With All The Champions

As a youngster Paul Meldrum dreamt of wearing the navy blue jumper. How he eventually earned the right has gone into footy folklore. Between 1982-92 he played 158 games and kicked 140 goals, highlighted by a magnificent 1987 season in which he finished third in the Brownlow Medal and eventually played an important part in Carlton's 15th premiership.

Brian Kekovich came to Carlton on the cusp of a golden era at Princes Park. Earning his club's goalkicking honours with 38 in his maiden season of 1967, the high-marking, long-kicking left footer would again top the tally with 59 through season '68 - a famous year in the annals of Carlton history. In putting four over the goal umpire's hat with those prodigious torpedo punts - four of seven in Carlton's drought-breaking Grand Final victory over Essendon at the MCG - Brian, at 22 years, 264 days, had achieved what every Carlton-supporting kid ever dared to dream. Yet the 1968 Grand Final would cruelly signal his 34th and final senior appearance in the famous Dark Navy strip.

A slightly built, yet skilful and strong-marking full-forward, Craig Davis was recruited to Carlton from Launceston after the premiership season of 1972. He made his debut in Round 14, 1973, and, in just his fifth senior game, found himself on football's biggest stage, the 1973 Grand Final. The cousin of Blues legend Brent Crosswell, he too was a fabulous football talent, collecting Carlton's leading goal-kicker award in 1974 with 45 majors. His time at Princes Park would end after 42 games in three seasons due to health concerns, though he would give more to the game across three other clubs.

There were great expectations when Marc Murphy arrived at Princes Park with an outstanding pedigree, but, after 16 years and 300 games, it's fair to say 'Murph' delivered on his promise. The classy, skilful midfielder in the No.3 guernsey won two John Nicholls Medals during his time at Carlton and captained the Club for six seasons.

A truly agile big man blessed with wonderful mid-air judgment, David "Swan" McKay was a Carlton star for twelve seasons. A crowd favourite in the No.43 guernsey, McKay was a key member of four Premiership teams, including a record three Grand Final victories against Collingwood.

McKay put in perhaps his most complete performance in the navy blue in Round 14, 1975, when he collected 22 disposals, hauled in 14 marks and booted eight goals in an away game against the Bombers at Windy Hill. With coach John Nicholls and stars Alex Jesaulenko and Geoff Southby unavailable due to state commitments, the Blues rammed home 27.13 - a record that still stands.

Yet the game is probably best-remembered for a string of violent encounters that saw eight players reported. Carlton came away with the win, but the ramifications of that blustery afternoon were to be felt for decades to come.

Michael Jamison was one of Carlton's best defenders of the 21st century. Honest, strong and hard-working, Jamison played 150 games in the navy blue across 10 seasons, usually taking on the opposition's best forward.

Round 8, 2016, was heralded as a unique opportunity to acknowledge two of the club's stalwarts - Jamison, playing in game 150, and his fellow backman Kade Simpson, who was notching up his 250th. The footy gods smiled upon the Blues that day at Etihad Stadium, with a Matthew Kreuzer snap securing a famous win against Port Adelaide. Photographers captured the milestone men embracing in the rooms after the game, Jamison with a smile from ear-to-ear.

Then, it was all over. Game 150 was to be his last. No press conference. No farewell game. Jamison ended his career the way it had started; without fanfare.

For the first time, Jamison opens up about the impact of being Carlton's main defender for a decade and what led to his sudden retirement.

He was one of football's greatest showmen who had the ability to win a game off his own boot. In 98 games with the Blues, Tasmanian-born Brent Crosswell reached spectacular heights as a key member of the 1968 and 1970 premiership teams.

After being sidelined for almost five months in 1971 due to illness, the enigmatic Crosswell returned to the senior side in Round 21 just in time for one of the most bizarre games of football in VFL/AFL history - the August 21 clash between the Lions and the Blues at the Junction Oval. He kicked four goals that day, but the game will forever be remembered for a freak weather event that enveloped the Lakeside Drive stadium.

It only seems like yesterday that Andrew Walker's name was called with Carlton's first selection in the 2003 National Draft. Wearing the famous No.1 guernsey, his journey took him through 202 games in 13 seasons, including a memorable debut in Round 5, 2004, when he collected 26 kicks, nine marks and a Rising Star nomination. But it was the mark that he took over Essendon's Jake Carlisle in Round 18, 2011, that will see him live on in the memories of all Australian rules football fans for many decades to come.

Anthony Koutoufides' celebrated 278-game career for the Carlton Football Club was highlighted by unforgettable displays in the 1995 Grand Final and 1999 Preliminary Final triumphs. But perhaps 'Kouta's' greatest four-quarter showing came in Round 5, 1996, when he dominated against West Coast at Princes Park, in what was a memorable one-point victory for the mighty Blues.