With the release of Larrikins and Legends, it's surely time to revisit this subject. The last thread of its ilk i could find was from 2010, so we're due.
This list isn't about who was the best players you've seen, but who were/are your favourites, but if you don't include Bruce Doull...
1. Bruce Doull. Just the best of the best and way ahead of his time in skill and play. I was speaking with Wes Lofts a few years ago and he described contract negotiations with Bruce:
Wes: 'G'day Bruce.'
Bruce: 'G'day Wes.'
Wes: 'We'll pay you $xx,xxx this year Bruce.'
Bruce: 'Ok Wes.'
Bruce just loved our club, and still does.
2. Peter Dean. Similar reasons to Bruce, and who'll ever forget his oh so graceful exit from the stage after the '95 GF.
3. Wayne Johnston. Loved him as a player in '78 when he played a season with Prahran in the VFA, and was instrumental in winning the flag that year, and then fell in love with him all over again the next year when he arrived at Princes Park. How he didn't win a Norm Smith medal will forever remain one of life's mysteries.
4. Wes Lofts. This is very personal, as I got to know the man in his later years and he was a seriously intelligent individual, but also one of the toughest bastards ever to take the footy field. Best of all he was a huge personality and was a powerhouse of our club behind the scenes in the '70's and '80's.
5. Peter Bosustow. For someone who played such a short time with our club, what an impact! Didn't want to leave, but family issues took him away. Mark and Goal of the year in the same season sums up his mercurial talent.
6. Kade Simpson. At a time when our club has gone through such crap, there has always been one constant shining light. He might not've got a possession in his first three games, but he's sure made up for it since.
7. Alex Jesaulenko. Jezza. Was the first Carlton player I ever saw in action. Love at first sight.
8. Brendan Fevola. Yes, I know he was a pillock, but like Simmo, Fev kept us going through the lean years. Those roosts from outside fifty still take my breath away.
9. David Rhys-Jones. For those too young to have seen the Hyphen play, think Samo Petrevski-Seton. Seemed in slow motion while chaos reigned around him. And Rhys was different from players like Ronnie Andrews and Leigh Matthews in belting players, because he always belted them from in front, not from behind, and to me that was important.
10. Ken Hunter. How could such a scrawny bloke be so bloody tough, skillful and courageous? It was insane how good he was, and the danger in which he'd place his body.
11. Stephen Kernahan. Yeah, I know I said ten, but I couldn't leave Sticks out. The man was a superstar player and captain, knocked back huge bucks to go to the Adelaide Crows when they started, and to this day bleeds navy blue.
The one theme running through my favourite ten was that they loved our club and each week you knew they wouldn't (or won't) let you down.
This list isn't about who was the best players you've seen, but who were/are your favourites, but if you don't include Bruce Doull...
1. Bruce Doull. Just the best of the best and way ahead of his time in skill and play. I was speaking with Wes Lofts a few years ago and he described contract negotiations with Bruce:
Wes: 'G'day Bruce.'
Bruce: 'G'day Wes.'
Wes: 'We'll pay you $xx,xxx this year Bruce.'
Bruce: 'Ok Wes.'
Bruce just loved our club, and still does.
2. Peter Dean. Similar reasons to Bruce, and who'll ever forget his oh so graceful exit from the stage after the '95 GF.
3. Wayne Johnston. Loved him as a player in '78 when he played a season with Prahran in the VFA, and was instrumental in winning the flag that year, and then fell in love with him all over again the next year when he arrived at Princes Park. How he didn't win a Norm Smith medal will forever remain one of life's mysteries.
4. Wes Lofts. This is very personal, as I got to know the man in his later years and he was a seriously intelligent individual, but also one of the toughest bastards ever to take the footy field. Best of all he was a huge personality and was a powerhouse of our club behind the scenes in the '70's and '80's.
5. Peter Bosustow. For someone who played such a short time with our club, what an impact! Didn't want to leave, but family issues took him away. Mark and Goal of the year in the same season sums up his mercurial talent.
6. Kade Simpson. At a time when our club has gone through such crap, there has always been one constant shining light. He might not've got a possession in his first three games, but he's sure made up for it since.
7. Alex Jesaulenko. Jezza. Was the first Carlton player I ever saw in action. Love at first sight.
8. Brendan Fevola. Yes, I know he was a pillock, but like Simmo, Fev kept us going through the lean years. Those roosts from outside fifty still take my breath away.
9. David Rhys-Jones. For those too young to have seen the Hyphen play, think Samo Petrevski-Seton. Seemed in slow motion while chaos reigned around him. And Rhys was different from players like Ronnie Andrews and Leigh Matthews in belting players, because he always belted them from in front, not from behind, and to me that was important.
10. Ken Hunter. How could such a scrawny bloke be so bloody tough, skillful and courageous? It was insane how good he was, and the danger in which he'd place his body.
11. Stephen Kernahan. Yeah, I know I said ten, but I couldn't leave Sticks out. The man was a superstar player and captain, knocked back huge bucks to go to the Adelaide Crows when they started, and to this day bleeds navy blue.
The one theme running through my favourite ten was that they loved our club and each week you knew they wouldn't (or won't) let you down.