Three generations of the Flynn family have fittingly set aside Grand Final week to return to the place once “owned” by Carlton’s first Premiership captain of the 20^th century, the great Jim Flynn.

On the hallowed turf at the old Carlton ground, clan members came from various parts of regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne to stand in tribute to ol’ Jim - a three-time Premiership player in the Jack Worrall-coached teams of 1906, ’07 and ’08.

Photographed for posterity were the following descendants;

Mandy Allen (Flynn’s great granddaughter, aged 41), Kelli Gayfer (great granddaughter, 42), Di Flynn (daughter-in-law, 66), Paul Flynn (great grandson, 36), Pat Flynn (grandson, 70) and Shane Flynn (great grandson, 33).

Also in the frame were Thomas Gayfer (great-great grandson, two months), Jade Gayfer (great-great granddaughter, six), Grace Gayfer (great-great granddaughter, four), Charlie Flynn (great-great grandson, four), Joe Allen (great-great grandson, 10), Sam Allen (great-great grandson, 12), Georgia Allen (great-great granddaughter, 13) and Tilly Flynn (great-great granddaughter, six).

Of those appearing in this historic photograph, only Pat knew Flynn in person, and only then as a boy of 12.

“He (Flynn) was a great man, a great old person,” Pat said. “He was very fond of his grandchildren and I was the eldest of them. I used to go rabbiting with him and a couple of dogs in a horse and gig on his farm up at Wilby, which was just south of Yarrawonga.

“Jim was a farmer. He farmed wheat and he had a few sheep and cattle on a few hundred acres at that farm, which I think was called Glenview. He used to take me on the horse and gig into the general store in Wilby twice a week. We used to collect the mail and a few groceries at the store and it’s no longer there now.

“He also suffered from Parkinson’s Disease in his later years. I can remember at dinner time he’d be at the table and his knife would be shaking on the plate. But my fondest memories are of going rabbiting with him and heading into Wilby in the horse and gig.”

Pat remembered that Flynn found a soft spot for the Wilby Football Club.

“People well into their 80s who live up there remember him and still speak very highly of him,” Pat said. “Going to the football at Wilby, he had a particular spot on the fence at which he stood, and he’d give advice to members of the team.”

He added that his grandfather never recounted tales of the old days at Princes Oval (other than extolling the virtues of his old mentor Worrall), “and all the old photos which used to grace the walls of the old house are gone now”.

Fortunately, some precious mementoes remain – like the Premiership caps, medallions and certificates hard won and dear – which for years now have graced Pat’s menswear store, Flynn’s of Wangaratta.

As Pat said: “They’re displayed on the wall of the shop and they’re looked at by many, many people. They’ve created a lot of interest.”

James Edward “Jim” Flynn was born in Geelong on March 21, 1871, the son of John and Ellen Flynn (nee Moloney), natives of Tipperary in Ireland. John and Ellen had completed the eight-week voyage to Melbourne from Plymouth aboard the sailing ship Percy the previous year - during which time their two year-old son Thomas had died of a fever and was buried at sea in the presence of Captain James Cooper, passengers and crew.

Little is known of Flynn’s early life, but his football exploits have been documented. He had a run with Benalla, then Collingwood in the old VFA days and for a brief period Canterbury, but later turned out for Geelong in 74 senior appearances through six seasons from 1897 -  including the team’s maiden VFL appearance against Essendon at Corio Oval.

Carlton's first premiership captain, Jim Flynn. (Photo: Carlton Football Club)

Flynn joined Carlton in 1903 (Pat believes it was on Worrall’s sayso) after landing work as a barman, and contributed to the cause as both ruckman and defender through 77 matches in eight glorious seasons. As mentioned previously, Flynn was a member of Carlton’s three consecutive Premiership teams – the third of them (1908) after having been talked out of retirement by the coach.

In Flynn’s first season, Carlton rose in the ladder standings from sixth to third. Such was his impact, Flynn was named vice-captain in the following year, as right hand man to the former Geelong ruckman Joe McShane.

When McShane stepped down at the end of 1904, Flynn assumed captaincy duties. Such was his reputation as a genuine leader that the Punch correspondent of 1907 was drawn to write “he was as Napoleon, Wellington, Julius Caesar, Great Scot and Kitchener . . . ”

By 1910, Flynn was considered lost to football, until fate again played its hand. In the wake of the sensational withdrawals of Doug Gillespie, Alex “Bongo” Lang and Doug Fraser amid bribery allegations, captain-coach “Pompey” Elliott persuaded Flynn to complete yet another comeback for Carlton, in the 1910 semi-final with South Melbourne.

Flynn was 39 at the time.

After that one last tilt at League football, Flynn pursued his business interests, in acquiring the St James Hotel. In October 1911, he married a local St James girl, Ellen Cleary. Together they would raise six children – Edward, Mary, James, Alicia, John and Anastasia.

Sometime later, he put the hotel on the market and relocated with his family to the farm at Wilby.

There he worked the land until August 1955, when he died not long after falling and breaking his hip.

This week, some 68 years after Flynn’s passing and 35 more after he last laced a boot, ol’ Jim’s memory was perpetuated by the clan.