The 2011 John Nicholls will be held tonight at Melbourne's Crown Palladium in front of 1500 supporters, players and coaching staff.
CFC TV is streaming the event live via www.carltonfc.com.au. Simply click here to access the live stream from 7:30pm. A live chat will also be in operation throughout the evening.
If you are using twitter to follow tonight's count, use the hashtag #JNM2011
Who is John Nicholls?
He is an Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend; the most capped Victorian representative in the history of interstate competition, a triple premiership-winning Carlton captain and coach, and widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever to don the famed dark Navy Blue guernsey.
He is a five-time Carlton best and fairest who wore the famed No.2 in 328 matches through 18 seasons of League football . . . and his name now graces the coveted medal which hangs from the neck of the latest club champion.
The great John Nicholls tipped the scales at 13 stone nine pounds (86kgs) in his maiden season of 1957, and stood six foot two inches (188cms) in his high cuts. Despite these apparent physical limitations for ruck play, Nicholls was a quick learner who turned to his great mentor Ken Hands to perfect the craft.
Hands, a member of the fabled Carlton premiership teams of 1945 and ’47, and the man who signed Nicholls more than half a century ago, believed ‘Big Nick’ coached himself.
“John was only six foot two and there weren’t many others around of that build,” Hands said. “’Polly’ Farmer and John were always great to watch. Farmer was perhaps more of a natural talent and had much more spring than John, but come that game you could see that John was lifting himself to get there.
“It was obvious that he had a good brain and positioned himself well, and he’s been a magnificent player for the club.
