THE CARLTON and Glenelg Football Clubs have always worked particularly well together.
Take 2024’s pre-Gather Round training session at Stratarama Stadium as the perfect example of that.
It’s a connection which goes back decades, all starting in the late 1970s when Shane O’Sullivan saw Stephen Kernahan in the under-16s competition. It took six years, but ’Sticks’ finally became a Blue, setting the wheels in motion.
His brother David Kernahan joined two years later, before Andrew McKay - a future captain and Hall of Famer - arrived from 1993. That’s been a particularly astute acquisition, not only for McKay’s incredible career himself, but setting the wheels in motion for Abbie and now Sophie McKay to become Blues.
Carlton then drafted future John Nicholls Medallist Bryce Gibbs with the No.1 pick in 2006, alongside close mate Mark Austin, while Patrick McCarthy, Luke Parks and Sam Durdin later represented the team at AFL level.
Now, the last 13 months has prompted another incredible influx from the Tigers - and that’s not even including the links to the McKay sisters.
With the first pick in the 2023 AFL Draft, the Blues welcomed Ashton Moir. A year later, as was always going to happen, the Camporeale twins - former teammates of Moir at both Glenelg and Sacred Heart College - joined as father-son selections.
Three weeks after that, in the first truly national draft the AFLW competition has seen, the Blues called out the name of Poppy Scholz with pick No.6.
When speaking to the Carlton website, O’Sullivan said the links between the Blues and the Bays continued to go from strength to strength.
“It’s funny how at times you end up getting players from a club and it goes on and on over the journey. It’s been a good breeding ground, the Bay.
“[Kernahan] is where the Glenelg connection started, and we’ve had a good relationship with them for a long, long time.”
And with next year marking the 40th season since Kernahan first represented the Navy Blues, does O’Sullivan take credit for setting the wheels in motion to this day?
“My wife Carol reckons I’ve been living off ‘Sticks’ for 40 years - so the answer is yes!”
O’Sullivan on Stephen Kernahan:
“The first time I saw Sticks was playing in the under-16s, and I told the Club that I saw this kid that was the next Royce Hart. The only trouble was that he plays for Glenelg, his dad’s the CEO and they hate Victorians!
“To cut a long story short, it got to a point where it was time for Stephen to make his mind up about whether he’d come across. Harry said we’ll pay for himself, Stephen’s mum and Stephen to come over, and whoever gets his signature can reimburse us. In those days, if you brought someone over they’d go and talk to four or five other clubs.
O’Sullivan on Andrew McKay, plus the eventual acquisitions of Abbie and Sophie:
“The Club then drafted ‘Macca’ as well. I wasn’t back at that point, I was back in 1994 - but I can remember I was with the Bears at the time and I ran into ‘Macca’ in the lift at the Stamford as he left a Carlton meeting.
“He was a terrific player for Glenelg and it all fit in well, being with ‘Sticks’ in those days knowing he was there.
“As someone said, you draft ‘Macca’ and it turns into three!”
O’Sullivan on Bryce Gibbs:
“I knew the recruiting boys were really keen on Bryce. Denis Pagan went across to speak to Mum and Dad and when he came back, he said ‘we’re really keen on Bryce — and just letting you know, he’ll be living with you’. I had to go tell Carol.”
On Ashton Moir and the Camporeale twins:
“It’s great getting Ashton and then the ‘Campo’ boys, it’s helped them a little bit. Even though they’ve been in and out of the Club a little bit over the last few years, having someone they knew growing up has helped.”
On new AFLW draftee, Poppy Scholz:
“It’s a great sporting family, Mum was a star netballer as well. Her older sister, when you watch her play, she’s going to be a star of the future and hopefully Poppy is the same for us.
“The Tiger colours just keep popping up for the Blues: it’s exciting times for both the AFL and AFLW teams.”
