Mario Bortolotto

Hailing from Koondrook in country Victoria, Mario Bortolotto initially struggled to cement a regular senior spot, managing just 14 games in two seasons with Geelong before being delisted. He was thrown a career lifeline by Carlton, whose selectors specifically identified a need for a rugged, big-bodied defender to add steel to their premiership-contending backline. Bortolotto seized the opportunity, reinventing himself as a disciplined stopper capable of physically nullifying the opposition's most dangerous key forwards. His uncompromising approach and team-first attitude made him an instant cult hero at Princes Park, and despite a relatively short career, he retired as a dual premiership player, famously shutting down Richmond captain David Cloke in the 1982 Grand Final to help secure back-to-back flags.