Her many friends from the Northern Golf Club in Melbourne had arranged a special luncheon for Mary to celebrate the occasion. Held in the club rooms at Northern Golf Club where Mary has been a member for over 50 years, ladies from the club were joined by a number of Mary’s former work colleagues and friends for a special luncheon.
Behind the head table was a life-size cardboard cut-out of Stephen Kernahan from his playing days at Carlton and some photos of the Navy Blues in action. That alone was a suitable Carlton flavour for Mary but she could hardly believe her eyes when Dennis Armfield walked in the door gave her a birthday kiss and presented her with a Carlton scarf and birthday card.
And there was no stopping Mary when Dennis sat down beside her for a chat. The luncheon was put on hold as Mary asked how he was going and then asked about many of the Carlton players before telling Dennis about many of the Carlton greats she has enjoyed watching.
“It was great to be able to wish Mary a happy birthday and she certainly knows plenty about the Carlton Football Club. She even knew who I was,” Armfield admitted modestly when he returned from the birthday celebrations.
“It was amazing to see her reaction and that of all the ladies, even those who don’t support Carlton, when I was introduced. It is another reminder of how fortunate we are, as AFL players, to be able to add some extra enjoyment to the lives of so many people,” added Dennis.
