bluehotel wrote:
Clarkson stole Aitkens career.
Absolutely he stole Aitken's career - who was as I mentioned voted Recruit of the Year in 1987.
Its ironic in a way that Aitken's career at Carlton was determined by post season exhibition games.
After the disasterous 1986 Grand Final where we were thumped by Hawthorn, we actually played a post season Exhibition Game against Hawrthorn in Canada (I think it was in the Toronto Superdome - which is essentially a baseball stadium) so on this elongated weird shaped ground - which as an interesting piece of trivia should be noted was the first time a game of AFL Footbal was played indoors - good bet winner if people say it was Docklands.
Anyway I digress - Aitken was a reserve player and was picked to play in this game and was put on Jason Dunstall and the Match Committee were very impressed with his efforts - which resulted in his debuting the following season in 1987 where he became regular fixture at Centre Half Back and part of the Premiership Side in his first season.
So in fact his career was kick started by a post-season exhibition game and essentially finished in a post-season exhibition game by that low life slug Alistair Clarkson.