Australian Football

Originally from Tallygaroopna near Shepparton, Charlie Canet was living in Melbourne and playing for Brunswick Juniors when he came to the attention of Carlton. Of light build, he was a highly tenacious wingman and occasional centreman, who played 80 VFL games and kicked six goals for the Blues between 1916 and 1921. He left Carlton in somewhat controversial circumstances in August 1921 after falling out with the club’s coach Norman Clark. He then accepted an offer from Nathalia Football Club to take on the role of coach for a minimum of £8 per week together with housing and employment, a move which attracted a fair amount of criticism at the time. However, given that he only received £5 a match playing for Carlton it is hard not to empathise with the player’s reasoning.

Author - John Devaney