TYNTYNDER have a rich history of footballers throughout the years and in the modern era one man typifies the Bulldog spirit more than any other.
Favourite son Brad “Charlie” Carroll notched his 350th senior game in the red, white and blue last weekend against Koondrook-Barham.
The 39-year-old has booted 100 goals or more in six seasons, racking up more than 1750 goals.
A modest Carroll never thought he would be one of the league’s elder statesmen.
“I never thought of playing that many games when I started playing,” he told The Guardian.
“I haven’t really thought about it, it’s really snuck up on me.
“I suppose it’s quite an effort to play so many games at the one club.”
Starting at the club at the age of seven with a strong family pedigree as a third-generation player, Carroll started his junior days in the midfield, where he was captain and a best and fairest winner of the Under-13’s side in 1991.
After also securing a flag in Tyntynder’s 1993 Under-15’s team, it was his progression to the Under-17’s where he found his true calling on the footy field.
“I started playing centre-half forward when I started playing in the Under-17’s,” he said.
“I just grew a bit and they just needed a player there, so tried me there and I’ve stood there ever since.”
After reaching his 300th game in 2014, he joined his parents and grandfather as a life member of the club.
The highlights of his time at Tyntynder have been the three-peat of premierships the club won from 1997-99, and something he now holds even dearer to his heart.
“They mean a lot more to me now than when I first won them because it’s been such a long time (since we’ve won one) and they were my first premierships in the first five years and haven’t played one at Tyntynder since,” he said.
“They become a lot more special as you get older and while there are a few other older boys playing in the side with me, none of the boys I played with, especially in those premierships, are still playing.
“A few are still around the club, but not playing anymore.”
There were a few years where the top Dog was led astray where he began to chase an AFL dream in 2000, playing with the Carlton reserves, before keeping a schoolyard promise with friends during a premiership season with Ultima in 2003.
“I went down and had a bit of a training run with St Kilda in their rookie squad. That didn’t work out, but a bloke from Carlton gave me a call to see if I wanted to go on their supplementary list. I went there for a few years,” he said.
“At Ultima, one of my good mates was coaching out there and we always said at school we would try and get a few of us together playing for a year. So I went out there for a year.”
