Coach: Keith McKenzie
Captain: Barry Gill
Vice-Captain: Brian Walsh
Best & Fairest: Peter Fyffe
Gardiner Medal: John Warden 4th place
Leading Goalkicker: Brian Walsh 36 goals (6th in the competition), Peter Warburton 28 goals (17th in the competition), Gary Schiele 27 goals (19th in the competition), John Warden 25 goals (23rd in the competition)
Position: 3rd
Premier: Hawthorn
Round 1: 01 April 1972
Carlton team;
Backs; Austin, Davey, Mulcair
Half backs; Fyffe, Warden, Bowtell
Centres; Smith, Crane, Gutterson
Half forwards; Cartright, O'Brien, Dickson
Forwards; Hanton, Clark, Warburton
Followers; Amos, Lukas
Rover; Walsh
Reserves from; Zoanetti, O'Malley, Laker
Carlton: 10.16.76
Fitzroy: 7.9.51
Result: Won by 25 points
Goalkickers: Graeme Clark 3, Brian Walsh 3, David Dickson, Andy Lukas, Paul O'Brien, Peter Warburton 1.
Best: Garry Crane, Brian Walsh, Mark Amos, John Warden, David Dickson.
Note: During the coming week Garry Crane aged 27 announced his retirement from football for business reasons. This decision shocked Carlton officials as he had good prospects of being selected in the seniors after a best on the ground performance in the Reserves against Fitzroy. Garry is the licensee of the Robert Burns Hotel in Collingwood. (Ref. Age April 07 p23)
However, the club arranged volunteers to help run the pub which allowed Garry the time to train and return to the playing field. After four reserve games his form was good enough for senior selection in Round 10, 1972. Crane would continue his Carlton career and retire in 1976.
Round 2: 08 April
Carlton 8.6.54
Collingwood 10.14.74
Result: Lost by 20 points
Goalkickers: Mark Amos 2, Paul O'Brien 2, Tim O'Malley 2, David Dickson, Peter Hall
Best: Daryl Gutterson, Mark Amos, John Warden, Tim O'Malley, Tony Smith.
Reports: R. Stevens (Collingwood) reported by field umpire R Tanner and boundary umpire R. M. Taggert on the charge of striking Graeme Clark (Carlton) in the last quarter.
Round 3: 15 April
Carlton 13.14.92
South Melbourne 12.18.90
Result: Won by 2 points
Goalkickers: Graeme Clark 5, Peter Warburton 4, Rodney Hanton 2, Paul O'Brien 1, Tony Smith 1.
Best: Graeme Clark, Peter Warburton, Rod Austin, Peter Hall, Tony Smith, Peter Davey.
Round 4: 22 April
Carlton played Richmond at Princes Park
Carlton team
Backs; Austin, Warden, Edmond
Half backs; Fyffe, Mulcair, Davey
Centre; Zoenetti, Lethborg, Smith
Half forwards; Bacon, O'Brien, Hanton
Forwards; Pascoe, Clark, Boyd
Followers; Amos, P. Hall
Rover; Warburton
Reserves from; Gutterson, Bowtell, O'Malley, Purtell.
Carlton 10.18.78
Richmond 14.16.100
Result: Lost by 22 points.
Goals; Paul O'Brien 4, John Warden 2, Peter Hall 2, Rodney Hanton, Peter Warburton 1.
Best; Paul O'Brien, Eric Pascoe, Peter Bacon, Barry Mulclair, Mark Amos.
May 06
Carlton played Geelong at Princes Park
Carlton 14.9.93
Geelong 14.25.109
Result: Lost by 16 points.
Goals; Brian Walsh 8, Lynch 3, Peter Hall, Graeme Robertson, Robert Kirkman
Best; Brian Walsh, Peter Bacon, Peter Davey, Barry Gill, Robert Kirkman
Carlton seventh
Played 6, Won 2, Lost 4, Drawn 0, 91.2%, Points 8
Round 8: 20th May, 1972.
St Kilda 10.14.74
Carlton 10.7.67
Result: Lost by 7 Points.
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 9: 27th May, 1972.
Carlton 20.11.131
Nth Melb. 9.3.57
Result: Won by 74 Points.
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 22: 2nd September, 1972.
Carlton 19.14.128
Footscray 14.10.94
Result: Won by 34 Points.
Goalkickers: John Warden 9, Brian Walsh 4, Gary Schiele 3, Neil Chandler 2, Bryan Quirk 1.
Best: John Warden, Rod Austin, Tony Smith, Peter Fyffe, Brian Walsh, Tony Zoanetti.
1972 Reserves End of Home & Away Season Ladder
| Pos | Team | Wins | Losses | Draws | Points | For | Against | % |
| 1 | Hawthorn | 19 | 2 | 1 | 78 | 2638 | 1712 | 154.1 |
| 2 | Richmond | 17 | 5 | 0 | 68 | 2497 | 1809 | 138.3 |
| 3 | Melbourne | 17 | 5 | 0 | 68 | 2152 | 1600 | 134.5 |
| 4 | Essendon | 15 | 6 | 1 | 62 | 2112 | 1685 | 125.3 |
| 5 | Carlton | 14 | 8 | 0 | 56 | 1828 | 1714 | 106.7 |
| 6 | Geelong | 13 | 9 | 0 | 52 | 2439 | 1978 | 123.3 |
| 7 | Footscray | 13 | 9 | 0 | 52 | 2001 | 1942 | 103.0 |
| 8 | Sth Melbourne | 8 | 14 | 0 | 32 | 1980 | 2145 | 92.3 |
| 9 | Collingwood | 7 | 15 | 0 | 28 | 1801 | 2103 | 85.6 |
| 10 | St Kilda | 5 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 1451 | 2058 | 70.5 |
| 11 | Nth Melbourne | 2 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 1541 | 2760 | 55.8 |
| 12 | Fitzroy | 1 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 1577 | 2511 | 62.8 |
1972 Reserves Finals Series
Elimination Final - 9th September, 1972.
Carlton 15.10.100
Essendon 14.9.93
Result: Won by 7 Points.
Goalkickers: John Warden 4, Brian Walsh 3, Gary Schiele 3, Eric Pascoe 2, Paul O'Brien 1, Peter Hall 1, Vin Catoggio 1.
Best: John Warden, Brian Walsh, Neil Chandler, Peter Hall, Rod Austin, Vin Catoggio, Eric Pascoe.
Blues' great finish
Carlton Reserves staged a whirlwind finish to win their elimination final by seven points against Essendon. Carlton hit the front at the 27-minute mark of the last quarter and then added another goal right on the siren to clinch the win. They won 15.10.(100) to 14.9.(93). Essendon was unable to match this finishing onslaught although they had led throughout the game. Burly Essendon ruckman Gary Grainger dominated the ruck duels and used handball very constructively to continually put his side into attack. He combined well with rover Don Goss, whose deadly accurate kicking for goal enabled him to notch five for the match. Red-headed John Warden was brilliant at centre half-forward for Carlton and his strong marking was a key factor in Carlton's victory. - The Australian.
Carlton team
Backs; Gill, Fyffe, Hanton
Half backs; Zoanetti, Austin, Lethborg
Centres; Crane, Chandler, Smith
Half forwards; Dixon, Warden, Bacon
Forwards; O'Brien, Scheile, Cattogio
Followers; Pascoe, P. Hall
Rover; Walsh
19th & 20th from; Bowtell, Kirkman, Warburton, Riordan
Courtesy; SLV Football Record (p25)
Qualifying Final - Melbourne 11.15.81 d Richmond 10.8.68
Carlton 12.8.80
Richmond 9.15.69
Result: Won by 11 points.
Goalkickers: John Warden 3, Paul O'Brien 2, Gary Schiele 2, Peter Bacon 2, Vin Catoggio 2, Neil Chandler 1.
Best: Brian Walsh, John Warden, Garry Crane, Vin Catoggio, Peter Bacon, Eric Pascoe, Barry Gill.
Carlton team;
Player's numbers in brackets.
Backs; Barry Gill (21), Peter Fyffe (24), Rodney Hanton (41)
Half backs; Tony Zoanetti (46), Rod Austin (45), Greg Lethborg (14)
Centre; Peter Warburton (23) , Garry Crane (6), Tony Smith (51)
Half forwards; Neil Chandler (22), John Warden (9), Peter Bacon (54)
Forwards; Paul O'Brien (29), Garry Schiele (39), Vin Catoggio (49)
Followers; Eric Pascoe (13), Peter Hall (31)
Rover; Brian Walsh (18)
19th; Michael Dixon (55), 20th; Robert Kirkman (35)
Emergencies; Barry Riordan (36) Graeme Bowtell (45)
Courtesy SLV Football Record ages/height/weight/games, available.
There is a few minutes of colour film of this game on Rhett Bartlett's excellent video page on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqjjfeZNDQc
2nd Semi Final - Melbourne 14.10.94 d Hawthorn 8.14.62
Carlton 9.14.68
Hawthorn 15.11.101
Result: Lost by 33 Points.
Goalkickers: John Warden 4, Eric Pascoe 1, Brian Walsh 1, Neil Chandler 1, Peter Hall 1, Vin Catoggio 1.
Best: Garry Crane, John Warden, Barry Gill, Rod Austin, Greg Lethborg, Peter Warburton, Eric Pascoe, Brian Walsh, Peter Bacon.
Carlton team
Backs; Barry Gill, Peter Fyffe, Rodney Hanton
Half backs; Anthony Zoanetti, Rod Austin, Gregory Lethborg
Centres; Peter Warburton, Garry Crane, Anthony Smith
Half forwards; Neil Chandler, John Warden, Peter Bacon
Forwards; Paul O'Brien, Garry Schiele, Vin Catoggio
Followers; Eric Pascoe, Peter Hall
Rover; Brian Walsh
19th; Michael Dixon, 20th; Robert Kirkman
Emergencies; Riordan, Bowtell
Courtesy; SLV Football Record (p11)