When Jezza first came to Carlton, it happily coincided with me attending every game. He was a half-forward-flanker then and noone knew much about him except for some very canny heads inside the Carlton Football Club. He had played for Eastlake in the ACT league and had only started playing footy when he was 15. That was about all we knew the wispy-haired kid wearing number 25. Well within about six games, he was a hero. The only similar impact I can remember a bloke having at Carlton in his first six to eight games was that Western Australian genius cum larrikin, Peter “The Buzz” Bosustow. Just as I can remember adopting the catchcry of “Bosustow” as the flawed genius pulled in another hanger or snapped a miracle goal, the same feeling came over me with the first days of Jezza. No player has given me more exhiliration than “The Jet”. He was quick, he was sharp, he was cool and he was just simply too good for any opponent thrown at him. Even Richmond’s Dick Clay – the number two full-back in the league at the time next to one Geoffrey Southby – could not stop Jezza and his lightning reflexes. After playing most of the year in the centre in 1972 where he gave Carlton tremendous drive, Jezza went to full-forward in the finals and kicked 4.10 in the preliminary against St Kilda and then seven straight on Clay. Clay was a shattered man after 1972 and if you watch the replay of that mighty victory, just look at Clay shake his head in disbelief when Jezza smothers his handpass, collects the ball and calmly dribbles it through for his final goal on that magnificent day in our club’s history.
But back to that historic day in the final round of 1970, the first time there were 22 rounds in a season. It was a fairly miserable day at the MCG and the Blues did not play well against Melbourne, which from memory was the wooden spooner that year. Still, more than 40,000 turned out – the AFL would kill for a crowd of 40,000 between Carlton and Melbourne at the ‘G nowadays – to see if Jezza could kick the five to become the first player in Carlton history to boot the ton. The funny thing was we didn’t really think about it all that much. Carlton is about team not individuals but then Jezza wan’t just any individual. But after three ground invasions when Jezza missed getting the magical ton, Adrian “Gags” Gallagher – first rover in our team of the century – came to the rescue with more than a little help from umpire Ray Sleeth. As esteemed author Tony De Bolfo wrote in his magnificent book – “Out Of The Blue” – Gallagher marked in the goal square and could run into an open goal when he heard Sleeth yell to him “Give it to Jezza”. The pass went no more than five yards onto Jezza’s chest and he finally created history by booting his 100th goal for the season. I remember running on to the ground but couldn’t get near my hero – in fact I think finished face down on the MGC turf – but I knew I had something special coming my way.
The next day a golden Spring sun hovered over the willows in the car park of the Cross Keys Hotel. It was September and the Blues were in yet another finals campaign. But on that golden Spring day I had only one thought in mind – seeing Jezza, who was the “Keys” bar manager. At one in the afternoon, in pulled his glorious gold Holden Premier – Holden’s luxury car of the time – and we pulled up just around the same time. It was serendipity indeed. Looking back, it was very amusing as Jezza barely had time to get out of his car as I raced to him as a young boy would to his childhood hero. Jezza laughed as I rained compliments on him and gave me the first of many of his crushing handshakes. I didn’t feel the pain – at least I made out I didn’t – as I was not going to let go of the great man’s hand which had played such a wonderful hand in my life. My father, an Essendon supporter – the only family member who dabbled in petty crime – made some good-natured wisecrack and I remember turning on him and saying: “He could beat your mob with one hand!” Sorry dad. You may have brought me into this world but Jezza illuminated the universe for me.