That's what it says in "The Blues" by Tim Hewat.

just wanted to say - how much I enjoyed reading this thread ! Its great to read about the unofficial history of the club from people perspectives.

And a thumbs up for Walls, he is not perfect, but really like his style and he is no doubt a Blue man through and through and would be bleeding re CFC position now

The same week in which Ian Stewart took "sick" at training. The version of events I heard later that year has been mentioned above.

At that time the team was running one win out of five. Stewart had introduced a totally different game plan, and the players could not adapt to what he wanted over a single pre-season.

Totally different from Sticks. He used to cop a shit load of biffs over the head, particularly vs Richmond, and it was total hypocrisy of Sheedy a couple of years ago to imply he was a sniper, given his own record. It was a tough game, and given the treatment he used to receive, Walls developed into a no nonsense player.

Without question a True Blue.

As opposed to Jezza's very simplistic game plan which resulted in Carlton winning the next 33 of their 40 games (including the 79 Premiership and I quote:

"I gave the boys jobs and they went out and did them".


Simple but very effective.


The interview with Ron Casey on World of Sport the day after the 79 Grand Final consisted of this response to nearly everyone of Ron Casey's questions - a classic piece of 70's Football Television.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I always thought Stewart's flashing was the reason Walls left.
To whom and where he flashed.
Regards Pedro.

For a rangey skinny bloke Walls was tough and uncompromising. He made many of the Mosquito Fleet stand a few inches taller and provide them decent crumbs through contested marking attempts. Often he would end up the ball in his hands anyway. He was a true CHF and did not drift down to the goal mouth as much as contemporary CHF's do these days so his goals were not cheap. They usually meant something. I do shudder when I read the hatred some people have of him given that he provided so much joy as a kid watching from the scoreboard week in week out. While never my favourite player he was Carlton. Always will be.

What really underscored Roberts ability as a top CHF was his willingness to make a contest.Have a look at the old tapes and note just how often when not in a position to mark he forever seemed to be punching or forcing the ball forward.Coupled with this was his ability to hold his feet in a contest.Something that many of his present day peers are unable to do.

Given that Barassi was the most uncompromising of coaches for anyone to question Roberts ability or courage is ludicrous.We are talking about a guy breaking into a GF side as a 16 year old!

As an aside i always thought Wallsy was on the wrong side of the most blatantly missed free kick that i have ever seen.
That "coat hanger" applied to Robert in the last quarter of the 1970 GF still rankles....How that was missed is anybodys guess!

if there had not have been a bloke running around by the name of Hart Robert would have gone down as the CHF of his era. saw him kick 10 against the Tiges one day - 10 from CHF - not FF! 5 would have been 50 metre roosts at least!

Great player!

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

I'd always thought is was Jezza Stewart had a go at, so interesting to know it was Doullie. Stewie was a fruitcake. I think a fair part of Wallsy leaving was that his form was pretty poor. He was really struggling by that stage of his career.
As a player, at his best from 1969 to 1976 he was fantastic. Tough, nasty, amazingly brave, and a great leader. I don't think he had a lot of pace and he didn't have a great leap, but he was a wonderful judge of a mark, used his body really well, had fantastic recovery and was very agile when the ball hit the deck. Terrific carlton man. Jezza certainly had a simple game plan, but the game was simpler then, no set plays, no huddle, no zone etc. and I think Loftsy did a fair bit of match day stuff. Tho in the 79 GF in the last qtr we had 17 men on the field for a while as they'd interchanged Peter Brown off just as Jezza was being carried off with a bad ankle.

Good memories

Robert was under strict instructions from most of the coaches he played under to always knock the ball on in a marking contest - this is why he his not universally thought of in the football world as a great mark - but have a look at the 72 Grand Final - if they ever give out retrospective Norm Smith Medals, he will be in line for one.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

yeah, it was funny he used to cop a bit of flak from some on the terraces at Princes Park (as it was then) for not marking everything in sight, but he always contested hard, and was very good at ground level.

One thing not mentioned about Wallsy is the way he made position for players upfield.

It was; and is; normal to lead forward or forward/sideways for a mark.

For Wallsy; players kicked over his head towards the goals as he ran goalwards enabling him to take possession on the run into an open goal.

Don't forget too that as Coach at Fitzroy, he invented the "huddle" for full back kick outs.

Jezza's credo at Carlton as coach was "KISS"....(Keep it simple stupid)

One thing not mentioned about Wallsy is the way he made position for players upfield.

It was; and is; normal to lead forward or forward/sideways for a mark.

For Wallsy; players kicked over his head towards the goals as he ran goalwards enabling him to take possession on the run into an open goal.

Don't forget too that as Coach at Fitzroy, he invented the "huddle" for full back kick outs.

Jezza's credo at Carlton as coach was "KISS"....(Keep it simple stupid)