The 1987 VFL season was a memorable one football fans all over the nation. The league took on two more interstate teams, the West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears joining in on the fun.
The Carlton Blues were in the midst of a transitional period. Coming off a Grand Final loss to a rampant Hawthorn side in 1986, club champion Bruce Doull and captain Mark Maclure called end to their illustrious careers.
The club captaincy was handed to a young Stephen Kernahan in only his second year at the club. 1987 was also a testing season off the field; defender, Des English was battling cancer, and young gun Peter Motley was in a serious car accident early in the season.
It was all up against the coach, Robert Walls, in his second year coaching the Blues. Trouble aside, on the field, the Blues were in great form.
They finished on top of the ladder, only losing four matches throughout the season. After a successful finals series, they faced Hawthorn in a classic Grand Final rematch.
Hawthorn had been the team of the decade to date and had beaten Carlton 10 out of the last 12 meetings.
Despite being all-conquering for most of the decade, the Hawks, had their fair share of luck on their way to the Grand Final in 1987. Down by four points in the dying seconds of the preliminary final against Melbourne, Gary Buckenara was awarded a free kick 55-metres out from goal.
Infamously, a young Jim Stynes ran through the mark, and the resulting 15-metre penalty was enough to put Buckenara in range. He kicked truly and broke Demons’ hearts all across the country.
Prior to the 1987 Grand Final, Australia’s Rugby coach, Alan Jones famously spoke to the players with a classic ‘win one for the Gipper speech’. The Blues were ready.
The Grand Final itself was in the record books for a long time; It was hot. Hot enough, that both Stephen Silvagni and Michael Tuck wore sleeveless jerseys. One can only imagine the effect of the sun on those barely-exposed upper arms.
After being down at the end of the first quarter, the Blues kicked away in the second and slowly built a lead, defeating Hawthorn by thirty-three points. The win was the club’s 15th flag and the first since 1983.
The versatile David Rhys Jones sacrificed his own game to keep opposition forwards, Dermott Brereton goalless. He was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his effort on the Hawks’ star
We look back at the 20 Carlton players, and the coach, who took home the 1987 flag.
Mick Kennedy
Position: Back Pocket
Age now: 53
Mick Kennedy was a versatile player who plugged a lot of holes in the Carlton side throughout the 80s. In the Grand Final, he was sent to the forward line to play a defensive role on Russell Greene. Kennedy was controversially released before the 1990 season. From there he quickly moved to the Sydney Swans, where he played the rest of his career. After retiring, Kennedy moved around Victoria, coaching and playing for a number of rural and suburban clubs. Most notably, Frankston, Dandenong, and North Ballarat.
Stephen Silvagni
Position: Full Back
Age now: 50
There is no surname more synonymous with the Carlton Football Club than Silvagni. Following in his father, Sergio's footsteps, Stephen was a talented, but inexperienced twenty-year-old fullback in 1987. Silvagni was dropped for the 1986 Grand Final, and it lit the fire that helped turn him into a legend. In 1987's Grand Final, he kept full-forward Peter Curran to one goal. In the following years, Silvagni would become the greatest fullback in the history of the club, and arguably the game.
Silvagni called an end to his illustrious playing career in 2001. After retirement, Silvagni worked as an assistant coach for a number of AFL clubs, before being appointed as the inaugural list manager for the Greater Western Sydney expansion club. After some time in Sydney's west, SOS returned to Carlton to take over the Blues' list management duties in 2015. Stephen's son, Jack is now running around in the Navy Blue, having cemented himself in Carlton's senior side.
Peter Dean
Position: Back Pocket
Age now: 52
After starting his career as a goalkicker, 'The General' became a mainstay in the Carlton backline for a long time throughout the 80s and 90s. He was a player with amazing concentration and would play on opposition forwards of any size. Dean was one of the better defenders in the league for a long time, making the International Rules squad in 1990. In the years after retirement, he has stayed in football. He spent time as the Blues' runner, he coached suburban clubs, coached Carlton's VFL affiliate, and was an assistant coach at GWS Giants. Dean now is coach of Bullioh in the Upper Murray league. Show up on a good day and you may even see Dean running around in the firsts.
Ian Aitkin
Position: Half-Back
Age now: 50
In his debut season, quick defender Ian Aitkin made his presence known around the league, winning AFLPA Rookie of the Year in the process. In the offseason after the 1987 Grand Final victory, the Blues traveled to London for an exhibition game against North Melbourne. What was intentionally a showcase for the game turned very ugly very quickly, accumulating in a brawl after Aitkin was king hit by North Melbourne's Alastair Clarkson. Clarkson was suspended for four games for the incident.
Aitkin stayed at the Blues until the 1992 season, from there he spent a year at St Kilda before retiring. After retirement, Aitkin coached bayside clubs Cowes, and Barwon heads (possibly due to his love of surfing). After those stints, he held the position of head coach in the Amateurs with Kew and was one of the best coaches in the system. After winning his third flag with Kew in 2015, Aitkin was appointed Development Head Coach for the Northern Blues, a position which he still holds.
David Rhys-Jones
Position: Centre Half-Back
Age now: 55
Rhys-Jones was known for two things throughout his playing days: His versatility on the football field, being able to play any position with ease; and his frequent trips to the tribunal. Forty-two trips to be exact. Regardless of the situation, Rhys-Jones constantly found himself in the thick of the action. The much maligned Rhys-Jones was judged best on the ground in the 1987 Grand Final, with his jaw-dropping shutdown job on Hawks star, Dermott Brereton. Rhys-Jones kept the Hawthorn forward to two handballs all game, whilst he punished Brereton going the other way. His disciplined play sacrifice finally won over Carlton fans.
After his retirement in 1992, Rhys-Jones played and coached at North Launceston, Frankston, and Heidelberg. Rhys-Joes is now a football media personality, with numerous TV and radio appearances.
Tom Alvin
Position: Half-Back
Age now: 55
Known for his flowing locks of hair and his run from the backline, Alvin was a superstar in the Carlton backline. Alvin played ten seasons for the Blues and was a top ten finisher in the club Best and Fairest eight times. Alvin was a long-time servant to the Victorian state of origin side, representing the 'Big V' on six occasions. After his retirement in 1994, Alvin stayed in the game briefly, captain-coaching Sandringham in the Victorian Football Association. In 1999 he was inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame.
Shane Robertson
Position: Wing
Age now: 53
Robertson was nicknamed 'Yo-yo' around the club due to being consistently moving from the seniors to the reserves. However, with Robert Walls as coach, Robertson found himself in the firsts a lot more. In the Grand Final, he was matched up on Brownlow Medalist Robert DiPierdomenico. He was admittedly "toweled up" by Dipper in the first half, although he fought back as the game progressed.
After leaving the club in 1991, Robertson played and coached at Daylesford, Castlemaine, Northern Bullants, Hepburn, Seymore, and finally back to Castlemaine where he left the club at the end of the 2016 season.
Craig Bradley
Position: Centre
Age now: 53
Craig Bradley was already a superstar of the game in South Australia when the Blues brought him to Victoria before the 1986 season. The recruitment of Bradley along with Stephen Kernahan and Peter Motley instantly boosted the Carlton football club. The 1987 season was Bradley's second in the Navy Blue, and in those two years he established himself as an elite midfielder in the VFL. His endurance and skill were the envy of every opponent.
Bradley continued to be a standout midfielder for a club record 375 games. Bradley retired from the game in 2002 and was still one of the Blues' best when he exited. By the time he finished, Bradley's list of accolades included; the previously mentioned games record, club captain, three-time Best and Fairest, a State of Origin representative, International Rules representative, five-time All Australian, Carlton Team of the Century player, AFL Hall of Fame inductee, and Carlton Legend. Never a man for the spotlight, Bradley has kept out of the public eye since retirement. Although he did have a stint as an assistant coach for the Blues in 2007.
David Glascott
Position: Wing
Age now: 56
They say you can never judge a book by its cover; David Glascott had the face and build of a teenage boy, but gee he played a man's game. In the 1987 Grand Final, he had the role of tagging John Platten and had the better of the Brownlow medalist. Playing 173 games over a 10-year career, Glascott retired from the game in 1991. In the following years after retirement, he coached Perth in the WAFL before returning to Victoria. Since his return, the three-time premiership player has been inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame, along with the Carlton Ring of Honour in 2017.
Paul Meldrum
Position: Half forward
Age now: 56
Paul Meldrum's impact on the football field is somewhat forgotten 30 years later. The English-born Meldrum was a skill player who could run all day. His elite endurance, combined with his eye for goal made him a dangerous player, and a fan favourite. Meldrum actually placed third in the Brownlow Medal in 1987, finishing behind joint winners, John Platten and Tony Lockett.
In the seasons following 1987, Meldrum picked up nagging injuries that ended up shortening his career; turning from goal-kicker to reliable backman, to bench player. Meldrum retired in 1992, having been a two-time state representative. He went on to coach Bacchus Marsh in the following seasons.
Stephen Kernahan (Captain)
Position: Center Half-Forward
Age Now: 53
Recruited alongside Bradley from the SANFL, Kernahan was an established forward, having kicked 290 goals in 136 senior games for Glenelg. Kernahan instantly became a star for the Blues and was made captain for the 1987 season. A move which was questioned at the time, but ended up developing the Blues' greatest ever captain. Kernahan was a colossal presence in the Carlton forward line throughout the 80s and 90s, in the 1987 Grand Final he kicked three important goals and was the club's Best and Fairest in the premiership team. Kernahan turned down the offer of being the Adelaide Crows inaugural AFL captain in 1991 and stayed at Princes Park for the rest of his glittered career.
Post retirement, Kernahan stayed involved with the club, joining the Board of Directors, before becoming vice-president, and then President of the Club. Kernahan served as president for six years before stepping aside in June 2014. A Carlton man through and through, Sticks is still a favourite among fans everywhere, being accredited almost every accolade attainable for a retired player.
Richard Dennis
Position: Half Forward
Age now: 50
The 1987 season was Richard Dennis' first in the Navy Blue, coming across from Perth. Dennis quickly established himself in Carlton's lineup as a courageous and skillful player. Dennis played twenty-three games in 87. He was a player on the rise, representing Western Australia in the 1987 State of Origin series. Dennis looked to have a great career ahead of him.
However, sadly, the promise he showed was fulfilled. In a 1988 match against Collingwood, Dennis injured his knee marking whilst running with the flight of the ball. Ironically, the game is remembered for another mark; Stephen Silvagni's took a sky-scraping mark of the year.
Richard Dennis' career never really recovered from his knee injury and he was traded to North Melbourne for the 1992 season. His season at Arden Street would be his last. Dennis retired having played 70 AFL/VFL games. By the year 2000, Dennis was back at East Perth Football Club, mentoring young players.
Ken Hunter
Position: Forward
Age now: 60
Ken Hunter came to the Blues as a strong defender from Claremont, where he played 99 games. He could not have scripted his VFL initiation to go any better; a Best and Fairest in premiership year for the 1981 Blues, playing in defence. By the 1987 series, he had re-established himself as a forward and was an experienced player for Carlton. In the 1987 Grand Final, he started forward before switching to defense and helping secure victory.
Hunter retired in 1989 as a legend of the club. Post-retirement he briefly returned to coach the Reserves at the Perth Football Club. After coming back to Victoria he has served a board member of the Carlton Football Club. Also since retirement, Hunter has been inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame, alongside being named in both the Carlton and West Australian Team of the Century.
Jon Dorotich
Position: Forward
Age now: 55
Jon Dorotich was a strong key defender from Western Australia who came to the Blues as an already established player. Throughout his time in the VFL, his battles with Dermott Brereton were legendary around the league. When the two teams were scheduled to play in the 1987 Grand Final, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Dorotich would man Brereton. However, Walls famously switched David Rhys-Jones onto the superstar Hawk, sending Dorotich to a forward pocket. He played up forward as well as relief for the ruckman, Justin Madden. Dorotich kicked valuable goals and played a big role in the win.
After leaving the Blues in 1993, 'Dorra' went back to Western Australia and played in the WAFL. He represented Western Australia on six occasions in total, including a best-on-ground performance in 1997, at thirty-five years young. After his playing days eventually finished, Dorotich took on a role in West Australian media, covering WAFL games on the ABC.
Fraser Murphy
Position: Forward
Age now: 54
Murphy was famous for missing the 1986 Grand Final for suspension and being a late inclusion for the 1987 Final. Although establishing himself in the VFA as a rover, he found himself as a quick moving forward pocket in the VFL. Murphy kicked the final goal of the 1987 Grand Final win after spending a lot of the game on the bench. Murphy found chances in the first team to be limited after that and after winning a Reserves Premiership in 1990 he left the Blues after the 1991 season. He was later picked up by Collingwood but did not play a senior game for the club.
Justin Madden
Position: Ruck
Age now: 56
After being recruited to Essendon and playing largely an understudy role to his brother, Simon, Justin made his way to Carlton during the 1983 season. Justin made the most of his time in the spotlight, kicking five goals on debut, starting Blues' fans love affair with Madden. The smiling, happy Madden was a fan-favourite at the Blues for his entire time at Princes Park. In the 1987 Final, he was the stand-alone ruckman, and was one of the best players on the ground. He continued to be a star in the league and also featured prominently in Carlton's 1995 Grand Final win over Geelong.
Throughout his career he worked with the AFL Players Association, eventually becoming President. When he retired from the game in 1997 he relinquished his role with the AFLPA and worked as an architect. This didn't last long though, and the loveable, intelligent Madden was involved in state politics. Madden won the Legislative Council seat of Doutta Galla Province in the 1999 Victorian election and was a mainstay in state parliament for a decade, even spending time as the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs. With Melbourne hosting the Commonwealth Games, Madden was the man to become Minister for the games, leading the City and the games to a success, with the games being a hit. He lost his seat in the 2010 state election.
Wayne Johnson
Position: Rover
Age now: 59
The Dominator. The name really says all you need to know about Johnson the player. Strong in mind and body, Johnson is one of the Carlton Football Club's best ever players. By the time the 1987 Grand Final had rolled around, Johnson was a three-time Premiership player, two-time Best and Fairest, captain and consistently represented Victoria in the State of Origin. Johnson played at Ruckman, Justin Madden's feet all day and was one of the best players on the ground. Although starring in September wasn't a new thing for Johnson who made September his own throughout his career.
He left his beloved Blues in 1990, with his body showing signs of the tough contests he faced as a player. Johnson went on to coach SANFL club Sturt, then Sebastapol in the Ballarat League. In 1993, he was recruited to coach Brisbane club, Kedron-Grange. He stayed in Brisbane afterward, before returning to Victoria where he stayed in football, serving as a runner for two seasons for Richmond before being let go in the midst of controversy. Johnson was summed up best by former coach, David Parkin:
“‘He had an enormous capacity to pump himself up and get the best out of himself when it mattered. He had a fire in his belly – a passion for the contest like few other players”.
Mark Naley
Position: Rover
Age now: 56
Unlike many recruits Carlton brought in throughout the 80s, Naley was a different case. The VFL was a pitstop between successful stints in The SANFL. 1987 was his first season with the Blues, where he finished equal tenth in the Brownlow Medal. In total he stayed for three seasons, playing 65 games in the Navy Blue. In the 1991 season, he went back to SANFL club, South Adelaide.
In South Australia, Naley is a legend where he has sixteen State of Origin games, a Magarey Medal, two All-Australian honours, along with being a Hall of Fame inductee and a life member of the South Adelaide Football Club. In 2002 he was an inaugural inductee into the South Australian Hall of Fame. He now runs a successful building service in South Australia.
Warren McKenzie
Position: Interchange
Age now: 52
McKenzie joined the Blues as an under-19s player in 1983. He was a successful junior and had made his way into the senior side by 1985. By the time the 1987 Grand Final rolled around, McKenzie was a valuable utility who could plug any hole in the lineup. A perfect interchange player.
Shortly after the Final, he suffered a knee injury which put him out of football for twelve months. Upon returning, McKenzie found himself in the backline where he played reserve and senior level. After the 1990 season, Carlton traded to Sydney for the number two draft pick. McKenzie played two seasons for the Swans before being delisted and returning to Victoria to play for Sandringham. in the VFL. In 2014, Warren's son Reece was drafted by Richmond with the 77th pick.
Adrian Gleeson
Position: Interchange
Age now: 50
Adrian Gleeson was a relatively fresh face in the Carlton side in the 1987 Grand Final. He joined the club in 1986 and spent most of the year in the reserves. However, when Rod Ashman retired after the 1986 season, it opened a spot for Gleeson to take in the senior side. Gleeson took his chance and ran with it, ended up playing 176 games for the Blues. His milestones included four top-ten finishes in Carlton's Best and Fairest. A great club man, after his role in the senior team he stayed in the reserves and mentored the young Blues coming through. He ended his career with back-to-back Best and Fairest awards with the Reserves in 1996 and 1997. Post-retirement, Gleeson is a successful financial planner. Adrian is still a great club man, having served over a decade on the club's board.
Robert Walls
Coach
Age now: 66
Robert Walls was a three-time premiership player, and captain for the Blues in his playing career, before ending his football career in Fitzroy. He would eventually be inducted into the AFL and Carlton Hall of Fame, along with the Carlton Team of the Century. Immediately after retirement, he coached the Lions for four seasons. After the 1985 season, Carlton brought Walls back to coach the Blues, with outgoing Carlon coach, David Parkin taking Walls' Fitzroy job. The coaching swap was a unique way of giving both teams a fresh start. Walls was immediately successful with the Blues, taking them to the 1986 Grand Final.
His efforts in keeping the Carlton side focused and motivated throughout the tumultuous 1987 season, combined with his moves in 1987's Grand Final have become folklore around the AFL. It is hard to imagine the Blues winning without Walls at the helm. Walls left the Blues in 1998, before moving on to coaching stints in Brisbane and Richmond. After his coaching day finished, Walls has become a strong media presence in the game. His Carlon Hall of Fame induction was elevated to Legend Status in 2011
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