Commemorative medal no.522 means everything to Adrian Butler. The medal, signifying that his late father Bert was the 522^nd man to represent the Carlton Football Club at senior League level, now serves as a wonderful throwback to happy times for him.

“This medal makes me very proud that long gone past players are not forgotten,” Adrian said.

“The Butlers have been lifelong Carlton supporters, influenced by my father. My brother is Carlton, my son is a mad Carlton supporter, so to have this medal alongside the ’38 Premiership medallion makes me very proud.”

Adrian’s keen sense of sporting history is truly palpable, the legacy of his involvement with the Melbourne Cricket Club as an MCG tour guide. In collecting his medal at Visy Park, Adrian came armed with precious mementoes of Bert’s 25-game career from 1935-38 and again through the war years of 1941 and ’44.

The ’38 Premiership medallion to which Adrian refers was awarded to Bert despite the fact that he never made the cut for the 19-man team led by captain-coach Brighton Diggins which completed that drought-breaking triumph over Collingwood.

Adrian has completed his research into that medallion and believes a total of 25 players who contributed to the cause through the 38 season, received Premiership Medallions, Bert included, “which is interesting when you consider that these days if you don’t make it you don’t get a medallion”.

“Dad was unlucky. He’d established himself in the team, was best man on the ground the week before he got injured, and then six weeks before the finals, in the dying minutes of the match against Richmond, Jack Dyer cleaned him up, smashed his collarbone and he didn’t play again that season,” Adrian said.

“I remember coming in here to past player functions and old ‘Mocca’ Johnson telling me that Dyer was never game to take on the big blokes . . . which says a lot because Dad was a rover.”

Bert Butler (far right) with Carlton captain Bob Atkinson, prior to a training session at Princes Park circa 1944. (Photo: Supplied)

Adrian said that it was important that the club recognised its grand history, even beyond the 1930s when his father, who died in 1999, shared roving duties at Princes Park with the late Edward “Ansell” Clarke.

Past players and/or their descendants wishing to collect their individually numbered 150^th year commemorative medallions from the club can contact Tony De Bolfo on 9389 6241 or tony.debolfo@carltonfc.com.au