It’s 40 years this year – Saturday, April 6, 1985 to be precise - since Carlton recorded its greatest winning margin against any opposition at senior level.
It happened in the second round of the ’85 season against St Kilda, on what was a surprisingly pristine deck at Moorabbin Oval. Clearly the resident groundsman had forgotten to activate the sprinklers.
Before an audience of 18,655, the visiting Blues inflicted maximum carnage with their 140-point victory 25.19 (169) to the Saints’ 2.17 (29) – both goals of which came from Greg McAdam’s boot, the first of them in the third quarter.
Alternatively, Carlton centre half-forward Mark Maclure put six over the goal umpire’s hat, Jim Buckley four and David Rhys-Jones three, with the West Australian wingman Wayne Blackwell adjudged the blues’ best afield.
The David Parkin-coached Carlton 20 of the day included the ruckman Rhett Baynes and running half-back Allan Montgomery (fellow Western Australians who have since passed away). Amongst those going around for St Kilda was a svelte Tony Lockett, as well as the late Danny Frawley, for whom the two teams this Friday night contest Spud’s Game in his honour.
The former Richmond full-forward Michael Roach, writing for the midweek newspaper Inside Football, extolled Maclure’s virtues in the aftermath of the ’85 Moorabbin rout, completed when the Carlton players banged on 9.3 in the final term.
“Carlton centre half-forward Mark Maclure showed again on Saturday just how important he is for the Blues. Maclure was in superb touch against St Kilda at Moorabbin, booting six goals . . .
“For years, whenever he’s played well, Carlton has invariably fired. In form, Maclure’s an extremely difficult forward to counter. He moves well, is an excellent mark and is a good kick.
“The critics tend to forget just how significant a player he is for the Blues, but performances, such as the one on Saturday, jolt their memories.
“Carlton fans need little reminding of Maclure's value to the team. He's been a key member of three Carlton premierships.”
