Don McIntyre

Recruited from Pakenham after commencing his career as a country schoolteacher, Don McIntyre established himself as one of the league’s most reliable defenders during a golden era for Carlton. Although born in Geelong and raised on the terraces of Corio Oval, he found his footballing home at Princes Park, where he made the back pocket his own. Noted for his consistency rather than flashiness, McIntyre was a pivotal cog in the Blues' defence, earning the club's Best and Fairest award in 1937 and drawing praise from administrators as the finest player in his position across the competition.

His time in navy blue peaked during the 1938 season, where he played a crucial role in breaking Carlton's 23-year premiership drought with a famous Grand Final victory over Collingwood. McIntyre played exactly 100 games for the club, a milestone that effectively marked the end of his footballing journey as the Second World War intervened. He traded his guernsey for a flight suit, serving as a RAAF pilot in New Guinea, and later became a revered figure at the club as the last surviving member of the historic 1938 premiership side.