Former Carlton Blues president John Elliott has died 10 days earlier his 80th birthday.
The quality was archetypal confirmed by his son, 3AW vigor big Tom Elliott, connected Thursday night.
"It is with large sadness that we denote the decease of John Dorman Elliott," helium said.
"He died Thursday evening astatine the Epworth Hospital successful Richmond aft a abbreviated illness.
"Dad volition beryllium greatly missed by his 4 children Tom, Caroline, Edward and Alexandra. Their children Henry, Sebastian, India, Ava, Lottie and Mathilda volition retrieve everlastingly their 'Grandpa Jack'.
"Also successful mourning are John's member Ross, sister-in-law Jenny, erstwhile spouse Joanne and 2nd woman Amanda. They are joined successful grief by galore nieces, nephews, grandchildren and different adjacent relatives. Vale Dad."
Elliott was the erstwhile Federal President of the Liberal Party and was Blues president for a grounds 20 years, starring the nine to 2 premierships successful 1987 and 1995.
"I'm genuinely successful shock. I knew John was battling with his health, but I thought the large antheral would unrecorded forever," erstwhile Carlton skipper Stephen Kernahan, who was a portion of those Premiership-winning sides, said of Elliott.
"He was a loved antheral and helium was precise bully to Carlton people. He whitethorn person polarised a few, but immoderate radical thought of him determination was nary doubting his emotion for the Carlton Football Club."
In a lengthy obituary from Carlton posted connected their website, Elliott was described arsenic its "longest-serving president and possibly its astir polarising".
THE OBITUARY FROM CARLTON FC ON JOHN ELLIOTT
"Elliott, the erstwhile Federal President of the Liberal Party erstwhile touted arsenic a aboriginal Australian Prime Minister, was the unmistakable look of Carlton done a grounds 20-year presidency which surpassed Sir Kenneth Luke's 18 years successful office," the connection read.
"Replacing Ian Rice arsenic President astatine the process extremity of the back-to-back Premiership seasons of 1981 and '82, the autocratic Elliott and his committee of directors presided, for the astir part, implicit a play of on-field and off-field prosperity.
"Immortalised arsenic the cigarette-smoking, scotch-swilling 'Rubbery Figure', the larger-than-life Elliott saw his beloved Blues triumph successful the Grand Finals of 1987 and '95 – the second affording the nine its 16th portion of silverware, astatine the clip much than immoderate other.
"On Elliott's watch, a caller grandstand bearing his sanction was built by the north-eastern helping to cater for the firm heavyweights of the state who'd importantly contributed financially to the nine done 'The President's Men' – a coterie personally championed by Elliott, the one-time caput of Elders and the Foster's Group.
"On matchday luncheons, Elliott would invited shot identities and VIPs to his dominion, past instrumentality his spot astatine his designated seating country successful premier presumption for the archetypal bounce. There he'd unfastened the sliding glass, airy a cigarette, and instrumentality large pleasance successful flicking the ash onto the heads of unsuspecting absorption supporters filing past connected the concourse below.
"In the contiguous aftermath of a stirring Blues victory, much often than not backmost then, Elliott would pb Members successful a rousing rendition of the club's taxable song, implicit clinking brew glasses connected the archetypal level of the Carlton Social Club (George H. Harris Stand). Just arsenic the players of his time could locomotion the walk, 'Big Jack' talked the talk.
"In 1994, Elliott was enactment to negotiations for the ground's naming rights statement with the communications conglomerate Optus - which successful crook afforded Carlton the fiscal wherewithal to physique the Legends Stand astatine the Garton Street extremity of the ground.
"Under Elliott, Carlton furthered its estimation arsenic a powerhouse some connected and disconnected the tract – "the champion successful the business" arsenic helium proudly declared with genuine conviction.
"But his presidency would yet extremity successful ignominy with his resignation connected Remembrance Day 2002 - connected the precise time the nine was archetypal charged by the AFL for amerciable subordinate payments - and connected the extremity of a play successful which his beloved Blues became the past of the VFL's instauration clubs to instrumentality the woody spoon.
"Elliott claimed helium had nary cognition of immoderate rorting. In the end, his moniker was removed from the grandstand and renamed the Carlton Heroes Stand arsenic a people of respect to the shot nine Members who wage disconnected the club's League-imposed wage headdress fines which totalled astir $1million.
"Fiercely committed to his nine and generous to a responsibility with his players, Elliott recovered loyalists successful the likes of Kernahan and Koutoufides, but helium besides recovered enemies successful others.
"Never 1 to shirk an issue, helium besides took the combat to rival entities and the game's governing body. In clubland for example, helium insisted that Essendon beryllium stripped of its 1993 Grand Final triumph implicit Carlton arsenic punishment for its ain wage headdress discrepancies.
"As for metropolis hall, Elliott champion voiced his disproval erstwhile helium memorably declared: "No-one barracks for the AFL . . . they barrack for Carlton and Collingwood".
"In September 1984, Elliott convened a clandestine gathering of VFL nine Presidents astatine his Mt Macedon retreat Sefton, astatine which the conception of a breakaway Super League contention was discussed.
"The conception ne'er gained traction, but the information that the gathering took spot reflected the presumption of a fig of nine Presidents of the time that the VFL had adopted a "Big Brother" attack to what had go the shot business.
"To the extremity of his Presidency helium was astatine warfare with the League and its commissioners – a warfare that helium (and by relation his club) yet lost. He ne'er forgave the AFL commissioner for conveying by mode of a phonecall the demise of Princes Park arsenic a League venue aft 118 years.
"Through the acheronian winters of the 20th century, arsenic a erstwhile large nine struggled to find its way, Elliott's large emotion for Carlton endured – and helium was determination for the last crippled successful May 2005, erstwhile 'Kouta' handed the last matchday footy to 'Big Nick'.
"One communicative told by Tom Elliott connected a Ghosts of Princes Park Tour relates to that precise match, erstwhile Elliott was invited backmost to the President's pre-game Luncheon – ironically convened by Ian Collins - successful a nook of the grandstand that erstwhile bore his name.
"Tom recalled his begetter lighting a customary cigaret successful the country astatine a clip erstwhile smoking laws were yet invoked, but done the people of the lucifer refused an attendant's repeated requests to butt retired his 'ciggy'.
"When the frustrated bluish overgarment yet returned with reinforcements to evict the smoke-puffing erstwhile Prez from the room, the last siren sounded connected the historical last contention – which past prompted a gleeful Elliott to puff fume into the hapless attendant's look and bellow: 'This is nary longer an AFL venue, the smoking laws nary longer apply'.
"John Elliott died successful the Epworth Hospital aft a abbreviated illness. Elliott's archetypal woman Lorraine, a erstwhile Victorian authorities parliamentarian for the Liberal Party, predeceased him successful 2014. He is survived by his 4 children - 3AW Broadcaster Tom, girl Caroline, lad Edward and girl Alexandra.
"The erstwhile Carlton President is besides survived by his 2nd woman Amanda Elliott (later the archetypal pistillate Chairperson of the Victoria Racing Club.)"
New Carlton president Luke Sayers besides shared his condolences to the Elliott household and reflected connected his interaction astatine the club.
"John Elliott led the Carlton Football Club for astir 2 decades and done an highly palmy era," Sayers said.
"Whilst overmuch has been said and written astir the extremity of John's presidency, contiguous is simply a clip to retrieve the galore achievements during his clip astatine the club.
"The instrumentality of Walls and Parkin, and the premierships they subsequently won; the recruitment of Kernahan and Bradley and Williams; the pridefulness successful the jumper and the emotion of Princes Park.
"John remained a passionate Carlton man, close passim his life. He ne'er stopped wanting to spot the Old Dark Navy Blues succeed.
"Tonight, I'll beryllium raising a solid to a antheral who loved this club. Vale Jack."
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