Ryan Houlihan, Carlton’s last 200-game player, has talked of Heath Scotland’s insatiable drive to get the best out of his game, on the eve of “Scotto’s” 200th game for the club.
Houlihan, who thesedays kicks an occasional footy for VAFA Amateur outfit St Bernard’s Old Collegians, said this week that he was privileged to have been part of Scotland’s Carlton odyssey for most of his ten seasons and 199 senior appearances.
“How can I best describe Heath? . . . his determination, his will to win and his overall competitive streak set him apart in my time at Carlton,” Houlihan said of the 2012 John Nicholls Medallist.
“That wasn’t only on the field, but off it, in places like the weights room where everything he did he always did 100 per cent.
“Heath had the courage to cross from another club, he worked through all the tough times and now he’s experiencing some good times. He’s still got a couple of good years of footy left in him I reckon, and all power to him.”
Houlihan, the 31st Carlton player to feature on the 200-game wall at Visy Park, said he was only too happy to make room for its 32nd club member in the 96 years since its first, Rod “Wee” McGregor, turned out for game number 200 in the fifth round of 1917.
Heath Scotland, Denis Pagan and Ryan Houlihan celebrate a win in 2005.
“It’s funny that now that I’m a year and a half out of my career I tend to think of my photo on the wall rather than any of the games I played . . . and I’m looking forward to Heath appearing up on the wall beside me – he thoroughly deserves it,” he said.
Houlihan, whose 201 games for Carlton came between 2000 and 2011, was amongst the 22 who took to the field in Scotland’s first senior appearance for Carlton, the opening round match with Fremantle at Subiaco Oval in March 2004.
Incredibly, Scotland was one of nine players to turn out for the first time for Carlton in that match, together with Jordan Bannister, David Clarke jnr, Adrian Deluca, Daniel Harford, Brett Johnson, Stephen Kenna, Digby Morrell and David Teague.
Though Kenna’s movements are unknown at the time of publication, the whereabouts of all other members of that team are listed below.
Regrettably Bannister, now an AFL senior field umpire, won’t be officiating at Friday night’s Carlton-Essendon match at the MCG when his old teammate “Scotto” chests the banner for the 200th time.
Heath Scotland’s Carlton Senior Debut
Carlton v Fremantle
Round 1, 2004, Subiaco Oval, Saturday, March 27, 2004
Carlton 8.12 (60) lost to Fremantle 15.17 (107)
Goalkickers: Fevola 3, Camporeale, Kenna, Lappin, Morrell, Scotland
Best and Fairest votes
Trent Sporn (37), Jordan Bannister (32), Ryan Houlihan (30), Matthew Lappin (25), Karl Norman (19), David Teague, Lance Whitnall (17), Bret Thornton (16), Barnaby French (8), Scott Camporeale (5)
Brownlow votes
3: Peter Bell (Fre)
2: Byron Schammer (Fre)
1: Aaron Sandilands (Fre)
The Carlton team
Backs: David Teague (West Coast AFL Assistant Coach), Bret Thornton (GWS AFL senior-listed player), Karl Norman (Wangaratta Rovers O&M FL player)
Half-backs: Ryan Houlihan (St Bernard’s VAFA player), Lance Whitnall (vc) (Glenroy EDFL Playing Coach), Trent Sporn (Murrayville Mallee FL player, ret. 2012)
Centres: Heath Scotland (Carlton senior-listed player), Brett Johnson (AFLPA GM – Player Development), David Clarke jnr. (St Mary’s GFL player, dereg’d. 2012)
Half-forwards: Matthew Lappin (Collingwood Offensive Coach), Digby Morrell (Strathmore EDFL Coach), Daniel Harford (St Kevin’s Old Boys VAFA Senior Coach)
Forwards: Brad Fisher (AFLPA Alumni Manager), Brendan Fevola (Rockingham Rams PEEL FL), Adrian Deluca (Airport West EDFL, ret. 2012)
Followers: Barnaby French (Energywise State Manager, SA & Vic), Jordan Bannister (AFL field umpire), Scott Camporeale (ac) (Adelaide Assistant Coach)
Interchange: Stephen Kenna, Darren Hulme (Frankston Bombers MPFL), Ian Prendergast (AFLPA GM – Player Relations), Simon Wiggins (Airport West EDFL player, 2012)
Coach: Denis Pagan
