Noting that f the 26 letters in the alphabet there is only 1 (X) that does not have a Carlton player past or present whose name started with that letter, it occurred to me that this left 25 letters which struck me as a starting 22 and 3 emergencies. I was of course immediately drawn to the task of naming Carlton’s best 22+3 of all time subject to the restriction of picking only 1 player for each letter – kinda like the old rules for picking the Big V pre- State of Origin. Yet it soon struck me the task was simply impossible. Tough though it was to pick between players I had seen – eg Goold or Gallagher? Harmes or Hunter? Jesaulenko or Judd? Kernahan or Koutoufides? - it was simply impossible to compare them to champions I had never seen, or indeed between those past champions and others whose careers were before my recollection – Baud or Bruce? Caine or Chitty? Deacon or Diggins? – you get the drift. At least with the players I have seen I could compare from my own judgment, whilst with those before my time at least they are equally handicapped by the fact I can only go on reports, still photos and the very occasional bit of footage. So then it struck me that I should concentrate on players I had actually seen play – so here it is:

Yarran S Silvagni Doull
Hunter Perovic Goold
Bradley Williams Quirk
Jesaulenko Kernahan Lappin
Fitzpatrick J Nicholls Ratten
Madden Crosswell Ashman
O’Connell English Thornton / Verbeek

As it happens I have never seen a Carlton player whose surname started with the other 4 letters – so no emergencies, but apologies to Harmes Judd and Koutoufides all of whom were shaded in my selections but could well be in the team.

From there of course I had to have a go at a team of those from before my day – as I say at least they all have the same handicap of being only legends (or less than legends) to me. So how about

James O’Brien Park
F Anderson Deacon J Francis
Kerr McGregor Zeunert
Shea Caine Warburton
Grace Vallence Baud
Howell Elliott Lang
Roland G Young Triplett / D Nicholls
Emerg Irwin, Quinn Uren

Admittedly the bench falls away a bit, but by and large a side to be reckoned with. With the issues of fitness, professionalism and increasing size, you would imagine the top team would wipe the floor with the bottom one, but if you could put those issues to a side and think talent v talent what a clash these two teams would make. We all – or at least most of us know about the players in the top team, but less about the bottom one. But imagine Paddy O’Brien (great uncle of Mick Martyn and in a similarly uncompromising vein) on John Nicholls – no beg pardons there! The sublime aerial skills of Warburton pitted against those of Hunter! The pace and skill of Bradley against the pace and fire of Kerr! The incomporable Diesel Williams up against the man they called the incomparable Wee Roddy McGregor! The greatest tap ruckman the game had seen – Chooka Howell – backed up by Grace up against the giant Madden, the great Fitzpatrick and the greatest of them all Big Nick. Yarran pitting his run against the man described by no less than Roy Cazaly as making triple brownlow medallist Haydn Bunton look ordinary by comparison – the great Alf Baud.

Anyway, having done all that I couldn’t help myself but have a crack at putting together the team I initially decided was too hard – the Carlton all time best restricted by 1 player per letter. So:
Ashman over Anderson – tough call
Bradley over Baud due to longevity
Caine over Crosswell – he was the bigger name of his era
Doull over Deacon – Bruce was simply perfect
Elliott over English who was just a good ordinary player as the saying goes
Fitzpatrick over Francis, both great leaders.
Grace over Goold - the bigger name of his era
Howell over Hunter – great ruckman trumps great flanker
Irwin by default
Jesaulenko over James – who could go past the great Jezza?
Kernahan over Kerr – great captain
Lang over Lappin – great rover of his era
McGregor over Madden – the bigger name in his era
Nicholls over his big brother – no contest
O’Brien over O’Connell – best KD of his era versus good ordinary player
Perovic over Park – tough call but that booming kick wins the day
Quirk over Quinn – no contest
Ratten over Roland if only for longevity
Silvagni over Shea – FB of the century as to win this one
Thornton over Triplett despite the latter’s bravery as evidenced in WWI
Uren by default
Vallance over Verbeek – no contest
Williams over Warburton – no contest
Yarran over Young – the latter a very modest career
Zeunert by default.

Taking the 3 winners by default as the emergencies we get

Ratten Silvagni O’Brien
.Doull Perovic Yarran
.Bradley Williams McGregor
.Jesaulenko Kernahan Vallence
Nicholls Caine Lang
Howell Elliott Ashman
.Fitzpatrick Grace Quirk Thornton
Emergencies Irwin, Uren and Zeunert

Awesome stuff Ian.

I only have a few changes I would make. So here's my 'all-time' greatest list.

For 'C' I can't go past Horrie Clover. His playing record speaks for itself (Champion of the colony, 6-time leading goalkicker, Captain, Victorian Captain, Carlton Hall of Fame, Carlton Team of the Century), and in my eyes he is Carlton's greatest ever servant.

'G' is a toughy. Mick Grace was no doubt a champion, but so was Vin Gardiner and Ollie Grieve. I have to go for Gardiner here.

You may have got it right with 'H' though Ken Hunter was one of the best players I ever saw. Charlie Hammond (5 Grand Final wins) also worthy of consideration. I'm going with Hunter.

With 'T' I have George Topping. Played 125 games including three Grand Finals. Suspended for 35 games in 1910, you wonder if he would have made the difference in that years' Grand Final (losing to Collingwood by 14 pts)

'W' also a tricky one. I rate Williams very highly, but I also rate Robert Walls. In this instance - I've got to go with Walls. Williams had 3 stellar seasons with the Blues (particularly 1994) in his 109 games...Walls had considerably more over his 218 including being a great player in his 3 Grand Final wins at Carlton. Would have won the Norm Smith Medal had it been around in 1972.

So my team based on Ian's criteria looks like this.

B: Ratten Silvagni O’Brien
HB: Doull Perovic Hunter
C: Bradley Lang McGregor
HF: Jesaulenko Kernahan Clover
FF: Yarran Vallence Gardiner
Foll: Nicholls Elliott Ashman
Inter: Fitzpatrick Walls Quirk Topping
Em: Irwin Uren Zeunert

Rubbed out for 35 games?

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Yep.

Great stuff Ian

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"I had to eat"

Great effort Ian, ooh you've started something now! I humbly suggest Ken Hands for consideration.

Well in a similar vein, how about an alphabetical team running from A - Z on the field eg

Aarvark Bat Cat / Dog Elephant Fox / Goat Horse Iguana / etc etc

Same criteria, one team from players seen, one from players before that and then one picking between them. Couple of conventions - I normally name the small back pocket first and the tall back pocket third, the resting ruckman first on the forward line and the resting rover third. But for this exercise, since that convention effects the players selected I will name a tall/small in each pocket at each end. I haven't done the exercise quite yet, but will have a go soon, if anyone else wants a crack beforehand please do.

No I - none in my era, no Q none could ruck, no U none in my era, no Z none in my era and the interchange all mids



Alvin / Austin Rod Beumont Christou/Collins Ian

Doull Edmond Bob Franchina

Glascott Harmes Jesaulenko

Koutoufides Livingstone Meldrum (McConville)

Nicholls John / Naley Ogier (O'Reilly) Pickett / Porter

Reid Silvagni, Sergio Thornley

Verbeek Williams Greg Young M

Went with Meldrum over McConville as more of a flanker then McConville who was really a third tall type at either end. Both fine servants of the club. went for Ogier over O'Reilly because more a pure full forward whereas Reilly was a full back who could swing forward. O'reilly's overall career was clearly the better though, but in the end I couldn't stomach picking the salary cap supergrass.

Old time much tougher

Les Abbott / Frank Anderson Brian Buckley (Peter Barry) Harry Casper/ Bob Chitty (Bruce Comben)

Bert Deacon Vin English Jim Francis

Bob Green Ern Henfrey John James

Laurie Kerr Jack Lowe Andy McDonald (Charlie McInnes)

Clem Neeson / Ian Nankervis Noel Ó'Brien Mick Price / Ted Pollock (Maurie Pope)

Don Rainsford Keith Shea George Topping

Viv Valentine Doug Williams Jack Young

Tough call between Chitty and Comben, McDonald and McInnes and Pollock (Carlton's youngest evr player prior to Jimmy Buckley) as a genuine follower/forward edges out Pope as more a forward pocket then ruckman, although at 199cm /99kg genuine ruck height even by today's standards - he must have been a giant in the 50s! - perhaps Pope would be more likely to ruck in modern times.

Now, in terms of the pick between the 2 teams I'd go:


Alvin / Austin Rod Brian Buckley Christou/Chitty

Bruce Doull Vin English Jim Francis

Bob Green Ern Henfry Alex Jesaulenko

Koutoufides Livingstone McDonald

Nicholls John / Naley Noel O'Brien Price / Porter

Reid Silvagni, Sergio Topping

Viv Valentine Greg Williams Mick Young

Dennis Zeunert may be here by default due to no other "Z"s, but he was a 100+ game player and there would have to be some pretty good other "Z"s to be nominated before him. I would be interested in opinions of others who saw him play at Carlton as my opinion (looking back) is that he was before his time as an attacking half back.

From Blueseum.....

A strong, determined and often ruthless half-back flanker, Zeunert spent seven seasons at Carlton from 1954 to 1960. At 19, he was recruited from Heywood in Victoria’s western district, and soon claimed a regular place in the Blues defence. He was quick for his size, a brilliant long kick on the run, and, at 180 cm and 81 kg, big enough to hold his own with most opponents. At one time he and fellow half-back 'Johnny' James were regarded as the best pair of defensive flankers in the competition.

Zeunert wore the number 19 throughout his 110 game career, which included three losing Semi Finals. In his rare forays forward, he kicked 11 goals. After retiring from top level football at Carlton, he headed back west as coach of Hamilton Imperials.

I have to declare a bit of a bias as my dad was assistant coach to Dennis at Hamilton Imperials and I saw a lot of him playing in the Western Border League after he finished at the Blues. I was just a kid at the time but IIRC Denis was a great exponent of the drop kick.

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“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

Showing my age but I remember Dennis (vaguely).

I was only 7 when he played his last game.

I was a total Carlton zealot in those days.

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"You can't polish a James Hird"

Showing my age but I remember Dennis (vaguely).

I was only 7 when he played his last game.

I was a total Carlton zealot in those days.

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"You can't polish a James Hird"

Showing my age but I actually remember Dennis (vaguely).

Guess that's what comes of being from a fanatical Carlton family and being hoisted on your father's back from age 3.

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"You can't polish a James Hird"

Certainly not meaning to suggest anything other than there was no other Z to challenge for the spot. Having friends in Heywood and having lived and worked (with a Zeunert) in the area I know full well his reputation the the district and his record speaks for itself as a top shelf player.

Met Denis several times 20 odd years ago and in my experience was an absolute gentleman as well.

Thanks for that redrocketman and ianh. I too recall Denis as being a real gentleman off the field and a fierce competitor on the field.
I remember being at a Hamilton Imperials BBQ at his house when I was a kid. We were passing around a footy that had "D Zeunert CFC 1000 Games" printed on it. I said "wow Mr Zeunert thats a lot of games" and he said it was really 100 but the footy was just his teammates having a bit of fun.

I also recall Denis playing my dad at fullback against Heywood as they had the leading goalkicker and, whilst dad was coach of the seconds, he was a bit of a mongrel full back who usually kept the big guns quiet so he played a few cameos when he was in his late 30s. For anyone who comes from that area, the gun fullforward was Heywoods Kevin Malseed who kicked 100 goals most seasons.

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“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

Malseeds all over the place down that neck of the woods.