I was just idly thinking about the athleticism and speed of TDK, and then separately about how quick Billy Wilson is, and that got me to thinking about the fastest Carlton players I've ever seen, then the fastest Carlton players ever and from that to trying to put together a fastest Carlton All-Time 23. I decided to make a 100 game minimum to ensure that only genuine league quality players were counted not couple of game speed freaks with a limited football CV - allowing an exception for TDK himself who hasn't made that mark yet. Obviously that ruled Billy Wilson out but c'est la vie. Now naturally to pick just the fastest players you would end up with a heap of smalls and third talls, but I wanted a workable team, so I decided to include 2 rucks (with the speed requirement I decided the team could handle 2 rucks) , 2 2nd/3rd tall types forward and 1 key defender and 2 2nd/3rd tall backs. The bench is stacked with mids naturally enough. Some of the players may not be a fast as others I have omitted but at the very least they are genuinely quick and how could you leave out someone like Judd, Bradley or Betts? In my voyage through the Blueseum to unearth older grass burners I can across plenty of speed demons who didn't meet the games requirement but were awesomely fast - these I have added as emergencies. I named Armfield as the injury sub because of his versatility - everyone else on the bench is a midfielder. Anyway, here is the team:

RUMNEY JONES MCGOVERN
SAAD PEROVIC N CLARK
BRUCE MCGREGOR E KENNEDY
JACKSON KOUTOUFIDES L KERR
MCKERNAN WAITE BETTS
DE KONNING JUDD BRADLEY
COLLINS COOPER KELLY QUIRK ARMFIELD
Emerg CARNEY GREEN GUTTERSON G KERR MARCHESANI MCCONNON OGDEN O’HAILPIN ROBINSON SKINNER SIMMONS

I couldn't not name the 1906-8 centreline as a unit notwithstanding that you could argue for Laurie Kerr and/or Socks Cooper to be across the centreline ahead of one or both of the wingmen, both of whom were utter stars. And with the exception of Armstrong and Dennis Collins the team is entirely made up of stars and outright champions. if you want to make it exclusively stars replace Armfield and Collins with Ern Henfry and Keith Shea both speedy genuine champions who fell a little short of the 100 game mark - in both cases due to playing for extended periods in the WAFL. Keith also had the distinction of being the brother of legendary publican and Blues fanatic the late Kath Byers of the Notting Hill Hotel (who I grew up calling Aunty Kath so regular a Nott patron was my father).

So who have I missed - or included undeservedly?

Yarran was faster than Armfield (and possibly everyone else on the list) and a better player. Andrew Walker also pretty rapid I think. I can't really remember how fast the players were more than 20 years ago!

Agree with Yarran but Armfield is lock as well

Also Garlett was quicker than Eddie


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Ohh not 100 games right


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Glascott, Fraser Murphy, Mark Haley, Delulio

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Jeffy played 107 games for us and another 70-odd for the Dees. Yarran played 119 in navy blue.

In that case they both gotta be in. Easily ahead of Eddie. Eddie wasn’t actually all that quick, just had quick reflexes


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don't recall Glascott as being particularly quick, others were but not sure if express.

Not sure about that. I would have had Armfield as actually fastest, then Yarran, Garlett and Betts. Put Betts in as champion who was quick rather than on pure pace criteria. Did have all 3 amigos in contemplation. I recall an interviewer once asking one of the amigos who was quickest only to be told Armfield was quicker than all of them.

Alex Marcou .

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Harry McKay would leave Waite for dead IMHO. Harry has express pace. From memory, Shaun Hampson ran under 2.90 seconds for 20m at draft camp. That's elite for a big guy.

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Wayne Harmes was pretty quick.

Agree with Hampson and Mackay, both very quick.

Actually Fev would have to be a shout for full forward. Not many could go with him on the lead


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Brad Pearce was super quick on the lead too.

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#DonTheStash

Not gonna lie, I read this as "Fattest Blues"

Bring back fat camp!


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Would explain the mention of Harmes, but not the absence of Whitnall and Mott!

i think it depends on the situation.

if it were a race to get a beer, i reckon kernahan would win in a canter, closely followed by wow jones

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Where are those highlights of Armfield overtaking Yarran as he was trying to shepherd an opponent away from him.

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No way Perovic would street them both. And Jimmy Buckley (who I hear is off the booze and better for it) would acquit himself very well too.