Larrikins & Legends

They were certainly a ragtag bunch of men and they partied hard. But boy, could they play! Over a four-year period (1979-1982), what Carlton achieved in winning three premierships ranks alongside the feats of modern-day powerhouses, the Brisbane Lions (2001-2004), Geelong (2007-2011) and Hawthorn (2012-2016).

Yet, when discussion centres around the greatest teams of all-time, Carlton is missing from the conversation. Not anymore.

Aside from winning 78 per cent of their matches, it was the players who donned the famous old dark Navy Blue during those four years who set them apart. Think Alex “Jezza” Jesaulenko, Peter “Percy” Jones, his namesake Warren “Wow” Jones, Mark “Sellers” Maclure, Wayne “The Dominator” Johnston, Bruce “The Flying Doormat” Doull, David “Swan” McKay, Wayne “Piggy” Harmes, Vinny “The Cat” Catoggio, and of course “The Buzz”, Peter Bosustow. So many were larrikins who, guided by firstly Jesaulenko, then Jones, occasionally by Mike Fitzpatrick, and finally by David Parkin, became legends.

Through one-on-one interviews, exhaustive archival research, and his art as a storyteller, author Dan Eddy has now brought their deeds to life. After reading Larrikins & Legends, no-one will be left in any doubt that those Carlton teams of 1979-82 were among the finest in AFL/VFL history.