George Harris (Carlton President)

George Harris (1922 – November 26, 2007) was a President of Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1964 to 1974 and again from 1978 to 1980. He was regarded as a highly significant figure in VFL-AFL history.

Harris was born in St Kilda, Victoria in 1922. He served in the Australian military during WWII and was a prisoner of war at Changi prison. After the war Harris became a dentist.

Harris became club president in 1964 after Carlton had endured its (then) worst season. Harris immediately created a sensation when he headed the committee that enticed Melbourne's 1964 premiership captain Ron Barassi to join Carlton as captain-coach. This defection remains one of the major events in VFL-AFL history.

Under Harris's presidency, Barassi immediately established a new era of discipline at Princes Park and the Blues climbed from tenth to sixth in his first season at the club. In 1968, Barassi led Carlton to their first flag in 21 years. In 1970, Carlton saw Barassi lead Carlton to what many regard as its finest achievement - recovering from 44 points down at half-time to defeat Collingwood in the Grand Final.

After ending his first term as club president in 1974, Harris did not return to dentistry but instead pursued business interests. In mid-1975 Harris was implicated in the Whitlam Government scandal that later became known as the Loans Affair. Harris had acted as a broker on behalf of the then Treasurer, Jim Cairns in an attempt to obtain a proposed $2 billion loan from some Middle Eastern countries. This scandal was a contributing factor in the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975.

Harris returned to the presidency of Carlton in 1978, and oversaw the close grand final victory over Collingwood the following year. He famously infuriated Magpies fans after that victory by declaring, ""What's better than beating Collingwood by 10 goals? Beating them by five points." Harris's second tenure as president was short-lived and he was ousted in a bitter board-level power struggle in February of 1980.

Harris suffered a stroke in 1991 which left him mute, and his health deteriorated over a period of several years.

Harris died in Melbourne on November 26, 2007.

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External links

* [http://www.blueseum.org Blueseum]

References

* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Carlton-leviathan-George-Harris-dies/2007/11/26/1196036808637.html Carlton leviathan George Harris dies, Sydney Morning Herald Nov 26, 2007]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/How-the-loans-scandal-became-an-affair-to-remember/2004/12/31/1104344982914.html The Age 2004]
* [http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=849176 Australian Soldier]