An explosive biography about a footballer unlike any other. Phil
Carman was capable of tearing a game apart. Despite his talent, he
tore his own career apart. When Phil Carman was a kid in Edenhope,
he thought he wasn't good enough to play VFL football. But when
Carman's father died in a Melbourne hospital, friends noticed a
change. While his mates were hanging out together, Carman, at 14,
was running long distances around his home town. At 16, he kicked
six goals in a half for Edenhope in a trial game against
Collingwood. A few months later, Carman was training with
Collingwood. The club and the vastness of Melbourne left him
unimpressed. Carman returned to Edenhope. At 17, he kicked 89-goals
for the senior team. His coach, John McBain, knew Carman was a
future star. All he had to do was go to Collingwood. But Carman
defied the VFL's zone system that tied him to Collingwood and went
to Adelaide at Norwood's invitation. Carman and Norwood officials
deliberately broke the rules, paying off a police officer to ensure
they obtained a clearance. Incensed Collingwood officials launched
the biggest interstate war ever seen in the VFL, forcing Carman out
of football for two years. Carman returned to Norwood in 1973 but
Collingwood refused to give up. A massive salary convinced him to
move to Victoria in 1975. Carman's debut season is remembered as
one of the best in VFL history. He was quickly dubbed Fabulous
Phil. Despite missing eight games through injury, he won
Collingwood's best and fairest, the Copeland Trophy and missed out
on the Brownlow Medal by three votes. But the brilliance was
punctuated by trouble. Carman clashed with teammates and coaches.
He missed the 1977 drawn grand final and the replay after being
suspended for striking Michael Tuck. Collingwood lost patience with
their star and traded Carman to Melbourne in 1978. His four-year
deal lasted one season because of an incident with Melbourne's
coach Carl Ditterich. He crossed to Essendon for two years. In
1980, Carman became the first footballer to be suspended for
head-butting a boundary umpire. At the end of 1981, Kevin Sheedy
moved him on. Carman played one year with North Melbourne, again
leaving in acrimonious circumstances when his coach, Barry Cable,
wanted him to stay. Carman went back to Adelaide in the 90s and
found football redemption, coaching Sturt into a grand final and
helping save the club. Fabulous Phil is the story of a football
nomad, a man craving success and determined to do it his own way.
Carman amazed and frustrated teammates, coaches, officials and the
fans. In Fabulous Phil, former players, coaches and umpires give
insight into why success ultimately eluded Carman. And Carman tells
his story, how it all happened.
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