Carlton Football Club Board Members from as far back as George Harris’s Progress Party days of the mid-1960s today followed Stephen Silvagni home, in a reunion luncheon convened by the club at Visy Park.
On hand were 21 Directors – amongst them former Presidents Ian Collins AM, John Elliott and Graham Smorgon AM, as well as former Premiership players and committeemen Kevin Hall and David McKay.
Lauraine Diggins, daughter of the club’s 1938 Premiership-winning Captain-Coach Brighton Diggins, was also there, as were former CEOs Stephen Gough and John Gurrieri. For the record, Collins is also a former Premiership player and CEO).
They were all welcomed by Carlton President Mark LoGiudice and the CEO Steven Trigg, who outlined the importance of galvanizing all stakeholders of the club and later conveyed details of the strategic plan.
Former Vice-President Gordon Newton, who was part of the Harris push to get Ron Barassi to Carlton as Captain-Coach in 1965, and whose son Richard also served the club as Vice-President, welcome Carlton’s initiative to re-engage the directors.
“It’s lovely to be back. I’ve worn my Carlton tie today, the same tie I’ve worn to all of Carlton’s Grand Finals . . . and I’ve seen ten Premierships as far back as ‘The Bloodbath’,” Newton said.
Hall too commended the club for convening the luncheon.
“It’s a great initiative from Mark and the board to do this. I think they’re on the right track. This is fantastic,” Hall said.
“It’s common sense really. The more people you have on-side the better you’re going to be. It’s all about people supporting eachother and if you get it right off the field you’re a real chance on it.”
As with Newton and Hall, Diggins also expressed her appreciation in being invited back to Carlton. As she said: “This is a fantastic initiative”.
“This should be part and parcel of the ethos of the organisation,” Diggins said.
Carlton CEO Steven Trigg said “it was wonderful to be able to get back 21 of 43 living former board members”.
“I think it’s the first time that it has been done to bring them back inside the camp as one,” Trigg said just prior to the luncheon.
“We’ve got a Christmas lunch that the President and I are hosting to take them through where we’re at, in our view, as a Club and what our plan looks like, and just enjoy a bit of Christmas cheer.
“I was just talking to a couple of the guys who have worn their ties from when they were on the Board and there are some 50 and 55-year-old ties – and some great stories already being told – so it’s lovely.”
The former Carlton directors present at today’s reunion luncheon were: Ralph Carr, Ian Collins AM, Lauraine Diggins, John Elliott, Stephen Gough, John Gurrieri, Kevin Hall, Mark Harrison, Paul Littman, David McKay, Albert Millson, Stephen Moulton, Gordon Newton, Richard Newton, Marcus Rose, Graham Smorgon AM, Barry Stones, Ari Suss, John Valmorbida, George Varlamos OAM and Simon Wilson QC.
