Pre VFL Captains

Pre-VFL Captains Of Carlton.
The Carlton Football Club has always played in the elite football competitions of the day.
Melbourne Rules 1864.
Challenge Cup Competition 1865-1876.
Victorian Football Association 1877-1896.
"In the Melbourne Sportsman 31st May there appears a very excellent portrait of Mr. Theophilis S. Marshall, the Secretary of the V.F.A., together with some highly eulogistic letterpress,
which that gentleman has fully and deservedly earned. At the same time the inditer thereof has fallen into error when he states that Mr. Marshall captained the Carlton Football Club
until Jack Conway assumed command.
Mr. Marshall may have been appointed captain in some odd match, when the regular captain was away; but prior to Jack Conway assuming command
the recognised captains of the Carlton Football Club were:-

Ben James, Henry Chadwick, Robert Richardson, James Byrne, James Horan, Frank Goodall, Dave Adamson, Robert McFarland, Frank Hillsden, J. C. Duncan, Thomas P. Power, "Lanty" O'Brien and Harry Guy.
(Mem, - In those days the captain was elected before each match - not for the season.)"

George F. Bowen former original Carlton player, writing as 'Olympus' in the Melbourne Punch June 09 1892 (p11)

Player	Years	No. of Years	Harry Chadwick*	1864 1865	2
Theophilis S. Marshall	1866	1
David Adamson	1867	1
Jack A. Conway	1868 1869 1870 1871	4
Jack Donovan	1872	1
George D. Kennedy	1873	1
Jack Donovan	1874	1 (2)
Harry Guy	1875	1
John Gardiner	1876 1877 1878 1879	4
George Robertson	1880 1881	2
William Goer	1882	1
R.H. "Dick" Frayne	1883	1
Jack Baker	1884 1885	2
Sam Bloomfield	1886	1
Tommy Leydin	1887 1888 1889	3
William "Billy" Strickland	1890	1
Jack Lorraine	1891	1
W."Bill" Walton	1892	1
Dan Hutchison	1893	1
Peter Williams	1894	1
Tom Blake	1895 1896	2

* In 1886 a newspaper article named Ben James as the first captain.
Click on his name or see 1886 August 21