1948

Carlton finished out of the Finals Race in 1948, notwithstanding the fact that we were Premiers in 1947. The Blues were never really in the running to defend their title. After winning two of their first three matches, the club then lost 5 games in a row between rounds 4 and 8. While the first two of these losses were by only 2 points, the sequence of defeats left the club in 10th place on the ladder, three and a half games outside of the top 4.

The team improved in the second half of the season, winning eight of its last eleven matches. This wasn't good enough to duplicate the heroic feats of 1945 when the team made the finals and won the flag on the back of its late season form. The 10 win, 9 loss record of 1948 was only good enough for sixth place, 2 wins short of a finals berth. After winning two premierships in the past three years, this year also was the start of another unsuccessful period for the Blues, not winning its next flag until 1968.

Ladder

People of 1948

Captain: Ern Henfry
Coach: Percy Bentley
Leading Goal-kicker: Ken Baxter and Ray Garby, each with 39 goals
Best & Fairest: Jack Howell

Debuts

Round 19: Ken Aitken
Round 15: Tom Leehane
Round 14: Basil Hunter
Round 7: Max Howell
Round 6: Tom Simmons
Round 4: Arthur Hodgson, Frank Cahill
Round 1: Alan Streeter

Lower Levels

U19's: Carlton won the Under 19's Premiership in 1948, the first for the club.

Starting Times

The V.F.L. has decided that all matches this season will now start at 2.15pm, instead of 2.30pm or 2.45pm.

v Frankston at Frankston Park, April 26 Monday

Crowd; 1,000
Jim Francis organised a match against Fankston to raise money for the Frankston injured players provident fund.
Carlton lost by 13 points;
Carlton; 15.9.99
Frankston; 17.10.112