In the 117 seasons since the formation of the VFL, only four men can lay claim to having represented the Carlton Football Club at League level as both senior player and President. They are, in reverse order, Stephen Kernahan, Ian Collins, Horrie Clover and the first of them, David Crone.
And late last week, in response to the club’s request to seek the support of Members and supporters to help build the Carlton archive, Barry Crone came forward with a digitised copy of a precious and long-held family keepsake of his late great uncle.
The glorious studio image, which now finds its way into the football club’s collection, depicts David Crone in all his Carlton finery - from the uncluttered dark navy Blue guernsey with handwoven monogram down to his anklets and high cuts, Crone’s truly Carlton from top to toe.
Dated 11/9/1920, the image also carries Crone’s signature.
The photograph is an important one for the club, because it now brings balance to an image previously forwarded by another descendant John Ray, of Crone in civilian dress and Presidential mode.
A farmer’s son hailing from the Victorian town of Donald on the Richardson River, David Henry Crone was born in May of 1893. In the early days he plied his footballing craft as a budding young ruckman for South Ballarat and later completed a brief three-game stint with the now-defunct Fitzroy, before returning to the farm then joining Carlton on the cusp of the 1917 season.
Crone completed his senior debut against Richmond at Princes Oval in June of the ’17 season, in what was a meritorious 44-point win for the home team on the occasion of Rod McGregor’s historic 200th game for the club. Sporting the No.30 later worn by “Mick” Price, Vin Waite and his son Jarrad, Crone ably supported the team’s No.1 ruckman Harry Haughton.
Turning out in 18 senior matches for the Blues through 1917 and ’18, Crone was finally accepted for military service (having previously been rejected on medical grounds), but his departure for the frontline never happened because the war ended.
Having not left Australian shores, Crone was offered an immediate discharge – and yet he sought to volunteer for a tour of duty with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, whose task it was to secure all former German territories and installations in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
He spent a year in the tropics, and returned home to resume his on-field career at Carlton through 1920. Wearing the No.15 in his second stint, the 25 year-old managed four more senior appearances – the last of them at half-forward alongside Horrie Clover in the seventh round match against Geelong at Corio Oval, on Saturday, June 12, 1920.
Nine years later, Crone assumed the mantle as Carlton President – the club’s 17th since Robert McFarland in the club’s inaugural year of 1864 – and he ably served in that capacity for nine years until he was succeeded by KG (later Sir Kenneth) Luke on the eve of the drought-breaking 1938 Premiership season.
A true measure of Crone’s stature in the game is perhaps best be measured by the tribute paid by the then secretary Newton Chandler in the Carlton Football Club’s 1937 annual report, beneath the headline “THE PRESIDENT”;
“Sincere regret was expressed not only by the committee and Members of the Club but by the football patrons of Victoria when the resignation of Mr. D.H. Crone was announced. Mr. Crone, who had been a member of the Committee of Management for a period of 13 years (the last nine years as President), was a wonderful ambassador to the game. As Chairman of the Propaganda Committee – and other Sub-Committees of the Victorian Football League, Mr. Crone did much to foster the games in the schools, while his efforts to assist the game in the country was of great value to the Australian code. The time given in the interests of the game by some Club officials is little realised by Members. During the 13 years that Mr. Crone was a member of the committee he attended more than 2,000 meetings in connection with the management of your Club, and as a delegate to the Victorian Football League, Mr. Crone leaves behind a record of service which has not been surpassed in the history of the Club.”
David Crone was just 66 years-old when he died in November 1959. But today, some 55 years after the event, he is remembered.
As his descendant Barry proudly declared in the message accompanying his grand image: “Please see the attached copy of a photo of my great uncle, Dave Crone, who was a past player and long standing club president, and the reason that most of the next four generations of Crones have followed the Blues”.
If you have a precious item or items that help tell the tale that is uniquely Carlton’s, or like Barry Crone boast a precious image/s of Carlton’s past, please contact club historian Tony De Bolfo – 9389 6241 or tony.debolfo@carltonfc.com.au.
