Career : 1953-55, 1957-60
Debut : Round 6, 1953 vs Hawthorn, aged 22 years, 179 days
Carlton Player No. 670
Games : 87
Goals : 113
Last Game : Round 18, 1960 vs South Melbourne, aged 29 years, 268 days
Guernsey No. 5
Height : 187 cm (6 ft. 1 in.)
Weight : 83 kg (13 stone, 1 lb.)
DOB : 2 December, 1930
Leading Goalkicker: 1957
Club Secretary: 1964-1969
Navy Blue to the core, Gerald Burke was a versatile and valuable player for the Carlton Football Club in seven of the eight seasons between 1953 and 1960. Although absent for a year coaching in 1956, he returned to Princes Park in 1957 and became an early mentor to a young John Nicholls in Carlton’s ruck. Five years after Burke’s retirement from the field, he became Secretary of the club laying the foundation for decades of future succes, and later still, became an incisive and popular radio commentator.
‘Burkie’ had a long football apprenticeship at Princes Park, which began when he joined Carlton’s Under 19 squad in 1949 and celebrated a Premiership with them that same year after being recruited from Carlton Stars (Sunday League). The following season he moved up into the Reserves team, and in 1953 – the year he made his debut in the Carlton seniors – he experienced the thrill of playing in the curtain-raiser on Grand Final day at the MCG. At full-forward, he kicked three goals as the Blues’ Reserves defeated their Essendon counterparts to win a second-successive minor grade Premiership under the astute coaching of club great Jim Francis.
At senior level, Burke showed himself as a capable key forward. He was good reader of the play and knew how to find space, but his endurance and strong hands made him equally valuable as a follower, or second ruckman. As his career developed, he was often used as an alternative full-forward – playing out of the pocket, but leading into space when the designated spearhead ran the opposition full-back well up the ground. A generally reliable set shot for goal, he kicked 27 majors in 25 games between 1953 and ’56, then surprised by accepting a lucrative offer to captain-coach ACT club Manuka for the 1956 season.
For unknown reasons, Burke’s spell in the Canberra competition lasted only one season, and in 1957 he was back at Princes Park to be reunited with Jim Francis, who had been appointed senior coach of the Blues while Burke was with Manuka. It was also at that time that a big, chubby 17 year-old from Maryborough named John Nicholls began his career with the Blues.
Burke enjoyed his best season with Carlton in 1957. While sharing the ruck duties with his captain Ken Hands, Graham Donaldson and Nicholls, he also resumed his role up forward - kicking 34 goals in 17 games - to win Carlton’s leading goal-kicker award. More importantly perhaps, his consistent and creative work around the ground saw him placed fourth overall in the club Best and Fairest award. Carlton made the finals for the first time in five years, only to fall to Hawthorn in the first Semi Final.
Burke played on for another three seasons afterwards, but had to wait until 1959 for another taste of finals football. Carlton wound up second on the ladder to Essendon, and made it through to a Preliminary Final clash with the Bombers on a miserably cold and wet day at the MCG. Essendon led by 4 points at half time, 6 points at the last break, and held on to beat the Blues by 7. Nicholls and Burke combined in Carlton’s ruck, and gave their all.
Burke played his last senior match for Carlton against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval in round 18, 1960. Carlton won by 15 points, but missed out on a place in the finals after a disappointingly patchy season. By then, as he hung up his number 5 guernsey for the last time, ‘Burkie’ could look back on a creditable career of 87 games and 113 goals – but he wasn’t yet finished at Princes Park.
Gerald became Club Secretary in 1964 and held the position for 6 years during a transformative time for the club. During this time he oversaw the introduction of Ron Barassi and a new committee and the construction of the Carlton social club which became a vital part of the club for several decades. Burke's steady hand laid the foundation of the club's success through the 1970s and 1980s. He held the post until 1969, when health problems led to his resignation. Later, he became a football commentator with Melbourne radio station 3KZ, and was a familiar voice to thousands of listeners every weekend for many years.
But perhaps Burkie’s proudest moment came in July, 1981, when his strapping son Rohan ran down the race at Princes Park and out on to the field to play his first senior game for the Old Dark Navy Blues. Built much like his father, but more of a tough-nut defender, Rohan eventually played 18 matches for Carlton, in a career blighted by a troublesome knee injury.
Burke passed away on the 24th June, 1994 aged 63.
1965 Carlton Football Club Annual Report wrote:
If the Committee had been called upon to pay in overtime for all the extra hours worked by your Secretary, we would have been in difficulty finding money to field a team. Carlton are indeed fortunate to have found a man of a calibre and dedication shown by Gerald Burke this year, and my only concern is that his health will stand the effort he is contributing to the job.
George Harris: 1966 CFC Annual Report wrote:
The day to day administration of the club has again been carried out in an extremely capable and competent manner by your Secretary, Gerald Burke. This, however forms only a part of the enormous contribution made by your Secretary to the overall administration of the club. To find somebody prepared to devote the unbelievable amount of time to club activities, when after all, this to him is a job, I would never have thought possible and the heartfelt thanks of all of us go to Gerald in this regard.
Addendum
Gerald Burke played a vital role in what would later become the centre square. In the 1966 season he assisted coach Ron Barassi with negotiations with the Fitzroy football club to introduce a "centre square or rectangle" to restrict the number of player surrounding the centre bounce.
The first experiment in Round 14, 1966 was a success and got the attention of the VFL.
It was not until another attempt between the same teams in Round 10, 1971 that the VFL decided to bring the new rule into place. This lead to the introduction of the centre diamond (later centre square) in 1973.
Gerald Burke Supervising the first ever centre square in football
Milestones
50 Games: Round 11, 1958 Vs Footscray100 Goals: Round 12, 1959 Vs Essendon
Career Highlights
1949 - U/19's Premiership1949 - U/19's Most Improved Player
1953 - Reserves Premiership