Playing Career : 1947 - 1948
Debut : Round 1, 1947 v Melbourne, aged 21 years, 204 days
Carlton Player No.: 617
Games : 21
Goals : 11
Last game : Round 19, 1948 v Richmond, aged 22 years, 343 days
Guernsey No. 9
Height : 180cm
Weight : 78.5 kgs
DOB: September 27, 1925
Wearing guernsey #9, Kelsey played 21 games in Navy Blue commencing in Season 1947. Kelsey kicked 3 goals in his time at Carlton.
He was recruited from Port Melbourne.
After playing seven senior games in the 1947 season Bob had a significant setback when he spent the entire month of August and part of September recovering in hospital from a hernia operation. No doubt seeing his teammates win the flag that year proved motivation.
The next season Bob played in fourteen senior games, kicking three goals. It was still a strong squad and a difficult one to get a regular senior callup.
At the start of the 1949 season Kelsey was approached by Maryborough for a coaching job. While it did not eventuate he asked for a clearance back to Port Melbourne which was granted in May.
Kelsey played 150 games in total for the Burrough, including captaining in 1952 and a flag in 1953. He was named on the half-back line in Port Melbourne's team of the century.
After he left Port he played and coached Croydon and then Coldstream (both Navy Blue teams). To this day his descendants are proud Carlton members.