Forty years ago in living colour – it’s the Carlton Football Club’s on-field finest, pictured in the 1976 season.
Through the generosity of long-time supporter and member of The Carltonians Cameron Dare, a fold-out team poster of 1976 is now part of the club’s ever-growing archive.
The Nine Network, in conjunction with long-gone station Radio 3DB and British tobacco importer WD and HO Wills, released the poster featuring Carlton coach Ian Thorogood and his 29-man squad in full playing strip, in a team photo captured in the players’ room within the since-demolished Robert Heatley Stand on the cusp of the ’76 season.
Featured in the poster, which retailed for the princely sum of 75 cents, are the household names – Carlton Premiership players Alex Jesaulenko, Barry Armstrong, Rod Ashman, Rod Austin, Bruce Doull, Peter Jones, Trevor Keogh Mark Maclure, the late John O’Connell, Phil Pinnell, Robert Walls, Geoff Southby, Syd Jackson and David McKay – the latter pair sporting their prized guernseys with Australian crest worn with distinction on the Premiership team’s Orlando World Tour of late ’72.
Others appearing include the one-game player Wayne Deledio (father of Richmond’s Brett), Craig Davis (father of Collingwood’s and Sydney’s Nick) and Graeme Whitnall (father of Lance), together with the late Danny Halloran.
Also there are Wayne Farquhar and David B. McKay, destined never to play a senior game in the old dark Navy Blue.
Four-time Carlton Premiership player David McKay – that’s David Robert James “Swan” McKay – believed that DB McKay later pursued an on-field career with Glenelg.
“We actually used to call him ‘DB’, although I have no idea what the ‘B’ stands for,” McKay said.
“DB was a flanker, quite a handsome boy as opposed to the rest of the rabble. DB’s father Mal was the butcher at Strathmore who bought the business from Phil Pinnell’s father George - and Phil worked there for Mal during school holidays. DB ended up working as a car salesman in South Australia, but I think he’s back in Melbourne now.”
McKay also believed that Farquhar was a local kid whose connection with Carlton could be sourced to the club’s Under 19s.
“I don’t know what happened to Wayne. He was a nice fellow, he would have been taller than DB, and he would have played key position.”
Notable absentees in this team photo are Jim Buckley, Ray Byrne and Mike Fitzpatrick, who would all appear in an alternative group photograph later featured in Carlton’s 1976 Annual Report.
Having won the first seven matches of the ’76 season, only to then drop the next five between rounds 8 and 12, the Carlton players racked up a further nine consecutive victories until drawing the final home and away game with Footscray.
An alternative photograph of Carlton's 1976 team.
Earning the week’s break as minor Premier, the Blues then dropped the first semi to Hawthorn and were bundled out in the Prelim against North, in what doubled as the final senior appearances for O’Connell and Jackson.
Dare said he had no hesitation in donating the poster to the archive.
“To be honest I was only given the poster last week,” Dare said. “A close friend passed it on to me and I thought it might be of greater value to the club, so I decided I’d like to hand it in.”
The Carlton squad of 1976 featured in the Nine poster is as follows;
Back row: Russell Ohlsen, Garry Higgins, Barry Armstrong, Danny Halloran, Rod Austin, Graeme Whitnall, Greg Towns, Leigh McConnon
Third row: Phil Pinnell, Mark Maclure, Eric Pascoe, Rod Galt, Peter Jones (DVC), David McKay, Trevor Fletcher, Geoff Southby, Wayne Farquhar
Second row: Rod Ashman, Robert Walls (VC), Ian Thorogood (Coach), Alex Jesaulenko (Capt.), Bruce Doull, David B. McKay, Syd Jackson
Front row: John O’Connell, Trevor Keogh, Alan Mangels, Vin Catoggio, Craig Davis, Wayne Deledio
