Phil Carman – Collingwood Forever

Phil Carman – Collingwood Forever https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au The complete history of Australia's greatest sporting club Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:13:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.21 Collingwood Cult Figures https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/collingwood-cult-figures/ Thu, 23 Mar 2017 06:00:04 +0000 http://cfc-forever-staging.qodo.com.au/?p=11909 something about them that makes them a favourite of those who cheer from the stands each week. It might be their hair, or their physique, or their temperament, or something about the way they play – the reasons are many and varied. And you can’t force it: it has to happen naturally. These are a football club’s cult heroes. And Collingwood has had plenty of them over the years, especially in the decades since TV and media coverage has boomed. Some have been great players, some have been battlers, some have flattered to deceive. But all have enjoyed a special place in the affections of the black-and-white army. COLLINGWOOD CULT FIGURES ]]> Collingwood Cult Figures: Phil Carman https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/collingwood-cult-figures-phil-carman/ Wed, 06 Jul 2016 00:05:23 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=10564 By: Michael Roberts, Collingwood Historian. When Phil Carman arrived at Collingwood in 1975, many were quick to brand him the most exciting and talented footballer to wear the Black and White jumper in 20 years. But he also proved to be every bit as exasperating as he was brilliant. And that combination has ensured, to this day, his standing as a fan favourite – but a favourite who could, and should, have achieved so much more. Carman first came to the attention of Collingwood talent scouts in 1965, when the Magpies played a practice match in his home town of Edenhope against a combined League representative side. Carman was only 15 at the time, and was in just his first season of senior football with Edenhope. His performance against Collingwood that day was good enough to earn him an invitation to train with the club for a week during his school holidays. But Norwood, in South Australia, offered to put him through college to gain his leaving and matriculation, and Carman jumped at the chance. Collingwood refused to clear him (Edenhope was in their zone), but his family moved to Adelaide and the Australian National Football Council issued him with a permit anyway. After half a season the permit was revoked and Carman had to stand out of serious football for the next two-and-a-half years. As the ban dragged on, Norwood became increasingly angry at Collingwood’s obstinacy, and the Pies eventually granted a clearance on the condition that if Carman ever played VFL football it was to be with Collingwood. Over the next five years Carman’s name lingered tantalisingly in the background at Victoria Park. He was always going to be coming “next season”, but he never did. Any time Collingwood made an offer Norwood matched it, so Phil stayed in South Australia. By the time he felt he had outgrown South Australian football and was looking for new challenges he was 24 years old.

Scrapping with Carlton great Alex Jesaulenko. After all the years of waiting, Collingwood was abuzz with expectation. Could he possibly live up to the hype? You bet. Despite the burden imposed by such expectations — and a substantial price tag — Carman took the VFL by storm. His performances in that first season exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic Collingwood supporters, and immediately stamped him as one of the League’s true superstars. He played just 15 games but still won the Copeland Trophy and would almost certainly have won the Brownlow Medal too but for the games he missed (he eventually finished only three votes behind Footscray’s Gary Dempsey). Carman was a football freak; at his best there was nothing he could not do. At 188cm (6ft 2in) he was tall enough to hold down key positions like centre half-forward and full-forward, yet he was agile and quick enough to play his best football in the centre. He had a huge leap, sure hands, was superbly skilled on both sides of his body, superfit and had a penchant for the spectacular. He was also flamboyant, loved getting in opposition faces, and was responsible for the emergence of white boots. Collingwood went “Fabulous Phil”-crazy in 1975. He instantly became the biggest and most popular Magpie, and one of the biggest stars in the game. After just 10 games he was chosen to play for Victoria, but broke his foot during the game. Collingwood’s fortunes plummeted without him, but his return to the field late in the season was something extraordinary, even by his standards. In his first game back he donned the famous white boots for the first time and kicked 6.8 against Essendon in a superb performance. The next week at Moorabbin he simply tore St Kilda apart. In a one-man rampage that will never be forgotten by anyone who saw it, he bagged 11 goals. In its aftermath Lou Richards branded Carman “the most exciting footballer ever to play with Collingwood … and possibly the best”. At the end of 1975 it seemed that only injury could stop Philip John Carman from dominating the VFL for the rest of the decade. He was in the prime of his football life and was already regarded as the most exciting footballer in the League, and had a talent that would not be matched again until Gary Ablett Snr hit his straps in the 1980s.

On the fly during his brief but brilliant 66-game career. But the “Phil fever” that had hit the competition in 1975 had disguised a few weaknesses. He was undisciplined, had a poor attitude to training and little regard for team disciplines. He suffered more than most from the infighting that plagued the club in 1976, and later admitted that he “couldn’t be bothered” with it all that year. He was something of a loner who ran his own race, and would sometimes leave training early when he felt he’d done enough (he was a fitness fanatic who was almost always first on the track). Internally, resentment towards him grew. “I was irresponsible and undisciplined,” he said in 1991. “I just lost interest — I’d train to maintain my fitness and do what I thought was enough and then I’d sort of wander off. I hated the team meetings and that sort of stuff because they became so repetitive.” Carman admits his problems were largely of his own making, but he also believes that other players were reluctant to accept him from the start, possibly because of the publicity surrounding his arrival. Carman found it hard to shake himself out of the bad habits he’d got himself into in 1977, even with new coach Tom Hafey at the helm. But he still became a key to the team’s success that year. He played good football, became a far better team player and remained one of the few Magpies capable of single-handedly destroying an opposition side. But he whacked Michael Tuck in the Second Semi-Final against Hawthorn and was rubbed out for two games – missing both the Grand Final and the subsequent replay. Many Collingwood people, including Hafey, believe his absence made the difference in those epic contests against North Melbourne. Those same people found it hard to forgive him for that indiscretion, and he was traded to Melbourne after a disappointing end to the 1978 campaign. After that he went to Essendon and North, but he never again exhibited his 1975 form. In fact his most noteworthy post-Collingwood performance was when he headbutted boundary umpire Graham Carbery in 1980 while at Essendon (for which he copped a 16-week suspension). After he left the VFL, Carman headed bush — but he could not escape controversy. Every so often reports would drift back about another tribunal appearance, going AWOL from his country team or some other incident. He also spent time back in the SANFL with Sturt, where he achieved great things with a young Sturt team.

Soaring above a Hawk in the 1977 Second Semi-Final. In 1991 he reflected on the opportunities he’d wasted. “Certainly I look back and think I didn’t make enough of myself,” he said then. “If I had my time over again I would have changed my attitude completely; I would have stayed at training, been prepared to do all the right things and become a real part of things. I’d just conform a little bit more.” But the fact that he didn’t has helped make the legend of Phil Carman what it is. He remains an almost mythical figure, largely on the basis of that one extraordinary season and all the bizarre incidents that followed. There are still some who label him the best player they’ve seen at Collingwood – after just 66 games. The fans have long forgiven him for the indiscretions: what they have are memories of a freakishly gifted footballer who could have been anything. This is an edited version of the story that appeared in the club’s centenary book, A Century of the Best.]]> Crossing over https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/crossing-over/ Wed, 13 Apr 2016 01:25:46 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=10389 By: Glenn McFarlane, Herald Sun journalist On face value, Collingwood and Melbourne wouldn’t appear to have too much in common, other than the sport both teams play. One was born out of a dark depression in a working-class suburb eager to better itself, and has gone on to become one of the most famous sporting clubs in Australia. The other was one of the oldest sporting clubs in the world, born at the same time as the game itself, but is still now chasing that elusive 13^th VFL-AFL premiership, having not won a flag since beating the Magpies back in 1964. Incredibly, these two clubs almost merged during the early 1940s when the ravages of the Second World War hit home and the sheer number of players unavailable due to their service meant that each feared they could field a team. As a result, the two clubs spoke briefly about a temporary amalgamation. Fortunately, it never happened, even if the Magpies struggled on a weekly basis to have enough players to run out at times. But the one thing that has been a key element of Collingwood’s relationship with Melbourne throughout their sometimes tempestuous relationship is the well-worn path from one club to the other. In the mid-2010s, Magpies Heritier Lumumba and Ben Kennedy crossed over to Melbourne, while Demon high-flyer Jeremy Howe made his way to Collingwood. Here is a snapshot of some former Magpies and Demons who have changed jumpers over the years, including two Brownlow Medallists, a few captains and, incredibly, a set of siblings who played for both clubs. THE ABBOTT SIBLINGS Les Abbott and his younger brother Clarrie grew up in the Collingwood area harbouring ambitions of playing for the Magpies. Both achieved that goal, albeit briefly, and independent of each other. Les played one game in 1904 before football wanderlust set in. Clarrie managed two games in 1907. Incredibly, both would also play for Melbourne. Let’s start with Les. Recruited from Collingwood Districts, he played his sole game in black and white against Geelong at Corio Oval in round eight, 1904. He had impressed earlier that month in an exhibition match against Castlemaine on a mid-year tour, which prompted his elevation. He would go on to play for another four VFL clubs – one game for Carlton in 1905, 31 for Richmond in 1910-11, three for Melbourne in 1912, and three more for South Melbourne that same year. The full-back/defender also represented a further three clubs in the VFA – Brunswick, Port Melbourne and North Melbourne. He was one of Brunswick’s best players in the club’s 1909 Grand Final win, with the club’s annual report suggesting “special mention should be made of Mr L. Abbott, in whom the club has found an excellent full-back.” Clarrie, three-and-a-half years younger than Les, was noted as “roving” and featuring “prominently” in his debut for Collingwood in round three, 1907. He played the next week against – of all teams – Melbourne before heading back to the Collingwood district side. Like his brother, he ended up at Melbourne in 1912, and filled in for one senior game after a player withdrew late with sickness. In all, the Abbott brothers played 42 games of VFL football. But in none of those did they take the field together.

Peter Moore won a Brownlow Medal with both Collingwood and Melbourne. CHEERS FOR AN EX-MAGPIE Collingwood has a habit of excommunicating stars who leave the club for rival teams, but it couldn’t quite do that to Percy Wilson. Not even Magpie supporters could hold a grudge against him when he finally took up a second offer to captain-coach Melbourne ahead of the 1921 season. Wilson had been one of Collingwood’s best players for more than a decade, playing in two premierships (1910 and 1917) and only missing out on more success in 1919 due to a broken arm. The Magpies had figured that their star rover and forward may have passed his best. So they allowed the 32-year-old to transfer to Melbourne without question, where he would play on for another three years. The club’s Annual Report suggested: “Mr Percy Wilson has played with us for twelve years … Mr Wilson’s whole heart and soul has been bound up with Collingwood, by recognising he cannot play much longer, finally concluded he would ask for a transfer. Your club has granted him a clearance with willingness, but a lot of regret.” Better still, the supporters, who could be harsh against former players who departed, gave him a rousing reception on his round two return to Melbourne. The Australasian newspaper said: “A nice compliment was paid by Collingwood supporters to Percy Wilson as he led Melbourne onto the field … they cheered him for some time, a tribute to the esteem in which he is still held by his admirers.” THE MACHINE MEMBER Bill Libbis was an integral part of Collingwood’s famed Machine, which won four successive premierships from 1927-30, and a player who held down the No.1 roving slot for much of that time. The great Harry Collier once said of Libbis: “Somehow I ended up with the name, but Bill Libbis … well, he was the player.” Libbis had the “dash and dazzle” as a rover, according to Gordon Coventry, and the incredibly durable and dynamic Magpie only missed two games in Collingwood’s 82 matches in those four premiership seasons. That run ended in 1931 when he had a lengthy suspension and also suffered appendicitis during the season. Libbis was a reserved, quietly-spoken man, whose nickname ‘Pickles’ came from a jam business he had built up with friends in a backyard operation that grew into something bigger. But he wasn’t afraid to stand up for his rights. That’s what he did in 1933 when Collingwood decided to dock the players’ wages by 10 shillings early that season, due to the worsening economic situation. He decided to take a stand and said he was not prepared to allow this to happen. Soon after, he was cleared to Melbourne, where he went on to play another 39 games. It wasn’t the way it was meant to finish for Libbis at Collingwood, but he was a man of principle who was never afraid to stand up for himself, or those around him. THE ’79 SWITCHEROO Collingwood’s enigmatic star Phil Carman wanted to leave the club at the end of the 1978 season and the feeling was mutual. Carman had won a Copeland Trophy in a brilliant debut season in 1975, but he and the club had fallen out of love towards the end of their colourful and controversial four-season association. He explained in January 1979: “I didn’t want to stay at Collingwood because the last two years have not been wonderful.” He was only 28, and chose Melbourne as his preferred destination, on a new four-year deal. Magpies Wayne Gordon and John Dellamarta also went to Melbourne, while Demon Ross Brewer and an undisclosed sum of money crossed back to the other way to Victoria Park. Carman lasted only one of those four contracted years with Melbourne after a personality clash with captain-coach Carl Ditterich. He later moved to Essendon and North Melbourne. Dellamarta, a backman who had played 17 games with Collingwood, managed two more games for the Demons in 1979. Gordon, a wingman in Collingwood’s 1977 Grand Final teams, was more serviceable, playing 34 games over the next three seasons for Melbourne. Tragically, Gordon died, aged only 29, from cancer in 1983. Brewer had been a five-year-old kid when his brother, Ian, was a member of Collingwood’s 1958 premiership side. Ian had led the VFL goal kicking table that season. But Ross was zoned to Melbourne and played 121 games for the club from 1972 to 1978, only to be offered up for trade at the end of that season. The move to Collingwood was good for him as he managed 47 games and kicked 85 goals in three seasons in Black and White. The most important of those goals came in the dying minutes of the first semi-final against Fitzroy in 1981, which kept the Magpies’ season alive.

A Brownlow Medal winning Demon in 2000, Shane Woewodin polled three votes in his first game as a Magpie three years later. MOORE AND MOORE One of the most anticipated and tense non-finals matches between Collingwood and Melbourne came in round one, 1983, and it was the result of one man. Peter Moore had won a Brownlow Medal for the Magpies four years earlier, having given his heart and soul to the Black and White jumper, playing in a string of frustrating Grand Final losses in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. But the disastrous 1982 season, which saw the club and the team divided, was the last straw for Moore, and the Magpies’ skipper decided to accept a lucrative offer from Melbourne to relocate. A few generations earlier, Magpie fans had given a departing club captain (Percy Wilson) a great reception when he ran out against his old side in a Melbourne jumper. But football had changed in the years since that moment. Wilson’s career was thought to be on a downward trajectory when he left. Moore’s wasn’t. So the big blonde ruckman was confronted with a vocal crowd wanting to let him know that he had done the wrong thing. One banner in the crowd, which was removed, even read: “Moore Filth.” It was harsh and unfair. But Collingwood did the only thing it could on that day, defeat Melbourne. Moore won a second Brownlow Medal in 1984. For a time, he kept his distance from Collingwood, but as the years rolled on, he came back into the fold, in part as a mentor to a young Josh Fraser. Better still, when his young son, Darcy, started showing great promise as a footballer, the link to the Magpies was fully re-engaged. Debuting in 2014, Darcy Moore has carried on the family tradition in his father’s old No.30, but you can bet your bottom dollar that this son of a gun will never play for the Demons. THE WOEY OPTION How often does a club get the chance to pick up a Brownlow Medal winner a few years after he puts ‘Charlie’ around his neck? That’s a rare opportunity, and Collingwood took it over the summer of 2002 when it claimed Melbourne’s Shane Woewodin, surprise winner of the 2000 medal, by giving up the No. 14 selection that the Demons used up on Daniel Bell. At the time, it was the punt that needed to be taken, even if the midfielder never quite lived up to the expectations of the move. There were instant rewards when he polled three Brownlow votes in his first game with the Magpies – a round one, 2003 clash with Richmond – and it was one of four times that season the umps gave him the maximum votes. He played in all 25 games that season, including the 2003 Grand Final against Brisbane, where he kicked Collingwood’s first goal of the match. But his impact on the game was minimal as the Magpies copped a thrashing from the Lions. He was still relatively solid in a difficult year for Collingwood in 2004, playing every game, but his third and final season in Black and White in 2005 saw him lose his impact and some of his speed. Woewodin played in 15 matches for the season, taking his overall games tally to 200, but as the Magpies looked to restructure its playing list, he was a casualty. That 200th game came in the final round of the season and at least he kicked two goals and had 20 possessions. It was to be his last AFL match.]]> A rare partnership https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/a-rare-partnership/ Sun, 03 Aug 2014 03:53:46 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=4186