Full name John Anthony Benetti Name John Benetti Years Club | Height/Weight 177 cm / 93 kg Original team(s) CBC Parade Died October 31, 2013 | |
Date of birth (1937-06-17)17 June 1937 Date of death 31 October 2013(2013-10-31) (aged 76) | ||
John benetti carlton football club past player
John Anthony Benetti (17 June 1937 – 31 October 2013) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Benetti, who debuted for Carlton in 1958, had played schoolboy football at CBC Parade alongside his cousin Sergio Silvagni, who also started at Carlton that year. From 16 games in 1958, Benetti polled 12 Brownlow Medal votes to finished equal 13th overall and the best placed Carlton player. After such a strong showing in his first season, he only played eight games in 1959, but got his first taste of finals football when he appeared in a preliminary final.
Used mostly as a defender during his career, Benetti played finals again in 1962 and was in the back pocket in the Carlton side which lost the 1962 VFL Grand Final. The following year he was one of four Carlton players to appear in all 18 rounds and represented the VFL in an interstate match against South Australia.
He played his final VFL game in 1965, then joined Oakleigh as captain-coach for the 1966 Victorian Football Association season. He was dropped from the playing team at midseason due to poor form, and immediately resigned upon being informed that the financially struggling club could not afford to pay him as a non-playing coach. Oakleigh's win-loss record was 0–9 when Benetti resigned, and the club was ultimately relegated at the end of the year.