Weekly Times |
ON THE scoreboard, Tyntynder didn’t have much to celebrate on Saturday.
The Bulldogs, regular Central Murray league finalists, were demolished by premier Kerang by 23 goals and are on track for this year’s wooden spoon.
But the Tyntynder faithful turned out in droves to watch favourite son Brad “Charlie” Carroll clock up his 300th game in the red, white and blue.
Aside from a season with Carlton’s reserves in 2000 and another at Ultima in the Golden Rivers league in 2003, Carroll has spent his career at Swan Hill’s Alan Garden Memorial Reserve.
His highlights reel includes four senior flags — Tyntynder’s three-peat from 1997-99 and one at Ultima.
He captained Tyntynder’s under-13 flag in 1991 and was a member of the under-15 premiership side, before winning the Mid Murray best-and-fairest in 1995.
The 35-year-old has twice been named the Bulldogs’ best-and-fairest, and has booted 100 goals or more in six seasons, racking up more than 1650 goals.
But his scoring power has been curtailed this year, as he has been forced to play further up the field.
Carroll’s father, Rod, said the champion goalkicker still had “a couple more seasons left in him”.
“He’s been very lucky with injuries but he always prepares well; he loves training and he looks after himself,” Rod said.
