Universal Love Down Memory Lane

Remove this Banner Ad

Log in to remove this ad.

This probably belongs here, a new player-focused carlton podcast by club historian Tony De Bolfo and footy journalist Howard Kotton has just launched with two episodes.

With All The Champions podcast: https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/with-all-the-champions


----

Episode 1: Anthony Koutoufides (link)

Anthony Koutoufides’ celebrated 278-game career for the Carlton Football Club was highlighted by unforgettable displays in the 1995 Grand Final and 1999 Preliminary Final triumphs. But perhaps ‘Kouta’s’ greatest four-quarter showing came in Round 5, 1996, when he dominated against West Coast at Princes Park, in what was a memorable one-point victory for the mighty Blues.


----


Episode 2: Andrew Walker (link)

It only seems like yesterday that Andrew Walker's name was called with Carlton's first selection in the 2003 National Draft. Wearing the famous No.1 guernsey, his journey took him through 202 games in 13 seasons, including a memorable debut in Round 5, 2004, when he collected 26 kicks, nine marks and a Rising Star nomination. But it was the mark that he took over Essendon's Jake Carlisle in Round 18, 2011, that will see him live on in the memories of all Australian rules football fans for many decades to come.


 
This probably belongs here, a new player-focused carlton podcast by club historian Tony De Bolfo and footy journalist Howard Kotton has just launched with two episodes.

With All The Champions podcast: https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/with-all-the-champions


----

Episode 1: Anthony Koutoufides (link)

Anthony Koutoufides’ celebrated 278-game career for the Carlton Football Club was highlighted by unforgettable displays in the 1995 Grand Final and 1999 Preliminary Final triumphs. But perhaps ‘Kouta’s’ greatest four-quarter showing came in Round 5, 1996, when he dominated against West Coast at Princes Park, in what was a memorable one-point victory for the mighty Blues.


----


Episode 2: Andrew Walker (link)

It only seems like yesterday that Andrew Walker's name was called with Carlton's first selection in the 2003 National Draft. Wearing the famous No.1 guernsey, his journey took him through 202 games in 13 seasons, including a memorable debut in Round 5, 2004, when he collected 26 kicks, nine marks and a Rising Star nomination. But it was the mark that he took over Essendon's Jake Carlisle in Round 18, 2011, that will see him live on in the memories of all Australian rules football fans for many decades to come.




Sitting in my usual seat in the Gardiner Stand, as a 12 year old, the same seat I'd been in next to my dad and his mates since dad started taking me at age 2, that game by 1AW will always stand out. In all facets of the game he was dominant. I thought we had Kouta 2.0 on our hands. Niggling injuries stuffed him, and when we finally found a role for him up forward, he was all of a sudden thrust to the half back line, where he was good, but the man belonged creating panic for opposition defences. Walker in 2011 was what we recruited McGovern to be. A threat in the air and on the ground while providing immense pressure.
 


Ah Red. Was arguably undersized (heightwise) and just snuck in at the right time, but the level of football he played as a pure CHF as a 21 year old has to be up there with the best ever for that age. People laugh at me but I don't get how anyone can say that if he kept himself at least a reasonable level of fitness he wouldn't have gone down as one of our all time greats.

Don't get me wrong he still played some handy footy post 2000 and didn't deserve to be the complete punchline he was, but if he'd taken even the most basic care of his body, he'd be an AFL hall of famer.
 
Don't get me wrong he still played some handy footy post 2000 and didn't deserve to be the complete punchline he was, but if he'd taken even the most basic care of his body, he'd be an AFL hall of famer.
Stuffed his knee during a game. Restricted his training and how far/long he could run. Fitness plummeted, and his game was built around endurance.

Later on starred for a quarter, then faded. Even when he came back fit from fat camp that didn’t improve. Not sure there was an alternative ending with that knee.
 
Seeing Stig's reference to Bombay Rock brought some great memories back initially, was there quite a bit in the late 70's to mid 80's. Two of the bands that stand out for me as having first seen them there were Ol' 55 and Aussie Crawl.

That led me to thinking what a typical game day involved for me back then. (Of course everyone played on a Saturday back then).

7am get up after having been out the night before and probably getting home at 3-4am.

Off to work at the Preston Market with my dad at a stall he had there selling Eggs.

The two of us rushing like crazy to make sure we were closed right on 1pm so that we could head straight over to the footy at princes Park which started at around 2pm.

Game finished at around 4.45pm, (was always a decent hike back to the car after a game) off to eat at home and to get ready to go out again.

7pm - arrive back at Princes Park again for the Disco at the Social Club.

Midnight - Disco closed so off to Lygon Street it was to meet up with other friends who had spent their Saturday night at various venues around town.

Around 3am, hungry again - walk down from either Alba or Notturno Cafe to Universal Pizza for a Capricciosa.

By the time I got home it'd be at least 5am and Sunday would be a more relaxed day with a later start. (If Coburg was playing at home I'd be off to watch them as well).

This was the routine for when we played home games, just thinking about it now makes me tired and want to sleep for a week :tearsofjoy:
 
Last edited:

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Here's something I read on the Club Website. I had never heard of the fact that the 56 Olympics were a chance to be held at a redeveloped Princes Park which would have catered to 100,000 people.

Imagine where we'd be now if it had happened;

No VFL Park
No Docklands
Financially set forever



Four years earlier, in 1952, Princes Park firmed as the Olympic venue when the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds were considered unsuitable and the MCG was refused on the grounds that the conversion of the arena was considered “engineeringly impracticable”.

 
Here's something I read on the Club Website. I had never heard of the fact that the 56 Olympics were a chance to be held at a redeveloped Princes Park which would have catered to 100,000 people.

Imagine where we'd be now if it had happened;

No VFL Park
No Docklands
Financially set forever



Four years earlier, in 1952, Princes Park firmed as the Olympic venue when the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds were considered unsuitable and the MCG was refused on the grounds that the conversion of the arena was considered “engineeringly impracticable”.



In 1952, The Argus reported that the VFL was concerned over the size of crowds that the MCG could hold, as it anticipated crowds of up to 120,000 which were not then possible at the MCG due to health department. It was then under consideration that not only could finals be moved to the Princes Park but so could the leagues administration offices.

As reported in the West Australian, This coincided with announcements of a world wide competition for stadium designs for an Olympic stadium expected to be built at the Carlton ground for the 1956 Olympic games. The stadium was anticipated to hold 125,000, with 50,000 seated and another 30,000 undercover. Astonishingly, the competition was only given 3 weeks to run. The Olympic stadium was later built at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In 1954, Carlton attempted to persuade the VFL to hold the finals again at Princes Park, pointing out that the ground could accommodate more paying customers. The VFL refused saying that the next 3 finals series were bound to the MCG by contract.

 
Was watching this recording on youtube of Seven's Big League for round 9 of 1985.
Saw this bit of play and thought young Stephen Silvagni was deceptively quick for someone his height. Grabs a handball off the Dominator running off centre half back and actually looks quick.
Did he * his ankles up in late 80's or early 90's and lost some of this pace as a result?
 
Last edited:
show_image.php
Saw him at Club function and said gday. Told him he was my PE teacher and coach of our Seniors at High School, flat our denied ever working there. Strange cat, maybe too many concussions.
 
Watching Carlton v Essendon draw from round 2 1993 on Kayo. Crap time as a pies supporter but gee there was some talent on those two teams. I don't buy into the argument that footy was better then, but the concentration of talent in these two teams was beyond what we see today. William's, Bradley, Brown and Madden just lined up at a centre bounce!
 
He was a great player and was also particularly known for his substance(s).
Got addicted to morphine at one point I believe after being in hospital to deal with some injury and being given it too much.
Would not surprise me if it was around this period. He was often injured around 1984 and 85 seasons.
 
went for a kick of the footy yesterday and from 5 metres away accidentally kicked it in to a tree (like 30 degrees away from where I needed)

Anyway it reminded me of Peter Turner, in the ressies (1994?) at the G. He had a free, deep in the pocket next to the behind post (vague memories of an opponent OOBOF hitting the post). So he runs in and goes to kick it, straight in to the behind post!
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top