Career : 1942
Debut and Only Game : Round 4, 1942 vs Fitzroy, aged 26 years, 242 days
Carlton Player No. 572
Goals: 0
Guernsey No. 20
Height : 183 cm (6 ft. 0 in.)
Weight : 83 kg (13 stone, 1 lb.)
DOB : September 30, 1915
Bob Standfield was born in Korumburra and originally recruited by Collingwood from Leongatha / Fish Creek. A young man with a deep desire to play VFL football, he spent almost two seasons with the Magpies in 1936 -’37 without cracking it for a senior game. Eventually, he left Victoria Park in frustration and went to Windy Hill, where he was welcomed by Essendon, and played 26 senior matches and kicked a single goal as a follower-defender in a three-year stay from 1938 to 1940.
In 1940, even though the outbreak of World War II brought about a player shortage, Standfield moved on again to VFA front-runners Brunswick. He also signed up for military duty, and would end the war having served in mainland Australia with both the Army and the Air Force.
Brunswick disappointed their many supporters in that turbulent season. VFA Premiers in 1938, and Grand Finalists again the following year, they nosedived in 1940 and were obviously out of flag contention by mid-year. Standfield was only one of a number of experienced players to depart from that unhappy club in the off-season, and in early 1942 the 26-year old turned up at Princes Park.
The Blues gave him another opportunity at senior level in round 4, 1942, when Carlton (eighth) played host to Fitzroy (third) at Princes Park. Playing as second ruck to Jack Bennett, with Ron Cooper roving, Standfield was rarely sighted when a slick Carlton team blasted out of the blocks and bolted away to a 23-point win with five goals to nil in the first quarter.
Although that was one of Carlton’s best wins of the year, Standfield lost his place in the team for round 5, and wasn’t able to force his way back before the season ended in a disappointing fifth place finish for the Blues. He left Princes Park sometime late in that year, and signed on with the Air Force in February, 1943. After that, he apparently only played football in services competitions, until he was finally discharged in January 1946.
Bob passed away on October 1, 1993 – the day after his 78th birthday.
In a footnote to the Standfield story, Bob’s younger brother Paul (born October 20, 1916) also made it to the elite level of our game. Between 1936 and 1940, he played 42 games and kicked 14 goals for Footscray.