Moorabool News The
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Tuesday 25 May, 2021
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Serving Ballan and district since 1872
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Vol 15 No 20
Former VFL Carlton players (L-R) Barry Gill, Garry Crane, Alex Jesaulenko, Val Perovic, Ian Nicoll, Terry Kernan and Ian Robertson at the Great Western Hotel Ballan last week.
True Blues - you beauty
Photo â Helen Tatchell
By Lachlan Ellis
A Moorabool town may be home to the mighty Ballan Blues, but Blues of a different kind gathered at the Great Western Hotel last week. Carlton VFL greats from the 1960s and 70s, including Alex Jesaulenko, Barry Gill, Garry Crane, Ian Nicoll, Terry Kernan, Ian Robertson and Val Perovic, popped in for lunch and a few drinks, and were kind enough to chat with the Moorabool News. The group said the game had changed radically since they played â both in good and bad ways. âItâs remarkably different. Theyâre a lot fitter now than when
we wereâŚyou donât have a Back Pocket anymore, you donât have set positionsâŚthat annoys me a bit, Mr Gill said. âPlus, the fact that they kick the ball backwards so much.â The general consensus on the game of todayâs best player was none other than Richmondâs Dustin Martin, though Geelongâs Patrick Dangerfield and Brisbaneâs Hugh McCluggage also got mentions. Mr Perovic said while players were obviously paid more in the AFL era than players in the VFL, generally he believed they werenât overpaid. âTheyâre not for one simple reason â across the board, because of broadcasting rights coming in, itâs gone from a million-dollar industry to a billion dollar industry. So, the
players are entitled to a bigger slice of the pie,â he said. And of course, the question had to be asked to the #25 legend â what about âthatâ mark in the 1970 Grand Final? Does Jezza get sick of hearing âJesaulenko, you beautyâ? Famously called by broadcaster Mike Williamson. âI took better marks at training,â Mr Jesaulenko told the Moorabool News. âThere were probably better moments in my career,â the four-time premiership player said. While they âoccasionally meet at functions at Carltonâ, the get-together at the Great Western was âthe first time in 50 yearsâ a more casual meeting like Wednesdayâs had taken place, according to Mr Crane.
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