"J. Nicholls" . . . for 31 state games, his was the first name perncilled in to the Victorian team sheets.
 
And this week, in the lead-up to Saturday night's Victoria-Dream Team Tribute Match at the MCG, thoughts turn to the Big V's most capped representative, "Big Nick".
 
It's almost 130 years since Carlton's John Gardiner captained the first Victorian team to a seven goal-to-nil victory over South Australia in 1879, and through the 1950s, '60s and '70s "Big Nick" made the Victorian guernsey his own.
 
Which is why the club has seen fit to unlock the vault and uncover these pictorial gems honouring Carlton's 328-game great, triple premiership player, five-time club best and fairest, and member of both the AFL and Carlton Teams of the 20th century, who wore the "Big V" like a badge.

John Nicholls, proudly sporting the Big V, leads them out 
onto the MCG. Following Nick out onto the hallowed turf is
Victorian team members Alex Jesaulenko, Gary Hardeman
and Geoff Southby.

Victorian team, MCG, early 1970s. Carlton is represented by John Nicholls,
Alex Jesaulenko and Geoff Southby. Nicholls is seated in the centre.
To Nicholls' left is South Melbourne's Peter Bedford and Melbourne's
Greg Wells, both of whom would later represent the Blues, with Wells a
member of the 1981 Grand Final triumph.



Victoria's most capped player, John Nicholls, issuing the
edict at a training session, VFL Park in the early 1970s.