Leigh Carlson

Recruited from VFA club Preston, Leigh Carlson arrived at Victoria Park with a reputation as a prodigious schoolboy talent, having captained the All-Australian schoolboys team. A slight but skillful left-footer, he established himself as a wingman and half-forward who was easily recognisable by his long-sleeved guernsey and raking kick. Carlson became a regular fixture in the Magpies' senior side during the late 1970s, playing in the heartbreaking Grand Final losses of 1979 and 1980. Despite his contributions, he struggled to fully cement a permanent spot in the starting 18, often finding himself on the fringe of selection by the start of the 1981 season.

Carlson’s move to Fitzroy remains one of the more unusual transfer stories of the era. In May 1981, he played a senior game for Collingwood on a Saturday, a midweek night series game for the Magpies on the Tuesday, and then debuted for Fitzroy the following Saturday. He had been traded mid-season as the "circuit breaker" in a deal that sent Fitzroy captain Warwick Irwin to Collingwood, a move that initially left Carlson devastated. However, he quickly endeared himself to the Roys faithful with his work ethic and goal sense. He enjoyed the most consistent football of his career at the Junction Oval, playing in finals campaigns in 1981, 1983, and 1984 before returning to Preston.