Eric Huxtable

Hailing from Tasmania, Huxtable was a prodigiously talented defender who joined Carlton after dominating for New Town as a teenager. Dubbed "Untouchable Huxtable" by the press, he established himself as the Blues' defensive anchor throughout the 1930s, utilising his superior anticipation and marking power to quell the era's most dangerous forwards, including triple Brownlow Medallist Haydn Bunton Snr. Unlike many full-backs of the era who simply cleared the ball, Huxtable was an attacking weapon renowned for his booming drop kicks which regularly turned defence into attack. Despite his dominance and regular selection for Victoria, his time at Princes Park ended in heartbreak; a thumb injury sustained in the 1938 semi-final forced him to watch from the stands as Carlton broke a 23-year premiership drought.

His career appeared over when he left the VFL to coach in the country, but the outbreak of World War II facilitated an unusual return to the league. While enlisted in the RAAF, he was convinced by former teammate and South Melbourne coach Joe Kelly to pull on the boots for the Bloods, who were struggling to field a competitive side due to wartime enlistments. He provided experienced cover in the backline for two seasons with South Melbourne before eventually returning to grassroots football in Melbourne's western suburbs. A member of the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame, he remains remembered as one of the finest exponents of the drop kick in the game's history.