Australian Football

Tasmanian rover Noel Carter played top level football in three states, beginning with Ulverstone in the NWFU, whose best and fairest award he won in 1972. The following season saw Carter venture across the Bass Strait to the 'big time' of the VFL and one of the bona fide 'power' clubs of the era in Richmond. Over the course of the next five seasons, Carter played 50 games for the Tigers, including the 1973 Grand Final win over Carlton.

The last, and by far the most auspicious, phase of Carter's career was spent with South Fremantle where he earned a reputation as one of the most inspirational on-field leaders in the game. Tough, hard at the ball, and almost fanatically determined, he led from the front as the Bulldogs established themselves as one of the leading sides in the WANFL, and indeed Australia.

Between 1979 and 1981, Carter captained South to three successive Grand Finals which produced a loss against East Fremantle, a comfortable win over Swan Districts (reviewed here), and, finally, an atrocious display of kicking for goal, which effectively handed the 1981 premiership to Claremont on a plate. Carter, who was high among his team's best players in each match, could certainly not be blamed for the losses, and his high reputation was further enhanced with club fairest and best awards in 1980 and 1984.

In nine seasons at South Fremantle, Noel Carter played a total of 155 league games. He also represented both Western Australia (twice) and Tasmania (a total of seven times) in the interstate arena.

Author - John Devaney