Having already eclipsed the late Jim Francis’ record run of 142 successive Carlton senior matches and now bracing for his 150th game on the trot, Kade Simpson will doubtless prevail as the club’s consecutive games record holder for at least the foreseeable future.
And yet, had it not been for two quirks in the then VFL’s draw, “Simmo” would still be playing catch-up, given the “Clayton’s” games sequence held by the great Bruce Doull.
Largely forgotten is the fact that Doull, the four-time premiership player, four-time best and fairest and Norm Smith Medallist, would have strung together 160 Carlton matches between Round 16, 1971 and Round 12, 1978 had he not been called upon for state duties.
In twice donning the Big V through this sequence, Doull was unavailable for Carlton’s Round 4 match against Melbourne in 1976 and the Round 13 match against Fitzroy in 1977.
In Doull’s absence against the Redlegs in ’76, Carlton prevailed to win by 43 points in what was the club’s 1500th League contest.
But in the Fitzroy encounter at the Junction Oval the following year, Doull’s absence cost Carlton the chocolates, as the team went down to the bottom-placed Lions by just seven points... and Marc Murphy’s father John was a solid contributor to the home team’s meritorious victory that day.
Most consecutive games, Carlton
149* - Kade Simpson (Round 15, 2005 - Round 5, 2012)
142 - Jim Francis (Round 6, 1935 - Round 16, 1942)
133 - Simon Beaumont (Round 8, 1998 - Round 22, 2003)
107 - Bruce Doull (Round 16, 1971 - Round 3, 1976)
105 - David McKay (Round 1, 1970 - Round 7, 1974)
104 - Andrew McKay (Round 13, 1998 - Round 19, 2002)
103 - Anthony Koutoufides (Round 12, 1994 - Round 18, 1998)
* still playing
“Simmo’s Run” stands, Bruce included
Had it not been for two quirks in the then VFL’s draw, Kade Simpson would still be playing catch-up to Carlton Legend Bruce Doull.
