Tom Carroll (born 14 October 1939) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the

Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's top professional competition. Founded in 1864 in Carlton, an inner suburb of Me ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL). Nicknamed 'Turkey Tom' because of his family's turkey farm near

Ganmain Ganmain is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Ganmain is located around north west of Wagga Wagga, and east of Narrandera. Ganmain is in the Coolamon Shire local government area and had a population at the 2016 ce ...

in the Riverina region and was playing full forward for Ganmain in 1956 and kicked over 100 goals in 1960 for Ganmain and initially played with Carlton on six day permits in 1961. Carroll was the first Carlton player since

Harry Vallence Henry Francis "Soapy" Vallence (4 June 1905 – 25 July 1991) was a champion Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the Victorian Football Association (VFA). He played at full forward for the VFL's Carlton Foo ...

to lead the VFL's goalkicking at the end of a home-and-away season, scoring 54 goals in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

and later being awarded the

Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. Goal may also refer ...

after it was decided that the medal should be retrospectively given to the VFL leading goalkickers in the home-and-away season dating back to 1955. Carroll led Carlton's goalkicking again in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, and played a key part in a dramatic finals campaign which involved a Preliminary final draw and an infamously narrow escape in the replay against to qualify for the

1962 VFL Grand Final The 1962 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1962. It was the 65th annual Grand Final o ...

against . Carroll had a day to forget, being held goalless as the Bombers dashed out to an early lead at quarter time and won easily. Carroll's VFL career came to a premature end, deciding to return to the family farm after the

1963 VFL season The 1963 VFL season was the 67th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 20 April until 5 October, and comprised an 18- ...

at the age of 24. Carroll was the leading goalkicker in the

South West Football League (New South Wales) The South West District Football League was a major Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 until 1981 in the Riverina region of New South Wales. History The first recorded Australian Rules Football match in the Riverina area wa ...

in 1964 (102) goals and 1965 (98) goals, with Ganmain Football Club. He was their captain-coach from 1964 to 1966 and were premiers in 1964 and 1965. In 1988 he moved with his three children to

Albury Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...

, where he worked as a plant operator with the Albury Council and coached North Albury's Under 18 football team. He is the younger brother of Laurie Carroll and an uncle of former captain, Dennis Carroll.

References

External links

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Tom Carroll
a
BlueseumVision of Tom Carroll playing for Carlton
1939 births Living people Australian rules footballers from New South Wales Carlton Football Club players Coleman Medal winners {{AFL-bio-1930s-stub