AS THE Carlton Football Club’s historic display area within IKON Park’s new multi-million dollar redevelopment nears completion, the Club is encouraging anyone with Carlton-centric films and videos to come forward to assist it in building its storied history for the present and future.

Carlton is seeking the support of its members, supporters and football lovers generally to consider loaning their precious footage for digitisation, so that the imagery can be featured on the many touchscreens to be installed in and around the main entrance as part of the display fit-out.

Amongst the flickering films already in the Club’s archive are:

  • the Carlton-South Melbourne 1909 Grand Final - the oldest known surviving film of Australian Rules football – as filmed by Charles Cozens Spencer’s Sydney-based film company;
  • a tribute to Carlton’s long-serving curator Tom Warne, which includes Tom manoeuvring a horse-drawn roller across Princes Park’s centre wicket area in the lead-up to the 1942 VFL Grand Final - as filmed by local Carlton identity and founder of Jimmy Watson’s Wine Bar and Restaurant, Jimmy Watson;
  • Ron Barassi’s first pre-season with the Carlton players at Balnarring - as captured in 1965 by the-then Carlton Chairman of Selectors and movie camera enthusiast Jack Wrout; and
  • Alex Jesaulenko kicking the ton on the MCG in 1970 - as captured on Super 8 by Carlton Cricket Club historian and Social Club Life Member Gary Shickerling.

The Club has also arranged for the digitisation of U-matic tapes of Carlton home-and-away matches in the premiership seasons of 1981 and ’82 – tapes that were in the keep of the-then Senior Coach David Parkin and for many years held in storage at the old ground. One tape from that period currently not in the Club's keep is the entire Round 16 match with St Kilda at VFL Park, when Ross Ditchburn booted 12.2 from full-forward.

David Parkin's U-matic tape collection of games from the premiership seasons of 1981 and 1982.

The Club is also seeking the support of the National Film & Sound Archive – to whom it recently handed over 35mm film reels of the 1968, ’70 and ’72 Grand Finals amongst others - and television networks to source Carlton-centric material.

It is now hoping to source never-before-seen film and video footage that may be in the keep of private owners and collectors.

Those who may be able to assist the Carlton Football Club in this regard are urged to email Tony.DeBolfo@carltonfc.com.au or call 0411 649 766.