The 1945 Grand Final, Carlton v South Melbourne, will be remembered as one of the most brutal clashes that the game has ever seen. 

The ‘Bloodbath’ as it’s more commonly known, took place on September 29 at Princes Park, just 27 days after World War II officially ended. 

Long-serving Carlton member Pearl Fletcher remembers the occassion well. Having attended the match as a 22-year-old, Ms. Fletcher said that from start to finish the game lived up to its name. 

“No sooner had the ball bounced and they started,” Ms Fletcher said. “It never stopped for the entire game – it was just one blue after another."

Ms Fletcher in particular recalls the moment that Carlton Legend Ken Hands was knocked unconscious during an altercation with South Melbourne’s Jack ‘Bashar’ Williams. 

“I just happened to be sitting there and looking up at Ken Hands, when all of a sudden the player on him went ‘bang!’ and down he went,” Ms Fletcher said. 

“I thought: 'what’s happened to him?'”

To the relief of all Carlton supporters Hands was soon back on the ground. However Ms Fletcher admits that in hindsight, and knowing what we do today about concussion, he should never have been allowed to resume playing that day. 

“He went off and he did come back later on,” Ms Fletcher said. “Which was foolish,  but we didn’t know any different in those days."

In the end the Blues triumphed in convincing fashion. The final score: Carlton 15.13 (103) defeated South Melbourne 10.15 (58).