When the Carlton Football Club acknowledges the many and varied contributions of members of its vibrant Jewish community at the President’s Luncheon this Sunday, thoughts tend to turn to the Smorgons and the Pratts at board level rather than those who have made their mark as Carlton players. 

True, Richard Pratt, in another life as the club’s resident Under 19 ruckman, took out the 1953 Morrish Medal for competition best and fairest before life led him on a vastly different career path.

Before Dick was Fitzroy’s three-gamer of 1897 Herbert (“Bert) Rapiport – acknowledged as League footballer’s first Jewish footballer – who fronted up for Carlton in a few exhibition matches through the 1800s – amongst them an exhibition game on the MCG in tribute to A.G Spalding, a visiting American whose family established the famous sporting goods chain.

But as neither Pratt nor Rapiport played a senior League game, one must turn back the hands to 1902, to identify Carlton’s first Jewish senior footballer - one “Barney” Lazarus - who completed his senior debut for the Old Dark Navy Blues, against Geelong at Corio Oval, in the eighth round of 1902.

Named on a half-back flank, Barney was part of Carlton history on that winter afternoon in June, as the visitors’ narrow four-point victory was their first over the Pivotonians since the VFL’s inception five years previous.

Barnett Joseph Lazarus was born in London on December 18, 1879. He was a boy of six when his parents led him down the gangway of a Sydney-bound sailing ship before relocating not long afterwards to the colony of Melbourne.

Recruited to Carlton from Carlton Juniors after plying his early footballing craft at neighboring Princes Hill (and possibly Prahran), Barney would represent the seniors in just seven appearances, the last of them the 15^th Round of 1902, in what was Jack Worrall’s maiden season as club secretary. 

At some point following the completion of his Carlton career, Barney relocated to Sydney. The NSW Australian Football History Society records that Barney turned out for Redfern through the 1907-’10 seasons, during which time he also represented the Combined Sydney outfit in matches against the likes of South Melbourne, Norwood and Fitzroy; and New South Wales against Geelong, Collingwood, Queensland and North Adelaide.

Little is known of Barney’s life after the game (and only this grainy image puts a face to the name). But the dedicated Carlton supporter and part-time genealogist Bernie Kuran recently shed more light.

Barney, it seems, married in 1912 and died 50 years later, on May 6, 1962 at the age of 83. He was laid to rest at Sydney’s Rookwood Jewish Cemetery - according to cemetery records in plot 259 in section 19, row 13.

At Rookwood, his Hebrew name is identified as Boruch ben Leib (Son of Leib).

But at Blueland, it’s Barney.