Bruce Doull
Encyclopedia
Bruce Doull is a former Australian rules football
player who played for the Carlton Football Club
.
Wearing guernsey number 11 and nicknamed the "Flying Doormat" due to the matted appearance of the constantly disarranged long portions of his extreme "comb over
" hairstyle. He was recruited from Jacana at the age of 19 as a half-back flanker. Doull was a safe mark, a dependable kick and a footballer who rarely made a mistake.
Doull, shy and extremely reserved, did not give interviews and always preferred to stay in the background. He won Carlton's Best & Fairest in 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1984 and played in four Carlton premiership sides – 1972, 1979, 1981 and 1982, winning the Norm Smith Medal
in 1981, and also played in the losing Grand Finals of 1973 and 1986. Doull was also a regular State of Origin representative. In 2009 The Australian
nominated Doull as one of the 25 greatest footballers never to win a Brownlow Medal
.
He is often remembered as being harassed by Carlton scarf-wearing streaker
Helen D'Amico in the 1982 Grand Final
between Carlton
and Richmond
. This incident was the focus of a recent installment of the Toyota Memorable Moments
advertisement, and is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport
Doull's trademark was his greying beard and the navy blue and white headband with which he kept his thinning long hair in place. Never reported by the umpires for foul play, he was noted for his determination to play the ball rather than the man, rare in an era of occasionally brutal clashes.
Only once did he appear to lose his temper. In a match against Essendon played late in his career, in 1983 a frustrated Cameron Clayton
snatched off his ancient, faded headband and threw it into the crowd at Waverly Park. Incensed, the lumbering Doull went berserk and threw his opponent to the ground and had to be dragged away from the clash by his team mates. This incident was also recreated in his Toyota Memorable Moments
advertisement, except that he remained his usual docile self when he was supposed to lose his temper. He also lost his temper after being hit in a night game against Hawthorn.
By the end of his career, he had played 356 games, then a club record, and since surpassed only by Craig Bradley
. Doull kicked just 22 goals over his 18-year career.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player who played for the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
.
Wearing guernsey number 11 and nicknamed the "Flying Doormat" due to the matted appearance of the constantly disarranged long portions of his extreme "comb over
Comb over
A comb over or combover is a hairstyle worn by bald or balding men in which the hair on one side of the head is grown long and then combed over the bald area to minimize the display of baldness. A variation of the comb over where baldness is concealed by long hair combed in three separate...
" hairstyle. He was recruited from Jacana at the age of 19 as a half-back flanker. Doull was a safe mark, a dependable kick and a footballer who rarely made a mistake.
Doull, shy and extremely reserved, did not give interviews and always preferred to stay in the background. He won Carlton's Best & Fairest in 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1984 and played in four Carlton premiership sides – 1972, 1979, 1981 and 1982, winning the Norm Smith Medal
Norm Smith Medal
The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
in 1981, and also played in the losing Grand Finals of 1973 and 1986. Doull was also a regular State of Origin representative. In 2009 The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
nominated Doull as one of the 25 greatest footballers never to win a Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
.
He is often remembered as being harassed by Carlton scarf-wearing streaker
Streaking
Streaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
Helen D'Amico in the 1982 Grand Final
1982 VFL Grand Final
The 1982 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Richmond Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1982. It was the 86th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
between Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
and Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
. This incident was the focus of a recent installment of the Toyota Memorable Moments
Toyota Memorable Moments
The Toyota Memorable Moments series is a series of television advertisements produced over several years for the Australian Football League by its major sponsor, Toyota....
advertisement, and is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport
Doull's trademark was his greying beard and the navy blue and white headband with which he kept his thinning long hair in place. Never reported by the umpires for foul play, he was noted for his determination to play the ball rather than the man, rare in an era of occasionally brutal clashes.
Only once did he appear to lose his temper. In a match against Essendon played late in his career, in 1983 a frustrated Cameron Clayton
Cameron Clayton
Cameron Clayton is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond, Melbourne and Essendon in the Victorian Football League ....
snatched off his ancient, faded headband and threw it into the crowd at Waverly Park. Incensed, the lumbering Doull went berserk and threw his opponent to the ground and had to be dragged away from the clash by his team mates. This incident was also recreated in his Toyota Memorable Moments
Toyota Memorable Moments
The Toyota Memorable Moments series is a series of television advertisements produced over several years for the Australian Football League by its major sponsor, Toyota....
advertisement, except that he remained his usual docile self when he was supposed to lose his temper. He also lost his temper after being hit in a night game against Hawthorn.
By the end of his career, he had played 356 games, then a club record, and since surpassed only by Craig Bradley
Craig Bradley
Craig Edwin "Braddles" Bradley is a former South Australian Australian rules footballer and first class cricketer. He is currently a part-time assistant coach at the Carlton Football Club, the club he represented 375 times in the VFL/AFL....
. Doull kicked just 22 goals over his 18-year career.