Adelaide Hawk wrote:blueandwhite wrote:Bill Bennett
Bill Bennett is an interesting one. He played only 11 games for Carlton over three seasons and played in their 1968 Premiership team.
He went off the radar for a few year then appeared in the South Adelaide team in 1972. I remember his as a real hard player with considerable skills. I recall him really putting the wind up Phil Carman one day at Adelaide Oval and it was perhaps the first signs that Fabulous Phil could be put of his game with physical intimidation.
What more can you tell me about Bennett?
As you say Bennett was recruited from Carlton, and was a preimership player with them.He was something of a footy nomad, I believe he has a pub in outback Queensland now. He was probably 6'1" ,built like a brick outhouse and in nearly 50 yrs of watching sanfl I would say he was in the toughest 2-3 players I've seen. Carman would indeed probably never forget him. I was at the game at Adelaide ,South got off to a flyer and Bennett booted 4 in the first Quarter.Carman who was playing his 2nd or 3rd game was switched onto him and decided to try and rough Bennett up a bit- this was probably the first of many poor decisions Carman made in his career. Carman was assisted from the ground with the help of the several trainers.
Bennett was a very scary looking bloke, he had a crew cut,mean deep set eyes, half of one ear missing and as a result of a car accident was left with one leg slightly longer than the other.Mean as custard and tough as teak, and the panther faithful loved him.
I was only a young lad when he played but he lived alone in a flat near me, often my mates and I would be kicking a footy in nearby park and he would walk through, drop his bag and have a kick with us- top bloke.
