the sound of the fans cheering madly in front of the Heatley Stand. But it is only a ground only dirt and grass and the memories, the sum total of all of us. I feel like a friend has passed...... Farewell Princes Park, time makes memories out all of us. Contributed by DannyboyNavy Blue & White Leather FootballOptus Farewell Game May 21 2005, Carlton Emblem,

John Goold double Premiership PlayerA scrap Book dedicated to twice Premiership Player 1968 - 1970 John Goold Career : 1963 - 1970 Debut : Round 7, 1963 vs Footscray, aged 21 years, 338 days Carlton Player No. 754 Games : 108 Goals : 3 Last Game : Grand Final, 1970 vs Collingwood, aged 29 years, 90 days Guernsey No. 11 Height : 184 cm (6 ft ½ in.) Weight : 76 kg (12 stone, 0 lbs.) DOB : June 27, 1941 Premiership Player 1968, 1970 Carlton Hall of Fame All Australian 1966 A brilliant, flamboyant, two-time Premiership player for Carlton during the Barassi years in the ‘swingin’ sixties,’ John William Crosbie Goold became almost as famous for his dapper appearance off the field, as for his exploits on it. At the height of his football career, he was also a prominent ladies fashion designer – which led to him being dubbed ‘Mr Elegance’ by leading football commentator Lou Richards. Supporters and team-mates however, called him ‘Rags’ or ‘Ragsy,’ because of his involvement in the clothing, or ‘rag’ trade. Goold first came under notice as an outstanding junior athlete at Melbourne Grammar School. A true all-round sportsman, he shone at tennis, athletics, football and cricket. He was also a keen horseman who loved the game of polo and the rough and tumble of fox hunting. While at school he was a fervent Melbourne supporter, but strangely, never had much confidence in his football ability. “If I thought I was good enough, I would certainly have gone to Melbourne,” he said many years later. “But I honestly didn’t think I would ever amount to anything in this game. Cricket and tennis were the games that really interested me.’ However, after graduating from MGS, Goold went home to Healesville to star in the Bloods’ 1962 Yarra Valley Football Association Premiership team – an achievement that brought tempting offers from more than one VFL club. “Incentives were offered elsewhere,” he recalled, “but I gravitated to Carlton – partly because the deep blue of their guernsey attracted me, but mostly because of the good advice I got from people who even then were longsighted enough to predict that big things were ahead for this club.” The Blues were confident enough in Goold’s potential to offer him the guernsey number 11 previously worn with distinction by the likes of Jack Hale, Jim Knight, Ron Hines and Laurie Kerr, and his first senior game came in round 7, 1963 against Footscray at the Western Oval. He played on a half-forward flank alongside Brownlow Medallists Gordon Collis and John James on that Saturday afternoon, and kicked his first career goal in an 8-point win. Little did he know though, that it would be another six seasons before he would again experience the thrill of sending a football spinning between the big posts, because his future lay in defence. By his own admission, Goold struggled to find his feet in VFL football during his first two seasons, until the shock appointment of Ron Barassi as captain-coach of Carlton in 1965 began steering his career back on track. “I think you could say that 1965 was my first year of League football,” he said, “That’s the way I felt - that’s the way I reacted to Barassi.” Under Barassi, Goold rapidly developed into a superb running half-back flanker. Tenacious, and an often freakish high mark, he was unmistakable on the field thanks to his mane of dark hair, his loping running style and somewhat awkward kicking action. Furthermore, he had boundless courage. There is no doubt that he would have played many more games had he not been regularly pole-axed under the high ball – a fact he later freely admitted. “I was always getting knocked out,” he said, “and spent half my bloody time in hospital.” In the second half of 1965, an injury to centre half-back Gordon Collis forced Barassi to use Goold in the key defensive post. While it curtailed his rebounding instincts somewhat, ‘Ragsy’ rose to the challenge and rarely lowered his colours. Testament to his improvement, he finished third behind John Nicholls and Sergio Silvagni in Carlton’s 1965 Best and Fairest award, and followed up by being selected in the Victorian team for the 1966 Hobart Carnival. There, he had a superb series in which he was runner-up to West Australian Barry Cable in voting for the Tassie Medal, and capped it off by being named on a half-back flank in the All Australian team. Barassi’s influence at Carlton bore fruit in his third year, when the Blues returned to finals football at last. Richmond, Carlton, Geelong and Collingwood fought out the 1967 Premiership, and Ragsy Goold won the hearts of the Carlton faithful with two lion-hearted performances. Although Carlton was knocked out of contention by successive losses to Richmond and Geelong, Goold was tireless throughout both games, and it was obvious that he thrived on the added pressure of finals football. Precisely twelve months later, the bitter taste of those defeats was washed away when Barassi’s Blues edged out Essendon by 3 points in the 1968 Grand Final, and ended 21 years of despair at Princes Park. To win Carlton’s ninth VFL flag, the Blues had had to defeat the minor premier Bombers twice during the finals – and did so, thanks to a watertight defence led by Goold, and a dominant ruck division headed by John Nicholls. In round 5, 1969, Carlton hosted South Melbourne at Princes Park in a match significant for a number of reasons. As he regularly did, Ron Barassi swung his team around prior to the opening bounce, and Goold found himself in the unaccustomed role of ruck-rover. While the Blues set about establishing a good break on the scoreboard, Ragsy relished the freedom to kick two first half goals - his first majors for 78 games. Just before half-time however, he was flattened in a pack, concussed again, and replaced during the long break by Barry Gill. Alex Jesaulenko was substituted at the same time – by a shy, ambitious youngster named Bruce Doull, making his senior debut for Carlton in guernsey number 4. In September, 1969 the Navy Blues began their third straight finals campaign with an impressive 6-goal Semi Final win over Collingwood in front of more than 108,000 fans at the MCG. A fortnight later, Richmond stunned the flag favourites with a withering last quarter in the Grand Final, and knocked Carlton out of the Premiership race again at the last hurdle. Half-way through the year, Carlton's club doctor discovered that Goold had been playing with shin splints in both of his lower legs. The pain they caused was considerable, but Ragsy soldiered on and held down centre half-back throughout the season. John Goold’s VFL career at Carlton culminated in the fabled 1970 Grand Final triumph over Collingwood. What is not so well known is that Ragsy was only cleared to play in that game on the morning of the match. After narrowly losing to Collingwood in the second Semi Final, the Navy Blues destroyed St Kilda by 62 points in the Preliminary Final, and earned another shot at the Magpies in the decider. But one of Carlton’s problems was that Goold had been kicked on a shin against St Kilda, causing a burst blood vessel and serious swelling. Despite the best efforts of the club medical staff, Ragsy had only a slim chance of playing in the Grand Final right up until game day, when his worried coach reluctantly allowed him to take his place in the side. Later, Barassi justified his decision by saying that in his opinion, a less than fully fit Goold was still worth his place in the team. By half time in the Grand Final however, he was probably questioning that judgement - because Carlton had been totally outplayed, and trailed an impressive, cohesive Collingwood by 44 points. Therefore, Carlton’s magnificent comeback – orchestrated by Barassi, and sparked by the fairytale exploits of 19th man Ted Hopkins – is one of the greatest of all football stories. Against enormous odds, the Navy Blues fought their way back into the contest, and eventually, rolled over the top of the frantic Magpies to snatch victory by 10 points in the last few minutes of the match. Hopkins ended up with four goals, Barassi was hailed a genius, and Ragsy Goold was carted off to hospital immediately after the game to have further urgent treatment. While there, he decided that there was no better time to end his VFL career – especially because his burgeoning business interests were demanding more and more of his time. In the years after his football career ended, John Goold created a remarkably successful business empire. In 1971 he sold his fashion label and took up farming at Mortlake in western Victoria, where he coached the local football team for three seasons. Later, he formed a diversified pastoral company, and purchased a magnificent complex called Ballangeich Run at nearby Ellerslie. While his passion for farming and livestock grew, he began breeding top quality polo ponies, and represented Australia in international competition. During the 1997 and 1998 seasons, John's son Ed Goold played reserve grade football for Carlton. MEMORIES.... Ragsy Goold; the name stirs memories form my long ago childhood. Ragsy, with his unique kicking style, where he'd hold the ball (always a drop punt - in a time when the drop kick and the torpedo punt still reigned supreme) at the point of the ball, elbows bent and he'd lavishly drop the ball, his right arm then flinging back and up dramatically. That was the thing about Ragsy (so named because he worked in the clothing, or 'rag' trade), he was always dramatic. He always ensured his ankle guards and wrist guard were glowing white to match the great white CFC monogram he wore proudly on his chest, and with his long flowing locks, cut a dynamic figure through a young boy's mind. Ragsy was my idol. I loved his dashes from half back, his long accurate drop punts, most of all I loved his flair for the game. Ragsy played the game as an entertainer as well as a sportsman - he leapt high to punch or mark, and always seemed to have a bit of the thoroughbred about him - which is probably why after he retired, he took up fox chasing, polo, and riding his beloved thoroughbreds across the paddocks and over the fences of his property, I think he may have even represented Australia at the sport – really, that’s sort of how he played as a footballer. All sinewy muscle, long legs and famous leaps for the saving punch. Ragsy was part of the great backline that helped revive Carlton's fortunes. Legendary players Wes Lofts, Ian Collins, Kevin 'Racehorse' Hall, Vinnie Waite among them. All great teams have a great defence and the defence that Ragsy was an integral part of was no different. Where others provided the biffo, the muscle or the defensive pressure, Ragsy provided the dash, the flair, the sense of adventure that all great backlines must have. AND MORE.... I have had many favourite players while following the Blues, but there will always be a special spot for Ragsy Goold - running the lines, all long hair and flashing white guards. As a young man I moved to Carlton and began acting in a place called one-c-one. One night after a play, I was walking home. It was winter, and I was wearing my favouritte overcoat, a genuine ankle length tweed affair I had picked up in an Op Shop in Oakleigh for three dollars. As I strutted across Lygon Street, a deep male voice behind me called, 'hey laddie, how much for the overcoat?' I turned, and there was my childhood idol, Ragsy Goold, two beautiful women in tow, smiling and waiting for my answer. I loved that coat too much to part with it, even to Ragsy, so I shook my head - and he smiled, then walked off. I stood for a moment in the middle of the street shaking my head in disbelief. Ragsy bloody Goold had just offered to buy my overcoat! I knew at that point, as a young man of about twenty three, that life was going to be full of surprises and very entertaining - a bit like John ‘Ragsy’ Goold. ONE MORE.... A cold, wet day in the mid 1960's at the MCG and Victoria were playing South Australia (?) The ball that day was like a piece of soap, with players finding it impossible to mark. Just before half time a long kick sailed toward the mud heap that was the centre of the ground, and the pack rose to meet it. From this group of players an arm shot straight up, and the ball instantly came to a dead stop. The footy stuck in the player's palm as if the hand was coated in Tarzan's Grip. After all these years, it's the only recollection I have of that match, and that player was 'Mr. Elegance' John Goold. HUMOROUS HUNGRY.... Former opponent Richmond's Kevin Bartlett on Radio SEN in 2012 received a phone call from John. After the call Kevin told his listeners how "Mr Elegance" would always be dressed in a nice suit, shirt-tie and highly polished shoes. He then cracked a joke saying something like; "You know, John was so 'posh' that he used to play football wearing a cravat!" Milestones 50 Games: Round 15, 1967 vs Melbourne 100 Games: Round 13, 1970 vs Geelong Career Highlights 1965 - Percy Bentley Trophy - 3rd Best & Fairest 1966 - 5th Best & Fairest 1967 - Maurie Sankey Memorial Trophy - 4th Best & Fairest (on count back) 1968 - Premiership Player 1970 - 7th Best & Fairest 1970 - Premiership PlayerFoolscap Scrap Book

Yarra Valley Hyundai presentation to Carlton B&F winner 1997A perpetual Trophy presented by a major sponsor Hyundai in the guise of "TOM ALVIN PERPETUAL TROPHY". In 1997 it was presented to Craig Bradley Carlton Best & Fairest winner 1997. Career : 1986 - 2002 Debut : Round 1, 1986 vs Hawthorn, aged 22 years, 159 days Carlton Player No. 931 Games : 375 Goals : 247 Last Game : Round 19, 2002 vs Port Adelaide, aged 38 years, 291 days Guernsey No. 21 Height : 182 cm (5 ft. 11 in.) Weight : 81 kg (12 stone, 11 lbs.) DOB : 23 October, 1963 Premiership Player 1987, 1995 Carlton Legend Carlton Hall of Fame (1995) Best and Fairest 1986, 1988, 1993 All Australian 1986, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 Captain 1998-2002 Team of the Century: Wing International Rules Series vs Ireland : 2000, 2001 (captain), 2002 Off the field, Craig Bradley was a somewhat quiet, unassuming character who never hungered for the spotlight. But when the umpire’s whistle blew for a game of Australian football, he became a consummate professional whose outstanding ball-winning ability, accurate disposal, punishing non-stop running and longevity in the game made him one of the all-time greats. “Braddles” captained the Blues for three years, won two AFL Premierships, and picked up almost every possible honour in a stellar career that spanned 17 seasons and a record 375 games for the Carlton Football Club. He began his football journey at Pooraka in outer-suburban Adelaide, where his father was coach of the Under-19 team. Craig was a stand-out junior footballer, and in 1981 he was recruited by SANFL club Port Adelaide. At the same time, Essendon also made a big pitch for his signature. The Bombers were very intent on getting him to Windy Hill, but Bradley wasn’t then ready to make the big move interstate. Essendon redoubled their efforts after Bradley’s sensational debut year for Port Adelaide, which culminated in the Magpies’ 51-point demolition of Glenelg in the Grand Final. Playing on a wing, but roaming the length of the ground, 17 year-old Bradley was one of his team’s best. He followed up by winning Port’s Best and Fairest in 1982, before departing for England later that year, as a member of the Australian Under-19 cricket team. Cricket was Braddles’ other great sporting passion, and he would eventually play two Sheffield Shield games each for South Australia and Victoria, before giving the game away to further his football ambitions. Because of his cricketing commitments, Bradley missed most of the 1983 pre-season with Port, but it made little difference, because he had another dominant season for the Magpies and was named All Australian for the first time. Two more Port Adelaide Best and Fairests followed in 1984 and '85 – with the latter complemented by All Australian honours again. In that year of 1985, four South Australians were named as All Australians; Bradley, Stephen Kernahan, Peter Motley and John Platten – and to the chagrin and envy of every other VFL club (especially Essendon) the first three all signed to play with Carlton. In the following year that trio of stars took to VFL football like they were born to it, and a time of bubbling confidence began for the Old Dark Navy Blues. Braddles wasted little time in announcing his arrival into the upper echelons of our national game by playing in the 1986 Grand Final in his debut season at Princes Park; the same year he won his first Carlton Best and Fairest award in a tie with Wayne Johnston. The Blues lost heavily to Hawthorn on Grand Final day, but twelve months later bounced back to snatch the 1987 flag from the Hawks in Bradley’s 47th senior match. By then, he was already a budding champion whose amazing stamina was too much for almost every opponent. He simply ran his taggers into the ground, and he was as effective in the last minutes of a game as he was at the start. He won two more Carlton Best and Fairest awards in 1988 and 1993, and by the end of his superb career had been an All Australian six times. Aged 32, he picked up his second Premiership winner’s medallion in 1995 when the unstoppable Kernahan-led Blues demolished Geelong in a one-sided Grand Final, but those who thought he might retire after that triumph were right off the mark. He still had his zip, his footy smarts and his brilliant foot skills, and he had transformed himself from a purely attacking weapon into an equally-effective sweeper across half-back. And to cap off a memorable season, he became one of only a handful of players to be inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame while still playing out their career. In 1997, at the age of 34, Bradley won the Sunday Age Footballer of the Year award. ”It’s not the end of the world when you reach 30,” he said in a blunt response to those who kept asking how long he intended going on – to his considerable annoyance. After being named All Australian yet again that year, he answered all those sorts of questions when he was appointed captain of his beloved Blues in 1998 – after the retirement of his great mate ‘Sticks’ Kernahan. Braddles led the Blues into another Grand Final in 1999, but the Wayne Carey-inspired Kangaroos proved just too good. Further indication of Craig Bradley’s enduring ability was his record in the often controversial and passionately-contested International Rules Series against Ireland. He first played for his country in 1984, and was recalled again in 2000. He was appointed captain of Australia in 2001, and played a fourth round of matches in 2002 at the age of 38 – a truly amazing achievement. In the millennium year of 2000, the honours kept rolling in for Braddles when he was included in both Carlton and Port Adelaide’s Team of the Century. In turn this raised the usual debate over why he had never won the game’s most prestigious individual award, the Brownlow Medal. The answer was apparently found when former field umpire Peter Cameron was interviewed, and he revealed that during most games, Bradley regularly back-chatted the men with the whistle. “He’s in the umpire’s ear all the time,’ said Cameron. By circumstance, Braddles wore his iconic number 21 guernsey for the last time against Port Adelaide at Princes Park in round 19, 2002. Carlton lost the match by 9 points, and Bradley suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung in a heavy collision. Even so, he was an almost unanimous choice as Best on Ground and was given three Brownlow Medal votes by the umpires. A few weeks later, Bradley’s farewell was typical of his nature. There was no big press conference, no stage-managed extravaganza. Instead, he issued a written statement through the AFL that caught everyone – including the Carlton Football Club by complete surprise. It read (in part); I have many people to thank and will do so in the coming weeks. I would however like to thank the Carlton Football Club and the Port Adelaide Football Club for many wonderful times and for their influence in helping to shape my life. To leave the game with a bit left in the tank and in good personal form makes me feel good. Since the foundation of the VFL in 1897, only three men (Michael Tuck, Kevin Bartlett and Simon Madden) have played more senior games than Craig Edwin Bradley of Carlton. A true Blue champion, he is one of only ten official Carlton Legends, and in 2006 was Carlton’s 17th inductee into the AFL Hall of Fame. In October 2006, it was announced that Bradley would return to the club for season 2007 as an assistant to senior coach Brett Ratten – a role he filled with the same intensity as he showed on the field. Bradley holds the club record for most career disposals, kicks, handballs, & Brownlow votes with totals of 8776, 5876, 2900 & 144 respectively.Pewter MugTOM ALVIN PERPETUAL TROPHY Presented Latrobe Valley Hyundai Best & Donated 1997 Craig Bradley

Photographs of Bruce DoullGroup pf photos of Carlton Player Bruce Doull Career : 1969 - 1986 Debut : Round 5, 1969 vs South Melbourne, aged 18 years, 234 days Carlton Player No. 811 Games : 356 Goals : 22 Last Game : Grand Final, 1986 vs Hawthorn, aged 36 years, 16 days Guernsey Nos. 4 (1969-71) and 11 (1972-86) Height : 185 cm (6 ft. 1 in.) Weight : 87 kg (13 stone, 10 lbs.) DOB : 11 September, 1950 Premiership Player: 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982 Best and Fairest: 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984 Norm Smith Medal 1981 Carlton Hall of Fame (1987) Team of the Century Half Back Flank AFL Team of the Century Half Back Flank Carlton Legend By any measure, Bruce Doull was a champion. One the greatest defenders ever to have played the Australian code of football, he racked up a club record 352 matches for the Navy Blues (including six Grand Finals for four flags) in a 17-year career that stretched from 1969 to 1986. He was Carlton’s Best and Fairest four times, and a member of both the AFL and Carlton’s Team of the Century. It’s a curious fact, however, that we know comparatively little about him. An intensely private person, Bruce shunned publicity and rarely gave interviews. Instead, he let his football do the talking - by taking on and beating the best forwards in the game, week after week. Born Alexander Bruce Doull in Geelong in 1950, he was recruited by Carlton’s Under-19 squad in 1968 from the Jacana Football Club in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. In those early days he was a ruck-rover or half-forward, with a conservative haircut and a burning ambition to be a League footballer. The Blues were the reigning premiers, and the club’s roster was rich in talent across all three grades. Even so, Bruce played only a handful of games with the Under-19 squad (in guernsey number 53) before he was promoted to the Reserves and allocated the highly-prestigious number 4. Then, in only his second season at Princes Park, the shy youngster was selected to make his senior debut for Carlton in a home-ground match against South Melbourne in round 5, 1969. He sat on the reserves bench throughout the first half that afternoon, before being called on to replace the injured Alex Jesaulenko at half-time. Once on the field, Bruce made the occasion even more memorable by kicking his first career goal early in the third quarter, and Carlton held off the fast-finishing Swans to win by 25 points. Throughout 1969-70, Doull played another 14 matches as a winger, ruck-rover or half-forward. He was overlooked for a finals berth in both seasons, but mid-way through 1971, senior coach Ron Barassi told him that there was a regular spot available in defence if he wanted it bad enough, which Bruce certainly did. Given an opportunity to impress at half-back, his judgement, deceptive pace and strength in the air stood out, as did his remarkable poise and calmness under pressure. At 185 cm and 87 kg, Doull was no giant. Yet he soon demonstrated a remarkable ability to "play tall" in a key defensive role. And when the ball came to ground, he stayed in the contest because he never lost his concentration. His all-round agility was exceptional - making him equally as effective in a pocket or on a flank - and physical pressure rarely unsettled him.show_image.php?id=34774 In his 53rd senior appearance for Carlton - the 1972 VFL Grand Final - Doull stamped himself as a rising League star by subduing Richmond’s champion centre half-forward Royce Hart on the biggest stage of all. The Tigers kicked a huge 22.18 that afternoon, but Carlton booted 28.9 in the highest aggregate decider ever played, and collected an eleventh VFL Premiership. Hart was kept to just a handful of possessions and two goals for the match, so the media was soon clamouring for information about the Tiger star’s conqueror. Bruce complied, but he was uneasy in the spotlight and from then on was rarely available. At the same time, Doull had become the latest folk hero at Princes Park. Supporters loved his no-nonsense approach, his courage and his consistency. In keeping with his shy nature is the story of his playing numbers. More and more during his first three seasons in number 4, he was uncomfortable in the locker room because of the attention that was focused on him, in the presence of some of the club’s modern greats like Serge Silvagni (number 1), John Nicholls (2), Kevin Hall (3), Syd Jackson (5) and Garry Crane (6). Therefore, at the conclusion of the 1971 season he was granted a request to switch to guernsey number 11, which had become available due to the retirement of another idolised Carlton defender in John “Ragsy” Goold. With his new number, Bruce shifted only a few metres down the line of lockers, but for him, anywhere further from the limelight was appreciated. By his mid-twenties, Doull was sporting lavish sideboards and hair to his shoulders, which contrasted somewhat with his shy nature, and made him hard to mistake on the field. He won Carlton's Best and Fairest award in 1974, and followed up again in 1977, 1980 and 1984. In 1979 he collected his second Premiership medal when the Navy Blues knocked over Collingwood in a hard-fought, controversial Grand Final remembered for Wayne Harmes’ brilliant solo effort to seal the match. Two years later, Bruce’s finest hour arrived when the Blueboys broke myriads of Magpie hearts again to win the 1981 Grand Final by 20 points. Impassable all day at centre half-back, Doull beat four opponents, and was a worthy winner of the Norm Smith medal as Best on Ground. Twelve months on from that triumph, Bruce collected his fourth Premiership medal when the wounded Blues upset their other traditional rival, Richmond, for the '82 flag. By then nicknamed the “Flying Doormat” by TV commentator Lou Richards - in deference to his balding pate, shaggy beard and hair, kept under control by a navy blue or white headband - Doull led a Carlton defence that was rock-solid in the Blues' 18 point win. Although he would not have been overly concerned, plenty of good judges were gobsmacked afterwards when Bruce missed out on his second Norm Smith medal, which went instead to Richmond's Maurice Rioli. From 1976 to 1981, Bruce was a fixture in the Victorian State team, and earned a recall in 1984 at the age of 33. He was a remarkably durable and suffered a debilitating injury only once in his career, in 1985 – shortly after he had set a new games record at Carlton of 329 matches to succeed John Nicholls. He wrenched a knee at training a few days later, and ended up playing only three senior games for the season. Eventually, Doull made 356 appearances for Carlton, including 162 in succession to set another club record. He was never reported by the umpires for foul play, and widely respected for his fairness in playing the ball rather than the man. A former team-mate, Brent Crosswell once wrote: "Doull's game has a moral purity about it, and that is why opponents have always found it extremely difficult to be unfair to him. It would have shamed them." Carlton Coach of the Century David Parkin was equally as complimentary when he described Bruce as “the best team player I ever coached.” Doull’s final game for Carlton came in the sixth Grand Final of his career, when Hawthorn demolished the Blues in a one-sided 1986 decider. Star Hawks full-forward Jason Dunstall kicked six goals on the 36 year-old veteran in that match, but in the context of Bruce’s career as a whole, it was barely a blemish. He may have been a shy and reserved individual in public, but when Bruce Doull pulled on the famous Old Dark Navy Blue, he became one of the true legends of VFL/AFL football. Just one year after his retirement, Bruce was elected to the Carlton Hall of Fame. In September 1996 he was named on a half-back flank in the AFL Team of the 20th Century, and in 2000 filled the same spot in Carlton's Team of the Century. Then, in June 2014, during celebrations marking Carlton's 150th year of VFL/AFL competition, Bruce was named as one of the five greatest Blues of all time, alongside John Nicholls, Stephen Kernahan, Alex Jesaulenko and Stephen Silvagni. Footnotes On the way to victory in the 1982 Grand Final against Richmond, Doull was involved in a celebrated incident that stopped the game and both amused and infuriated the 107,536 fans at the ground. During a tense third quarter, Carlton was in front by one point when a naked female dashed out into the middle of the MCG. Wearing nothing but a Blues scarf, 18 year-old Helen D’Amico made a bee-line for Doull, and tried to embrace him before she was intercepted by his team-mate Wayne Johnston and disturbed match officials. With the crowd in uproar, she was bundled into an over-sized cardigan and marched off the ground, as Carlton went on to upset the Tigers by 18 points. It later emerged that Ms D’Amico had been working as a strip-tease artist at an Adelaide nightclub, and her streak was a publicity stunt. Milestones 50 Games: Semi Final, 1972 vs Richmond 100 Games: Round 22, 1974 vs St Kilda 150 Games: Round 3, 1977 vs St Kilda 200 Games: Round 14, 1979 vs Fitzroy 250 Games: Round 18, 1981 vs Geelong 300 Games: Round 19, 1983 vs St Kilda 350 Games: Round 19, 1986 vs Collingwood Career Highlights 1972 - 5th Best & Fairest 1972 - Premiership Player 1973 - 8th Best & Fairest 1974 - Robert Reynolds Memorial Trophy - Best & Fairest Award 1975 - Arthur Reyment Memorial Trophy - 2nd Best & Fairest 1976 - Arthur Reyment Memorial Trophy - 2nd Best & Fairest 1977 - Robert Reynolds Memorial Trophy - Best & Fairest Award 1979 - 7th Best & Fairest 1979 - Premiership Player 1980 - Robert Reynolds Memorial Trophy - Best & Fairest Award 1981 - 4th Best & Fairest 1981 - Norm Smith Medal 1981 - Premiership Player 1982 - 5th Best & Fairest 1982 - Premiership Player 1983 - 2nd Best & Fairest 1984 - Robert Reynolds Memorial Trophy - Best & Fairest Award 1984 - Best Clubman Award Links Articles: Bruce Doull Speaks | Yesowooloonko - You Beauty! | Moving Guernsey Numbers - UP! | Carlton's Magnificent Seven Footage Interview after the 1981 Grand Final: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzAqqk2u6y0 Toyota Bruce Doull Advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk_yu4t8vYQ Driving with Sam Pang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNwUaqVYBDo Bruce Doull vs Glenn Archer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVmHGMLFVqg Blueseum: Playing Career of Bruce Doull | Carlton Legends | Career Breakdown | Doull's Blueseum Image Gallery Video 1972 1973 1976 1977-79 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 InterviewBlack & White photos

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