THE Carlton Football Club has welcomed two new members into its prestigious Hall of Fame, with Lance Whitnall and Brent Crosswell proudly inducted on Friday at Etihad Stadium.

Established in 1987, the Hall of Fame recognises the contributions made to the Club by individuals throughout the course of its illustrious history. With the induction of Whitnall and Crosswell, a total of 79 greats of the game are now part of the Hall, 13 of whom have since earned Legend status.  

Whitnall joined Carlton in late 1996, having already forged a strong connection with the Club; his father Graeme played 66 matches for the Blues between 1974 and 1981. At just 17 years of age, the powerfully built forward made his AFL debut in the opening round of 1997 against Essendon, and such was his impact, earned a Rising Star nomination.

Over the course of his 216-game career, Whitnall earned All-Australian honours in 2000, was crowned the Club’s best and fairest in 2006 and captained the team in 2007.

Consistently showcasing his ability to hit the scoreboard, Whitnall – affectionately dubbed ‘Big Red’ – booted 348 majors and took out Carlton’s leading goalkicker for three consecutive years in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Crosswell is fondly remembered as one of the game’s best showmen. A key member of Carlton’s 1968 and 1970 premiership sides, Crosswell had the ability to win a game off his own boot and truly thrived on the big stage.

Plying his craft through the Barassi era, Crosswell completed his VFL senior debut in Round 1, 1968 against Geelong at Princes Park. Named the Club’s best first-year player in its drought-breaking premiership year, Crosswell would represent Carlton in 98 matches across eight seasons.

Departing in 1975, Crosswell turned to opportunities at North Melbourne (featuring in North’s historic ’75 and ’77 premiership teams) and later Melbourne, before retiring with a career total of 222 senior appearances to his name. 

Hailing from Campbell Town in the ‘Apple Isle’ and warmly known as ‘Tiger’, the keeper of the Blues’ No.17 jumper was inducted into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

Fittingly, Crosswell’s induction into the Carlton Football Club Hall of Fame coincided with the 50th anniversary reunion of the 1968 premiership team, with more than 21 players from the ’68 squad in attendance including universally acknowledged champions Alex Jesaulenko, Sergio Silvagni, John Nicholls and Garry Crane.