Brian Carlson
![]() Carlson in 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Wyoming, New South Wales,Australia | 12 February 1933|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 14 April 1987 Newcastle, New South Wales | (aged 54)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 13 st 9 lb (87 kg)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Fullback,Centre,Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Brian Patrick Carlson(12 February 1933 – 14 April 1987) was an Australian professionalrugby leaguefootballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He was acentre& utility back for theAustralia national team.He played in 17 Tests and 6 World Cup games between 1952 and 1961, as captain on 2 occasions. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.[4]
Playing career
[edit]Carlson was a naturally gifted athlete raised inNewcastle, New South Wales.He represented at district juniorcricket,played 1st Grade cricket with the Wickham club in Newcastle, and was also a surf lifesaving competitor. After playing rugby league at school he was graded by theNewcastle Rugby League's Norths club in 1951.
When the1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealandsaw the powerfulFrance national teamcome through Newcastle, 18-year-old Carlson was selected to play for theNewcastle teamagainst them.
In 1952 he scored two tries on representative debut forCountry Firsts.He represented forNew South Walesthat same season againstQueenslandin the 2nd game of the interstate series, and then against the touringNew Zealanders.
He was selected in the 1952–53Kangaroo touras awing.He played in two Tests against England, one against France and in sixteen minor tour games. He was highest try-scorer on the tour returning with a tally of twenty-nine. In 1954 a rib injury rupturing his kidney threatened both his career and his life. He was close to death but recovered and sat out the 1955 season to recuperate. He returned to the field in 1956 and 1957 accepting positions asplayer-coachfirstly with Souths Newcastle then withBlackall, Queensland.
He was selected in the1957 World Cupsquad despite not being contracted to a club, having left Blackall in dispute over a release.[5]This return to representative rugby league at age 24 saw him rise to new heights. He played in three matches of the tournament, was top scorer with 28 points and named "Player of the 1957 World Cup". During the World Cup, Carlson also became the first Australian fullback to score a try in an international match when he scored in Australia's 26–9 win overFranceat theSydney Cricket Ground(he also kicked 7 goals during the game).[6]He also played in all three Tests in 1957 against the visiting Great Britain side.
Carlson signed a contract with theNorth Sydney Bearswhere he would stay for six years.
In 1959 Carlson played in the New South Wales loss to Queensland that attracted 35,261 spectators, smashing Brisbane's previous record for an interstate match of 22,817.[7]He was then named Australian captain in the first Test of 1959 against New Zealand. He toured with the 1959–60 Kangaroos playing in 24 matches including two Tests and was the tour's second highest scorer behindKeith Barneshis selection rival for the fullback position.
He was the leading point scorer for Australia in the1960 World Cup.His second honour as Australian captain came in the first Test of the 1961 tour of New Zealand.Keith Barneswas the Kangaroo captain for the 11 matches between Carlson's captaincy appearances.
Carlson captain North Sydney in the1961and1962 NSWRFL seasons,the latter being his last in the premiership.
He returned to Newcastle's Souths club in 1963 as captain-coach for three seasons.
Post-playing
[edit]After retiring from playing Carlson worked in Newcastle as a tally clerk on the wharves. He died in 1987.
In 2005 Carlson was inducted into theAustralian Rugby League Hall of Fame.[8]In August 2006 he was named at fullback in the North Sydney Bears'Team of the Century.
In 2007 Carlson was selected by a panel of experts as a winger in an Australian 'Team of the 50s'.[9]
In February 2008, Carlson was named in the list of Australia's100 Greatest Players(1908–2007) which was commissioned by theNRLandARLto celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.[10]
In 2010 Carlson was named in a South Newcastle team of the century.[11]
Representative matches played
[edit]Team | Matches | Years |
---|---|---|
New South Wales | 15 | 1952–1959 |
Queensland | 4 | 1957 |
Australia | 23 | 1952–1961 |
References
[edit]- ^ab"1960 World Cup Match".i.ebayimg.com.ebay.Retrieved17 September2016.
- ^Rugby League Project.Rugby League Project. Retrieved on 15 July 2018.
- ^Brian Carlson.yesterdayshero.com.au.
- ^Century's Top 100 PlayersArchived25 February 2008 at theWayback Machine
- ^2005 Annual ReportArchived5 July 2009 at theWayback Machine–Australian Rugby League(p. 51)
- ^1957 RLWC – Australia vs France at Rugby League Project.Rugbyleagueproject.org (22 June 1957). Retrieved on 2018-07-15.
- ^Goodman, Tom (28 May 1959)."Queensland beats N.S.W. in league by 17–15".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved11 December2011.
- ^Australian Rugby League Hall of FameArchived18 November 2006 at theWayback Machine
- ^AAP (1 August 2007)."Team of the 50s named".The Daily Telegraph.Australia:News Limited.Retrieved6 October2010.
- ^"Centenary of Rugby League – The Players".NRL&ARL.23 February 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 26 February 2008.Retrieved23 February2008.
- ^Leeson, John (14 June 2010)."Souths honour greatest players".The Newcastle Herald.Retrieved30 December2011.
Sources
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Brian Carlson at northsydneybears.com.au
- Whiticker, Alan (2004)Captaining the Kangaroos,New Holland, Sydney
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006)The ABC of Rugby LeagueAustn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
- 1933 births
- 1987 deaths
- Australia national rugby league team captains
- Australia national rugby league team players
- Australian rugby league players
- New South Wales rugby league team players
- Queensland rugby league team players
- Northern Suburbs Blues players
- North Sydney Bears players
- Rugby league wingers
- Rugby league centres
- Rugby league fullbacks
- Rugby league players from Gosford, New South Wales
- Newcastle rugby league team players
- South Newcastle Lions players