Tom Eldridge
Carlton
AFL career
7 games1 goals
- Debut
- R9 1946 v GEE17 June 1946
- Most recent
- R4 1947 v FSC10 May 1947
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Carlton District, Tom Eldridge was a promising talent whose early career was interrupted by World War II, seeing him serve with the 59th Battalion in New Guinea where he was wounded in action. He returned to Princes Park in early 1946 and was immediately thrust into the senior lineup, debuting at full-forward against Geelong. However, breaking into a formidable Carlton side—which had won the 1945 flag and would win another in 1947—proved difficult; after managing just one goal on debut, he spent the bulk of his brief VFL tenure effectively as a reserve, starting most of his subsequent games on the bench as the 19th man. Seeking regular field time, Eldridge crossed to Yarraville in the VFA without a formal clearance, where he eventually established himself as a key leader and captained the club in the early 1950s.
Profile
- Born
- 22 Sept 1923
- Died
- 18 Jan 2006 (aged 82y 118d)
- Height
- 182 cm
- Weight
- 72 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Carlton District, Tom Eldridge was a promising talent whose early career was interrupted by World War II, seeing him serve with the 59th Battalion in New Guinea where he was wounded in action. He returned to Princes Park in early 1946 and was immediately thrust into the senior lineup, debuting at full-forward against Geelong. However, breaking into a formidable Carlton side—which had won the 1945 flag and would win another in 1947—proved difficult; after managing just one goal on debut, he spent the bulk of his brief VFL tenure effectively as a reserve, starting most of his subsequent games on the bench as the 19th man. Seeking regular field time, Eldridge crossed to Yarraville in the VFA without a formal clearance, where he eventually established himself as a key leader and captained the club in the early 1950s.