Australian Football

A dynamic, long kicking, high-flying forward, Frank Caine joined Carlton from the Rose of Northcote Football Club and gave the club excellent service in 80 VFL games between 1905 and 1909, during which he booted 147 goals. He was the club's leading goal kicker with 25 goals in his debut season and 32 a couple of seasons later. Caine played on a half forward flank for the Blues in the winning Grand Finals of 1906 against Fitzroy and 1907 against South Melbourne, as well as in the losing Challenge Final of 1909, also against South (match reviewed here). An injury sustained late in the 1908 season prevented him from fronting up in that year's finals series, and probably robbed him of the chance to play in a third successive flag-winning team.

At the end of the 1909 season, he was one of several Carlton players to quit the club in disgust over the treatment of Jack Worrall, the Blues' highly successful but controversially authoritarian coach. The 1910 season found Caine at North Melbourne where he was a stunning success, kicking 75 goals for the year to top the Association list, and starring across half forward in a 9.14 (68) to 5.9 (39) grand final defeat of Brunswick. 

Known by this time as 'Silver', because of his prematurely greying hair, Frank Caine spent two seasons with North before returning to the VFL in 1912, and linking up once more with former mentor Worrall, at Essendon. It was an auspicious return, as the Same Old went top, with Caine playing a key role at centre half forward in the Grand Final victory over South Melbourne. He spent another couple of seasons at Essendon and when he eventually retired had added 22 more VFL games and 33 goals to his respective tallies.

Author - John Devaney