Club History The Carlton GOAT - NOW VOTING!

[footyfan1978]

Before his serious injury in 1986 or 87 Hanna seemed like the next exciting new young talent post the mosquito fleet era.
He still had a decent career and some good games but think that serious injury reduced him to only a back flanker and wing roles.
He would have been even better imo. Very happy in 90's he was able to achieve the dream of being a premiership player.

As for David McKay I was more seduced by the quick small rovers as a little kid but over time appreciate talls that have aerial dominance more than I did then,
As a result realise McKay even better than what I realized at the time. I knew him as one of our older players that could play centre half back or deep marking forward option or help in ruck. I think he retired after 1981 premiership. So only got to see him in his later years. However have since seen plenty more of the early 70's grand finals and then highlights of mid 70's and he looks like one of best marks the game has ever seen in terms of consistently outdoing rest of a pack going for a mark. Really athletic. He was probably the Kouta of early 70's without being an actual midfielder. In the shadow of the Jezza's and Doull's of his eras that were actual legends of the sport. McKay a star, that had even bigger stars around him. A star is still a star though.
Gets my vote here and also made my top 16 in this thread.

 

[Robertio]

McKay four time premiership player, also the best mark in the league in his era.

Mill Hanna was a great talent with his smarts and speed.

McKay by a length.

 

[Aphrodite]

McKay for moi.

 

[Aphrodite]

Let's carbon date test these fossils.

Ygenners, Millennials, GenNext pffffffft

 

[TerryWallet]

2 really good players here. The majestic aerialist Swan McKay gets my vote here.

Pretty easy decision, but Mil was also a very good player in his own right. A pretty unique player was Mil. Tall and strong for the kind of player he was but he didn't really use his strength. Athleticism was the tool he probably used the most. And he really did have most of the tools. Great kick. I sorta think he could/should have been better than he even was, with everything he had going for him. But still an excellent player for us with a great career.

Swan was one of our best. Up there with the best longtime consistent aerialists the game has seen. A great CHB and a very good forward as well. Some people get a bit lucky to play in great teams, but Swan was one of those players that makes great teams.

 

[Accidental genius]

Hanna gets my vote.

started building interest in vfl/afl, and barracking for blues in late 70's. Probably didnt undertsand the game and know too many calrton players until early 80's. i really do not recall much of D. McKay unfortunately. sounds like another very good player.

 

[Elmer_Hauser]

As a disclaimer bias, Milham is one of my all time favourite Baggers, was one of my first favourite Cult Hero players (when I was old enough to understand the term) and naturally even though he didn’t play in the 87 Premiership Team, was one of the most notable onlookers of the legendary Stand By Your Man beer shower by Sticks.
The Cranium is also a poignant reminder the last time our club was truly great and a powerhouse of this league.

Swan McKay clearly legendary player of the club (I would have him somewhere in our top ten greatest players list), probably vastly underrated if not appreciated by non Blues fans and even some Carlton fans (whom never saw him play) and I really feel envious of those fans who saw him and their other greats of the 70s play.

But based on the integrity and rules of this comp, I gotta go with Hanna

 

[agro]

David “Swan” McKay another underrated player, 4 premierships, uniquely under 4 different coaches. Great hands, great spring, able to play a multitude of positions, equally home at centre half back or centre half forward, pinch hit in the ruck early in his career and held his own in that position in the 1970 Grand Final.

 

[thylacine60]

recall the day at pp - somehow I managed to snag a space in a corporate box right next to elliot's - his idiot son, tom, was in there with him, maybe mid-teens at the time - man, talk about a mini-me - anyway it was the day mil did his knee, they were dragging him off the ground, elliot on the end of a foot long wasn't even watching it - the crowd were absolutely hushed but he looked like he couldn't give a shit.......arseh*le........swan........

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

Swan for me.
Great hands, played the old school up the ground CHF role. Had the ability to float. Was the go to kick from the backs turning defence into attack.
In my opinion, one of those players having a career that spanned an evolutionary period in football from the late ‘60s to the early ‘80s.
The way football was played changed massively in this time period.
Media stated having an influence on the game and the way it was seen, colour telly, live coverage of the Grand Final etc etc.
The seeds for the professional game we now watch were sewn in this period. Real money stated to be made from it, bringing the good and the bad.

Mil was part of that first batch of “big” running players with skill, 6 foot plus, 90 + kegs. Was a very good player.

 

[haveago]

Remember VFL park Waverly and this wispy haired, dark skinned kid flew high above the pack to take a screamer , comes down and does his knee.
Pretty sure it was Mil's first game. Tragic.
In the 93 Grand Final Mil was on fire and Sheedy sent his hitman (always had one) Dean Wallis off the boundary and he went straight to him and knocked him out with a brutal, gutless off the play hit. It was defining. Wallis would get six to eight weeks these days. (talentless thug)
Mil could certainly play and was a snapshot of Kouta to come in a lot of ways. He played some great state footy too. (Sheedy loved him then )
Having said all that Swann has to get it for his supreme record playing at CHF primarily in four flags. Toughest and probably most important/influential position. He should be mentioned with the likes of Hart as one of the great CHF's of the era and behind only Kernahan IMO at Carlton.

P.S. for the sake of balance I know that Mark Athorn was given similar instructions from Parkin to flatten Long if he could as well.
It was a tough era. Pity Athorn couldn't get near the slippery little bugger

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Swanee !
How I love ya, how I love ya!
My dear ol' Swanee

 

[mg25]

David “Swan” McKay another underrated player, 4 premierships, uniquely under 4 different coaches. Great hands, great spring, able to play a multitude of positions, equally home at centre half back or centre half forward, pinch hit in the ruck early in his career and held his own in that position in the 1970 Grand Final.

What he said. Swan a very underrated player. Probably the 4th best CHF I've seen at Carlton (after Walls, Maclure, & Kernahan). Better CHB.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Like Jezza only seen Swan’s last few years but from my limited viewing of him at the backend of his career he was a very graceful looking player and a seriously great mark...
Hanna was a super talented player quick and agile playing on some of the best and superstar players of his time from halfback or a dangerous goal kicking wingman...
Obviously seen his entire career so Hanna for me...

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

Love the Cranium, but Swanny was a star!!!

 

[footyfan1978]

Remember VFL park Waverly and this wispy haired, dark skinned kid flew high above the pack to take a screamer , comes down and does his knee.
Pretty sure it was Mil's first game. Tragic.

Sounds familiar. Maybe it was 1986 first round when Sticks and Braddles also made their debut for us. Think Bernie Evans too. I think I was super excited to see Hanna make his debut as he looked good in practice matches then he down with injury almost straight away. Just horrible day in that sense.

 

[Earls Smother]

Sounds familiar. Maybe it was 1986 first round when Sticks and Braddles also made their debut for us. Think Bernie Evans too. I think I was super excited to see Hanna make his debut as he looked good in practice matches then he down with injury almost straight away. Just horrible day in that sense.

Yep round 1 1986. Dorotich debuted as well.
For some reason Motley didn't play until the following week in round 2.
Imagine having players of that caliber walk into your round 1 side these days.
Papley, Kemp, Philp, Wines/Williams (GWS) maybe for 2021?

 

[Wickzki]

Love Mil Hanna but this one belongs to the Swan.

Mil would have won a number of other battles.

 

[agro]

Remember VFL park Waverly and this wispy haired, dark skinned kid flew high above the pack to take a screamer , comes down and does his knee.
Pretty sure it was Mil's first game. Tragic.
In the 93 Grand Final Mil was on fire and Sheedy sent his hitman (always had one) Dean Wallis off the boundary and he went straight to him and knocked him out with a brutal, gutless off the play hit. It was defining. Wallis would get six to eight weeks these days. (talentless thug)
Mil could certainly play and was a snapshot of Kouta to come in a lot of ways. He played some great state footy too. (Sheedy loved him then )
Having said all that Swann has to get it for his supreme record playing at CHF primarily in four flags. Toughest and probably most important/influential position. He should be mentioned with the likes of Hart as one of the great CHF's of the era and behind only Kernahan IMO at Carlton.

P.S. for the sake of balance I know that Mark Athorn was given similar instructions from Parkin to flatten Long if he could as well.
It was a tough era. Pity Athorn couldn't get near the slippery little bugger

I remember Mil’s first game too.

It was the day Kernahan, Bradley, Motley, Dorotich made their debuts.

Mil did his knee early, and John Platten from Hawthorn ran amok, and John Elliott exploded after the game something about our recruiters mucking up by not signing Platten.

We had signed Platten who trousered a $20,000 signing on fee, but I believe the Form 4, had lapsed, as I recall Craig Bradley did the same thing to Essendon.

 

[footyfan1978]

Motley did not debut then. He was injured in pre-season and started later.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

If memory serves me correct i can remember Mil kicking 5 or 6 goals in one of the practice matches leading up too Rd1...

 

[footyfan1978]

If memory serves me correct i can remember Mil kicking 5 or 6 goals in one of the practice matches leading up too Rd1...

Something like that. It is why I was so excited to see his first game. That pre-season he was the exciting new young talent and the recruits from interstate and Bernie Evans were the others. We had new coach, newish looking team and the pre-season seemed very very exciting. Mil was a big part of that.
Within minutes of the start of game he was out for the season..

 

[ferrisb]

Quite frankly, I think you're being incredibly harsh and ignoring the fact that Carrazzo is every chance to finally win the Rising Star award this year.

Only after the AFL declares Hogan eligible to win it again.....

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Something like that. It is why I was so excited to see his first game. That pre-season he was the exciting new young talent and the recruits from interstate and Bernie Evans were the others. We had new coach, newish looking team and the pre-season seemed very very exciting. Mil was a big part of that.
Within minutes of the start of game he was out for the season..

Remember being absolutely rapt withal the SA boys coming over after watching them in all the state of origin games over the previous couple of years and all the talk of Sticks wanting a flag with Glenelg before heading over finally we had a whole bunch of top liners heading over all at once...
Sticks Braddles Motley Dorotich Bernie plenty of brown paper bags ...

 

[footyfan1978]

Remember being absolutely rapt withal the SA boys coming over after watching them in all the state of origin games over the previous couple of years and all the talk of Sticks wanting a flag with Glenelg before heading over finally we had a whole bunch of top liners heading over all at once...
Sticks Braddles Motley Dorotich Bernie plenty of brown paper bags ...

Swans shopping list was even bigger....That off season was craziest I seen in all my time.. The last hurrah of those recruiting systems before it started to become the draft and salary cap era.