It’s 30 years this week that Peter Dean first took to the field for the Carlton Football Club. Rewind to June 11, 1984 – Round 10 versus Footscray at Princes Park – and Dean was 19 years 94 days old when he ran out in the No.35.

Though the paper team had him starting on interchange with another Bendigo boy, his third cousin the great Rod Ashman, Dean actually lined up at centre half-forward, somewhat fortuitously at Mark Maclure’s expense.

As Carlton had beaten Sydney by plenty at the SCG the previous weekend, Dean thought his senior debut would be kept on hold – “but then I was told I was playing against Footscray because ‘Sellers’ (Maclure) had copped a broken thumb”.

“I can still remember a few things about the Footscray game,” Dean said. “I remember kicking three goals playing on Mark Kellett, whose nickname was ‘Skipper’, and I remember Rick Kennedy belting me a couple of times in the back of the head.

“I reckon we kicked 11 goals straight at one point, until ‘Curly’ Austin broke the sequence.”

For the record, Carlton won the match by 34 points, 22.11 (143) to 16.13 (109), with Ken Hunter (as acting-captain in Wayne Johnston’s absence) booting a lazy eight. Surprisingly, Dean has no real memory of Hunter’s haul. All he knows is that he was eventually “banished” to the back half – finding his niche across half-back, where he would truly perfect the craft with the support of his great mentor, Bruce Doull.

A much revered and respected footballer and club person, Dean would represent the Blues in 248 senior matches through 15 seasons, the 1987 and ’95 Grand Final victories included.

Today, at 49, he’s still chasing the leather for Bullioh in the Upper Murray football League, ironically enough out of a forward pocket.

But “Deany” has special dispensation from the Bullioh hierarchy to renew old acquaintance at The Plenary come Saturday night.

The Carlton team, Peter Dean’s senior debut, Round 11, 1984

Backs: Des English, Geoff Southby, Tom Alvin 

Half-backs: Peter McConville, Bruce Doull, Rod Austin 

Centres: Allan Montgomery, Shane Robertson, Paul Meldrum     

Half-forwards: Jim Buckley, Bruce Reid, Wayne Blackwell 

Forwards: Justin Madden, Ken Hunter (acting capt.), Alex Marcou 

Followers: Warren Jones, Spiro Kourkoumelis, Fraser Murphy 

Interchange: Rod Ashman, Peter Dean