Right Half Forward Flank - Roger Duffy (Newtown & Footscray)
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Right Half Forward Flank - Roger Duffy (Newtown & Footscray) |
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Roger Duffy commenced his senior career with Newtown where, playing mainly at full forward, he topped the league's goal kicking list with 78 goals in 1950 - a premiership season - and 96 the following year. In 1952 he joined Footscray, where he immediately impressed with his verve, cleverness and goal sense, topping the club's goal kicking list in his debut season, albeit with the comparatively meagre total of just 20 goals. Used chiefly as a half forward with an occasional run on the ball, he served the Bulldogs well in 117 games over seven seasons, kicking 116 goals. He performed serviceably in the 1954 grand final, managing 16 kicks and 3 handballs from a half forward flank as the Dogs overcame Melbourne by 51 points. Highly regarded by peers and opponents alike, Roger Duffy earned a VFL interstate jumper in 1957. |
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Centre Half Forward - Wayne Carey (North Melbourne & Adelaide) |
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When
Wayne Carey's career controversially stalled prior to the start of the
2002 season he had established a reputation, not only as one of the finest
footballers of his era, but as, quite incontrovertibly, one of perhaps the
dozen greatest players of all time.
Hailing originally from Wagga Wagga, Carey played junior football with North Adelaide before joining North Melbourne in 1989. It was clear right from the outset that the Kangaroos had managed to get their hands on someone special. Powerfully built even then, Carey could mark strongly even under the most extreme pressure, and his kicking either to position or at goal was impeccable. He was also surprisingly quick, both over the ground, and in terms of his decision making and use of the ball. Carey won the first of his 4 North Melbourne best and fairest awards in 1992, and the following year was appointed captain. North's emergence as one of the power clubs of the AFL during the mid- to late 1990s was attributable in no small measure to Carey's presence and contribution. It is arguable that no footballer in history has ever been capable of winning a game entirely off his own boot, but Carey at his peak perhaps came as close as anyone. On a purely objective measure, he was probably worth at least 3 players - which, coincidentally, is sometimes the number of opponents he had to contend with. Named an AFL All Australian in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000, Carey was selected as captain of the side on 4 occasions. In both 1996 and 1999 he was a pivotal member of his club's 2 most recent premiership sides. For personal reasons, Carey elected to stand out of football in 2002, but the 2003 season brought his return to a game which his absence had left the poorer when he fronted up with Adelaide. After just a season and a half with the Crows, however, Carey was forced to retire from the game owing to a neck injury. |
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Left Half Forward Flank - John Pitura (South Melbourne, Richmond, North Shore, Kedron, Coorparoo) |
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John Pitura
is probably best remembered for a protracted clearance wrangle which, in
1975, saw him crossing from South Melbourne to Richmond in exchange for
Brian Roberts, Graham Teasdale and Francis Jackson. However, he
deserves to be remembered at least as much for his skills as a footballer
which, particularly prior to the transfer, were - perhaps surprisingly in
view of his background - considerable.
That background saw the Wagga-born Pitura devote most of his formative years to rugby league. "My superstar heroes were all rugby league players from Sydney when I was a kid," he recalled years later. "I used to be always able to kick the ball a mile and a couple of my mates turned around and said to me, you're mad. They said, you're playing the wrong game, why don't you come and play Australian Rules, which I regarded as a sissy's game. "I started to play Australian football and my mates gradually got me to play another game, then another game and soon I found that I liked it. My parents didn't like rugby league very much. "My father was Polish and he was a mad soccer fan. They preferred me to play Australian Rules." (See footnote 1) Spotted by South Melbourne coach Norm Smith while playing for Wagga in an inter-league match, Pitura was enticed to the Lake Oval as a 16 year old and, after overcoming home sickness and various other problems, quickly began to make his mark. One of those rare individuals who possess the natural skills necessary to succeed at virtually any ball game, Pitura was a polished left footer who became equally at home in the centre or across half forward. He earned a Big V jumper in 1973 and played precisely 100 games for South over 6 seasons. His relations with the club hierarchy were never entirely comfortable, however, and after the 1973 season he threatened to quit, saying he was tired of the committee reneging on its promises. After prolonged and often highly tense negotiations (he was even offered to Glenelg in a swap for Graham Cornes at one stage) Pitura returned to the team in July 1974, apparently on the condition that he be traded to Richmond at the end of the season. However, once again the South committee proved reluctant to fulfill its promise, and Pitura threatened to challenge the clearance rules in court. In the end, the clearance went through, albeit with much ill feeling on all sides, with perhaps the most damaged party being Pitura himself, who never again displayed his best form. After two and a half seasons and 40 games with the Tigers John Pitura returned to his home state of New South Wales as captain coach of NSWAFL club North Shore who he immediately steered to a first premiership for 26 years. He later played for Kedron (finishing 2nd in the voting for the 1981 Grogan Medal) and Coorparoo in the QAFL. |
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1. Quoted in 'Inside Football', 22/5/86, page 20. Return to Main Text
