Tom Carroll (born 14 October 1939) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Nicknamed 'Turkey Tom' because of his family's turkey farm near Ganmain in the Riverina region and was playing full forward for Ganmain in 1956 and kicked over 100 goals in 1960 for Ganmain and initially played with Carlton on six day permits in 1961. Carroll was the first Carlton player since Harry Vallence to lead the VFL's goalkicking at the end of a home-and-away season, scoring 54 goals in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

and later being awarded the Coleman Medal after it was decided that the medal should be retrospectively given to the VFL leading goalkickers in the home-and-away season dating back to 1955. Carroll led Carlton's goalkicking again in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

, and played a key part in a dramatic finals campaign which involved a Preliminary final draw and an infamously narrow escape in the replay against to qualify for the

1962 VFL Grand Final The 1962 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1962. It was the 65th annual Grand Final ...

against . Carroll had a day to forget, being held goalless as the Bombers dashed out to an early lead at quarter time and won easily. Carroll's VFL career came to a premature end, deciding to return to the family farm after the

1963 VFL season The 1963 VFL season was the 67th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 20 April until 5 October, and comprised an 18- ...

at the age of 24. Carroll was the leading goalkicker in the South West Football League (New South Wales) in 1964 (102) goals and 1965 (98) goals, with Ganmain Football Club. He was their captain-coach from 1964 to 1966 and were premiers in 1964 and 1965. In 1988 he moved with his three children to Albury, where he worked as a plant operator with the Albury Council and coached North Albury's Under 18 football team. He is the younger brother of Laurie Carroll and an uncle of former captain,

Dennis Carroll Dennis Carroll (born 7 November 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was the last South Melbourne player to retire for Sydney. From Ganmain, a small town o ...

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Tom Carroll
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BlueseumVision of Tom Carroll playing for Carlton
1939 births Living people Australian rules footballers from New South Wales Carlton Football Club players Coleman Medal winners {{AFL-bio-1930s-stub