# 1958 Melbourne Carnival

The 1958 Melbourne Carnival was the 14th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian football interstate competition. It was the last carnival to be hosted by the state of Victoria and was also known as the Centenary Carnival as it celebrated 100 years since the creation of the sport.
For the first time since the 1950 Brisbane Carnival, all nine eligible teams in both Section 1 and Section 2 competed at the carnival. Section 1 consisted of two Victorian teams from the (VFL and VFA), South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania; Section 2 consisted of New South Wales, Canberra, Queensland and the Australian Amateurs. In 1953 and 1956, only the Section 1 teams had travelled for the carnival, but the ANFC decided to bring all nine teams to mark the centenary celebration.
Prior to the carnival, the ANFC announced that Section 1 was to be reduced from five teams to four teams for the following carnival (held Brisbane in 1961); the team which finished last in Section 1 was to be relegated to Section 2 for 1961.
The Carnival was held between 2 July and 12 July. Day matches were held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and night matches were held at the South Melbourne Cricket Ground. Overall, the ANFC made a loss of more than £11,000 on the carnival, similar in magnitude to the loss made on the previous nine-team carnival in 1950.

## Results

In Section 1, the Victoria (VFL) was the only undefeated team; forward John Dugdale was the carnival's leading goalkicker with 18. Western Australia and Tasmania each finished with records of 2–2; it was the most successful carnival result in Tasmania's history, with wins against both South Australia and Western Australia. Last place was decided in the match on 11 July, when South Australia's large win over the VFA saw the clubs equal on 1–3, and saw South Australia overtake the VFA on percentage.
In Section 2, the Australian Amateurs were undefeated. Canberra, which had contested the carnivals since 1933, recorded its first and second carnival wins of all-time. New South Wales was the only winless team for the carnival.
| | Section 1 | Section 1 | Section 1 | |
| Wednesday, 2 July | Victoria (VFA) 15.12 (102) | def. | Tasmania 13.16 (94) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 5,852) |
| Wednesday, 2 July (night) | Western Australia 11.12 (78) | def. | South Australia 7.18 (60) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 4,500) |
| Saturday, 5 July | Victoria (VFL) 25.17 (167) | def. | South Australia 7.7 (49) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 33,063) |
| Saturday, 5 July (night) | Tasmania 13.16 (94) | def. | Western Australia 11.12 (78) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 3,000) |
| Monday, 7 July | Tasmania 11.18 (84) | def. | South Australia 11.16 (82) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 2,760) |
| Monday, 7 July (night) | Victoria (VFL) 13.23 (101) | def. | Victoria (VFA) 7.10 (52) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 7,200) |
| Wednesday, 9 July | Western Australia 21.16 (142) | def. | Victoria (VFA) 11.8 (74) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 3,074) |
| Wednesday, 9 July (night) | Victoria (VFL) 25.14 (164) | def. | Tasmania 8.14 (62) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 3,500) |
| Friday, 11 July (night) | South Australia 16.15 (111) | def. | Victoria (VFA) 5.13 (43) | South Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 1,750) |
| Saturday, 12 July | Victoria (VFL) 14.13 (97) | def. | Western Australia 11.12 (78) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 23,238) |
| | Section 2 | Section 2 | Section 2 | |
| Thursday, 3 July | Queensland 11.18 (84) | def. | New South Wales 11.13 (79) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 1,874) |
| Thursday, 3 July | Australian Amateurs 18.15 (123) | def. | Canberra 9.15 (69) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 1,874) |
| Monday, 7 July | Canberra 12.10 (82) | def. | New South Wales 9.13 (67) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 2,760) |
| Wednesday, 9 July | Australian Amateurs 22.11 (143) | def. | Queensland 8.8 (56) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 3,074) |
| Friday, 11 July | Australian Amateurs 10.16 (76) | def. | New South Wales 9.12 (66) | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Saturday, 12 July | Canberra 18.11 (119) | def. | Queensland 4.5 (29) | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 23,238) |
CR: indicates that this match was a curtain-raiser; the crowd figure given is for the main match.

## Squads
### Section 1

Victorian Football League - 1st :
* Owen Abrahams | Graham Arthur | Allen Aylett | Ron Barassi | Reg Burgess | Jack Clarke | Bruce Comben | Len Crane | Bob Davis (captain) | Paul Dodd | John Dugdale | Brendan Edwards | Ray Gabelich | Fred Goldsmith | John James | Bob Johnson | Geoff Leek | Ron McDonald | Laurie Mithen | Kevin Murray | Neil Roberts | John Schultz | Bob Skilton | Harry Sullivan | Noel Teasdale | Ted Whitten (vice-captain) | Don Williams | Norm Smith (coach)
Western Australia - 2nd :
* Don Byfield | John Colgan | Jack Clarke (captain) | Graham Farmer (vice-captain) | Brian Foley | John Gerovich | Keith Harper | Cliff Hillier | Percy Johnson | Ross Kelly | Laurie Kettlewell | Bill Mose | Les Mumme | Tony Parentich | Roy Porter | Alan Preen | Ray Richards | Norm Rogers | Paul Seal | Ray Sorrell | John Todd | John Watts | Barry White | Barry Wilson | George Moloney (coach)
Tasmania - 3rd :
* Len Adams | Roy Apted | Darrel Baldock | Roger Chapman | Neil Conlan | Brian Eade | John Fitzallen | Don Fraser | Don Gale | Rex Garwood | Max Griffiths | Geoff Hill | Arthur Hodgson | John Leedham (captain)| Trevor Leo | Geoff Long | Brian Loring | George Mason | Colin Moore | Joe Murphy | Derek Parremore | Jeff Patterson | B. Pierce | Jim Ross (vice-captain) | Terry Shadbolt | Stuart Spencer | Bill Williams
South Australia - 4th :
* John Abley | Barry Barbary | Dave Boyd | Haydn Bunton, Jr. | Graham Christie | Stan Costello | Neil Davies (vice-captain)| Don Gilbourne | Ian Hannaford | Neville Hayes | Lindsay Head | Max Hewitt | Neil Kerley | Ron Kitchen | Don Lindner | Ken McGregor | Geof Motley | Dennis Rattigan | Ralph Rogerson | Brian Sawley | Ken Tierney | Ted Whelan | Fos Williams (captain)| Glyn Williams
Victorian Football Association :
* Bob Atkinson | Reg Backman | Frank Bourke | Bob Bonnett | Peter Box | Jack Brennan | Alan Carey | John Coughlan | Len Crane | Terry Devery | Jack Evans | Dick Evans | Len Gilder (vice-captain)| Alan Gooch | Doug Hayes | Lin Huntington | Reg Lewis | Colin Love | Brian Manie | Barry Metcalfe | Ken Ross (captain) | Kevin Symons | Jack Whiley | Kevin White | Bob Withers | Col Austen (coach)

### Section 2

Australian Amateurs :
* R. Bray (SA) | R. Burt (Vic) | A. Capes (Vic) | B. Dickson (SA) | R. Drew (WA) | L. Eborall (WA) | L. Eldering (Vic) | R. Featherby (WA) | D. Goldsmith (Tas) | L. Grant (Vic) | R. Hewitt (vice-captain, SA) | Geoff Hibbins (captain, Vic) | Ian Law (Vic) | K. Miles (WA) | J. Nelson (Vic) | R. Omond (Tas) | A. Pinkus (Vic) | R. Powell (SA) | R. Price (WA) | B. Rundle (SA) | B. Seppelt (SA) | N. Stokes (Vic) | K. Taylor (Tas) | J. Winneke (Vic) | Ray Martin (coach)
Canberra :
* Warren Barnes | Alex Bradley | Barry Browning | Peter Curtis | Pat Galvin | Mick Gaughwin | Ian Grigg (vice-captain) | Alan Hawke | Harry Heinrich | Ray Hincksman | Tony Irvine | John Moody | Alan Muir | Jim Muir | Ron Paton | Alan Ray | David Reid | Neil Robson | Alan Rogers | Gerry Walsh (captain) | Graham Werner | John Wheeler | Mal Wheeler | Ken Williams | Roy Williams | Ray Donellan (coach)
Queensland :
* T. Broadbent | J. Conlon | R J. Crosthwaite | R. Drabble | E. Ellison | B. Fallis | T. A. Gear (vice-captain) | B.G. Greinke | K.J. Grimley | K. Handley | R.E. Hughson | K.T. Hurley | L. D. Jewell | P.J. Kelly | K. Leach | A. McGill | N.B. McGuinness | D.J. Mclvor | Norm Reidy (captain and coach) | I. Richardson | A. Stewart | S. Thompson | G. Totton | R. Verdon
New South Wales :
* Lionel Byrnes | Phil Campbell | Jack Chester | Donald Clisby | Jerry Davidson | Jack Dean | Neil Dunn | Billy Free | Brian Groundwater | John Harding (vice-captain) | Doug Hoare | Neville Keating | Allan Kelly |Jack Kuschert | Peter Kuschert | Kev Little | Alf Penno (captain) | Noel Rickard | Brian Rontaunay | Keith Schow | Greg Schroder | Alison Terrell | Malcom Thomson | Brian Wells

## All-Australian team

In 1958 the All-Australian team was picked based on the Melbourne Carnival.
1958 All-Australian Team
Melbourne Carnival :
| Name | State/League | Club |
| John Abley | South Australia | Port Adelaide |
| Donald Gale | Tasmania | Wynyard |
| Jim Ross | Tasmania | North Launceston |
| Stuart Spencer | Tasmania | Clarence |
| Barry Metcalfe | Victoria (VFA) | Mordialloc |
| Owen Abrahams | Victoria | Fitzroy |
| Allen Aylett | Victoria | North Melbourne |
| Ron Barassi | Victoria | Melbourne |
| Reg Burgess | Victoria | Essendon |
| Jack Clarke | Victoria | Essendon |
| Bob Davis | Victoria | Geelong (captain) |
| John Dugdale | Victoria | North Melbourne |
| Kevin Murray | Victoria | Fitzroy |
| Neil Roberts | Victoria | St Kilda |
| Ted Whitten | Victoria | Footscray |
| Jack Clarke | Western Australia | East Fremantle |
| Graham Farmer | Western Australia | East Perth |
| Alan Preen | Western Australia | East Fremantle |
| Norm Rogers | Western Australia | East Fremantle |
| Ray Sorrell | Western Australia | East Fremantle |

## Tassie Medal

Both Allen Aylett and Ted Whitten polled seven votes but Aylett was awarded the medal after a countback. Whitten was declared joint winner retrospectively in 1995.