BACK ROW: E.Kiernan (trainer), J.Baxter, E.Walsh, B.Side, M.Walsh, Colin Ridgway, Brian Buckley, Vic Garra, K.Smith, L.Rodgers.
CENTRE: J.Livingston, Bill Hoogen, Leon Berner, Harvey Dunn (Coach), G.Flint, Graeme Walker, Keith Taylor, R.Brennan.
FRONT: P.Sullivan, A.Clark, J.Crawford, Fitzgerald.
Coach: Harvey Dunn
Captain: TBD
Vice Captain: TBD
Best and Fairest: Alf Clarke
Position: 2nd
Premier: Footscray
Note: Alf Clarke also won the Morrish Medal for the fairest and best player in the VFL U/19's competition
Carlton were Runners-up in 1954, after a sensational finish to the Grand Final, see September 4 below.
U19 Players and Numbers.
As in the Football Record round one 1954.1. Arch, 2. Buckley, 3. M. Walsh, 4. N. Walsh, 5. Berner, 6. L. Smith, 7. Flint, 8. Clarke, 9. Cooper,
10. K. Smith, 11. Rogers, 12. Fitzgerald, 13. Taylor, 14. Swanston, 15. Disney, 16. Garra, 17. E. Smith, 18. Baxter, 19. McRoberts,
20. Side, 21. Livingstone, 22. Gordon, 23. McKeon, 24. Collis.
Numbers not allocated to;
Droop, Stubbs, Gook, Brown, Dalt-Smith, Hughes, Quix, Sullivan, Cann, Dobson, Thorton, Shaw, Huxtable, Bow, Agar.
Colin Ridgway
Colin Ridgway was the first Australian to play in the N.F.L. as a punter.Ridgway was originally an Olympic high jumper who competed at the 1956 Olympic Games and 1958 Commonwealth Games for Australia and won a bronze medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Ridgway started his football career playing U19's and Reserves for VFL team Carlton in the 1950′s before being recruited by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965 where he would play 3 games.
Colin was mysteriously gunned down in his University Park (Texas, U.S.A.) home in 1993 and to date, no arrests have been made and the case remains open.
Colin Ridgway is pictured in the U19 team photo at the top of this page. He is in the back row, fifth from the right.
April 17
Opening round of the season.
Carlton played South Melbourne
Carlton won; 13.6.84 - 10.7.67
Carlton fifth
Played 1, Won 1, Lost 0, For 84, Against 67, 125.4%, Points 4.
April 24
Carlton played Melbourne
Carlton won; 7.3.45 - 6.6.42
Carlton third
Played 2, Won 2, Lost 0, For 129, Against 109, 118.3%, Points 8.
May 1
Carlton played Richmond
Carlton lost; 6.15.51 - 8.6.54
Carlton fourth
Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, For 180, Against 163, 110.4%, Points 8.
May 8
Carlton played Footscray
Carlton lost; 8.7.55 - 9.4.58
Carlton eighth
Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2, For 235, Against 221, 106.3%, Points 8.
May 15
Carlton played Essendon
Carlton won; 6.10.46 - 1.10.16
Carlton fourth
Played 5, Won 3, Lost 2, For 281, Against 237, 118.6%, Points 12.
May 22
Carlton played Fitzroy
Carlton won; 7.10.52 - 3.6.24
Carlton fourth
Played 6, Won 4, Lost 2, For 333, Against 261, 127.6%, Points 16.
May 29
Carlton played Geelong
Carlton won; 8.11.59 - 4.13.37
Carlton third
Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, For 392, Against 298, 131.5%, Points 20.
June 5
Carlton played Collingwood
Carlton won; 10.15.75 - 7.6.48
Carlton fourth
Played 8, Won 6, Lost 2, For 467, Against 346, 135.0%, Points 24.
June 12
Carlton played Hawthorn
Carlton won; 7.16.58 - 1.8.14
Carlton third
Played 9, Won 7, Lost 2, For 525, Against 355, 147.9%, Points 28.
June 19
No matches
June 26
Carlton played North Melbourne
Carlton lost; 7.7.49 - 8.9.57
Carlton third
Played 10, Won 7, Lost 3, For 574, Against 412, 139.3%, Points 28.
July 3
Carlton played St.Kilda
Carlton won; 9.14.68 - 5.6.36
Carlton second
Played 11, Won 8, Lost 3, For 642, Against 448, 143.3%, Points 32.
July 10
Carlton played South Melbourne
Carlton won; 13.13.91 - 6.6.42
Carlton second
Played 12, Won 9, Lost 3, For 733, Against 490, 149.6%, Points 36.
July 17
Carlton played Melbourne
Carlton won; 8.12.60 - 6.4.40
Carlton second
Played 13, Won 10, Lost 3, For 793, Against 530, 149.6% Point 40.
July 24
No matches
July 31
Carlton played Richmond
Carlton won; 4.17.41 - 4.10.34
Carlton second
Played 14, Won 11, Lost 3, For 834, Against 564, 147.9%, Points 44.
August 7
Carlton played Footscray
Carlton won; 7.8.50 - 2.16.28
Carlton second
Played 15, Won 12, Lost 3, For 884, Against 592, 149.3%, Points 48.
August 14
Final round of the season.
Carlton played Essendon
Carlton won; 8.12.60 - 8.11.59
Carlton second
Played 16, Won 13, Lost 3, For 944, Against 651, 145.0%, Points 52.
August 19
Alf Clarke Carlton rover, won the 1954 Morrish Medal for best and fairest player in the U19 competition.
He polled 20 votes, 2 more than his nearest rival.
August 21
U19 Second Semi Final at M.C.G.
Carlton played Footscray
Umpire; R. Allinson
Carlton won; 12.6.78 - 9.8.62
Goals; Clarke 3, Berner 2, E. Walsh 2, Garra, Baxter, Arch, Graeme Walker, Buckley.
Best; Colin Ridgway, Hoogen, Brennan, Baxter, Alf Clarke, Rogers.
September 4
U19 Grand Final
Carlton played Footscray at Princes Park
Carlton team;
Backs; Livingstone, Rogers, Brian Buckley
Half backs; Smith, Flint, Brennan
Centres; Taylor, Bill Hoogen, Sullivan
Half forwards; Leon Berner, Sides, Graeme Walker
Forwards; Colin Ridgway, Vic Garra, Alf Clarke
Followers; M. Walsh, Baxter
Rover; E. Walsh
Reserves; from Crawford, Fitzgerald, McKeown, Gordon
Carlton lost; 7.6.48 - 7.9.51
Crowd; no details, but said to be a record crowd (probably 4,000) with takings of £119.
Umpire; R. F. Schwab
Goals; Vic Garra 3, Alf Clarke, Keith Taylor, Colin Ridgway, Walsh
Best; Vic Garra, Alf Clarke, Rogers, Keith Taylor, Sullivan
The field umpire Schwab failed to see the signal from the boundary umpire that the ball had gone out of bounds. Play continued and a free kick was paid from which Footscray scored a goal. The final siren soon sounded and Footscray were in front by 3 points.
The boundary umpire J. J. McNiff told the field umpire he had signalled the ball was out. Schwab said that the free kick cancelled out this decision.
A spectator jumped the fence and struck boundary umpire McNiff as he was retrieving the ball. He also struck boundary umpire D. Fitzgerald when he came in to assist.
Other supporters milled around field umpire Schwab. Secretary of the second eighteens Mr. Hambley went to the aid of the field umpire, but he was knocked down by the reserve umpire who did not recognise him.
One of the goal umpires Wally Dern, carrying a new spare ball fended off spectators by waving his flags at them. He put the ball on the ground, and while he was flag waving someone stole the new ball!
The crowd then gathered around the umpire's race and threats were made against Schwab.
D24 were then telephoned and two squad cars arrived, then the police escorted the umpire from the ground.
Boundary umpires John J. McNiff and Desmond Fitzgerald would take civil action against a senior Carlton footballer.
Carlton will not appeal the result and wants the matter investigated.
On September 18 The Argus reported that the senior Carlton footballer was George Stafford.
September 21 in the Carlton Court, Stafford who pleaded not guilty was fined £10 ($20.00) and ordered to pay £4/15/ ($9.50) costs.
For the Carlton Court finding click here> http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23444071
November 11 The Argus reported on the V.F.L. investigation into the matter. Stafford was disqualified for the first 4 matches of the 1955 season.
To read click here> http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23443307
Whistle While You Work
What resulted from this game?The VFL mandated that a whistle had to be carried by boundary umpires in all levels of football.
Prior to this incident, the boundary umpire signalled out-of-bounds to the field umpire by raising the arm which had a white wrist band or/plus a white piece of cloth attached.
Carlton club historian Tony De Bolfo writes about this match with former Carlton U19s player Graeme Walker
https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1598675/under-19s-1954-when-blues-lost-a-grand-final-and-boundaries-won-a-whistle