Tom Alvin

[SonofScray]

Its all part of who we are. Just as being deceitful, cheating, SOB's is part of Carlton.

[Ghost Dog]

But have you ever chatted to Carlton supporters? They are so fatalistic about the culture of their own club. We may be a small club, but at least we have pride.
The Visy deal
Elliot
All the deals under the table
Cheating the salary cap.

Like St Kilda, I think their club culture will come back to haunt them.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I understand the pain of being close and not getting there and the feeling that we'll never win a premiership, but rather than continually reliving pain it's time to own our identity & get on with it. Enjoy the ride, both the peaks and the valleys.

To be fair the essence of this thread was an attempt to use the forum and collective knowledge to understand what actually happened, how we lost Tom Alvin, not to wallow in self pity, which is a useless indulgence only to be exorcised by the understanding of what actually happened.

[LostDoggy]

The very reason I hate clubs like Carlton because they flout the rules and think they can do whatever they want by throwing money at it.

You're right except for one thing: they don't think they can do whatever they want — they can do whatever they want.

Judd.

[The Coon Dog]

I'd often wondered why we never got Tom Alvin & ultimately found out. Back in the day you had recruiting zones where players in that zone were tied to your club until they turned 21!

Tom Alvin waited until he was 21 then went to the club he barracked for.

[Greystache]

Maybe someone knew something about this and wanted to make a statement

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I'd often wondered why we never got Tom Alvin & ultimately found out. Back in the day you had recruiting zones where players in that zone were tied to your club until they turned 21!

Tom Alvin waited until he was 21 then went to the club he barracked for.

Thanks Coon Dog. That seems to make sense because clearly Alvin wanted to go to Carlton. However he turned 21 in April 1983, 8 months before the Footscray newsletter announcing him as a future star for us. He may have prevaricated around the bush, who knows.

[The Underdog]

I'd often wondered why we never got Tom Alvin & ultimately found out. Back in the day you had recruiting zones where players in that zone were tied to your club until they turned 21!

Tom Alvin waited until he was 21 then went to the club he barracked for.

It seems to have worked out pretty well for him. Probably something most of us would have done given the opportunity and circumstance.

[Ozza]

I can't really remember Alvin as a player - I remember what he looked like, with the long hair, and have in my mind that he was a defender - but was too young to really remember what type of player he was.

Was he a better than average player at VFL/AFL level?

[Twodogs]

Was he a better than average player at VFL/AFL level?

Jack Dyer would have called him as 'good ordinary' player. He was no champion but he would have been pretty handy in the red white and blue. IIRC one of the Morwood brothers grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him to ground as Alvin tried to run past him with the ball one day. The umpire blew his whistle, took a step backwards and made the dropping the ball symbol. One of the funniest things I have seen on a footy field.


Oh and we got Scott Wynd exactly the sane way as Carlton got Alvin. Scott was tied residentially to North but we signed him the day that North's hold on him lapsed.