Tom Blake

Career : 1893 - 1897
Debut : Inception Blue - Round 1, 1897 vs Fitzroy, aged 24 years, 67 days
Carlton Player No. 5
Games : 4 (Plus 64 V.F.A. games)
Goals : 0
Last Game : Round 6, 1897 vs St Kilda, aged 24 years, 108 days
Height :
Weight :
DOB : 15 July, 1872 (Prahran, Victoria)
DOD: 3 May, 1935 (St Kilda, Victoria)

Tom Joseph Blake: A Dual-Code Athlete
Tom Joseph Blake, born in St Kilda, was a prominent figure in the early years of Australian football. He was known as an exceptional athlete who excelled in both football and cross-country running. Blake was a member of a renowned athletic family; his brothers George Blake, Harry Blake, and James J. Blake were also well-known runners and footballers.

Four Blake brothers played for Carlton.
James J. Blake 1890-1892
Tom Blake 1892 - 1897
Michael P. Blake 1893 - 1894
George Blake 1905

Football Career: VFA and VFL
Blake began his football career with St Kilda Royals junior team before joining the St Kilda senior VFA team. He was recruited by Carlton in mid-1892 and possibly made his debut on July 30 against Williamstown. His first recorded goal for Carlton came on August 13 against Footscray.

Blake's leadership qualities were quickly recognized, and he served as Carlton's Vice-Captain in 1894 before being elected captain on April 5, 1895, at the age of just 22. He led the Blues through their last two seasons in the VFA (1895-1896). During this period, the team's success was limited, winning only 14 of 63 games, with 45 losses and 4 draws. Despite the team's struggles, Blake was an outstanding player, with The Carlton Gazette noting in 1896 that his "good, solid games" were "as notable as Carlton's failures to score points."

When the VFL was formed in 1897, Blake relinquished the captaincy to Jimmy Aitken. He led Carlton's rucks into battle in the club's inaugural VFL match against Fitzroy on May 8, 1897. Unfortunately, his time in the new league was brief. After playing in Carlton's first four losses, his final match for the club was a hard-fought 11-point victory over his old team, St Kilda, in Round 6 at the Junction Oval. In total, he played 64 VFA games and 5 VFL games for Carlton.

After a season out of the game, Blake made a comeback in 1899 with St Kilda, who were in dire need of experience and leadership. He played 24 handy matches for the Saints over two seasons before retiring.

Cross-Country Champion
Tom Blake was a celebrated cross-country runner and a key member of the Collegians club. His athletic achievements included:

1893: Won the Victorian Cross-Country Championship with a time of 63 minutes and 34 seconds. He also held the five-mile cross-country record for the colony.

1895: Won the Victorian Cross-Country Championship again, this time in 59 minutes and 44.5 seconds. He was competing in this race on September 22 and missed Carlton's final game of the football season.

1896: Competed in the Victorian Cross-Country Championship and finished third in the ten-mile run with a time of 60 minutes and 50 seconds. He also won the Kew Harriers' seven-mile race.

His brother, George Blake, also won the ten-mile championship in 1900 and represented Australia at the Olympic Games. A 1935 article in the Sporting Globe noted that Tom Blake was "the first to wear spikes across country."

Legacy
Tom Blake passed away in May 1935 at the age of 63. His death was widely reported, with The Argus noting with regret the passing of the "captain of the Carlton Football Club in 1895 and amateur 10 miles cross country champion of Victoria." He was survived by his wife and two children and had been associated with the firm of McEvoy and Co. for many years.
His brother J.J. Blake played for Carlton and St.Kilda in the V.F.A.

Links

Articles: Carlton in NSW, 1890

Blueseum: Summary of playing statistics for Tom Blake | Pre VFL Players | Pre VFL Captains | Pre VFL Vice Captains

Gallery

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  Tom Blake 1895Collegians Harrier photo
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  1897 Tom Blake Ten Mile Cross Country Championships 1897 Tom Blake Ten mile cross country championship past winners Table Talk Sept. 17
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  Tom Blake Tom Blake Trove; Sporting Globe September 09 1922
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  Tom Blake Tom Blake Trove; Sporting Globe June 05 1935
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  1899 Tom Blake1899 Tom Blake - St.Kilda Former Carlton captain Trove; Melbourne Punch June 29
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  1895 Tom Blake - Victorian Cross Country Champion 1895 Tom Blake- Victorian Cross Country Champion Image: Trove, Leader September 28
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  Tom Blake 1896 Taken on the 4th July 1896 at the MCG before the game against Fitzroy. Photo by John Beaumont courtesy of State Library of Victoria.
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  Tom Blake Illustration 1895 From pages one of 'The Bird O' Freedom' October 12th 1895.
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  1896 - Tom Blake (Carlton Captain).
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