It was the first truly national carnival since 1950 and the last time Victoria would host such a gathering as the VFL, WA, SA, Tasmania and the VFA made up division one, and the Australian Amateurs, Queensland, New South Wales and Canberra division two.

The carnival ran from 2 July to 12 July, with day games played at the MCG and night games at South Melbourne’s Lake Oval.

The VFL went undefeated to claim the division one title, beating SA by 118 points, VFA by 49 points, Tasmania by 102 points and WA by 19 points, and the Amateurs did likewise in division two, beating Canberra by 54 points, Queensland by 87 points and NSW by 10 points.

Victorian rover Alan Aylett, later to become one of the game’s most influential administrators, won the Tassie Medal as the carnival’s best player after he tied with Ted Whitten in the voting before the incomparable Whitten was retrospectively declared joint winner in 1995.

The All-Australian team was a ‘who’s who?’ of football … Aylett, Whitten, Ron Barassi, Reg Burgess, Jack Clarke, captain Bob Davis, John Dugdale, Kevin Murray and Neil Roberts from the VFL, Jack Clarke, Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer, Alan Preen, Norm Rogers and Ray Sorrell from WA, John Abley from SA, Stuart Spencer, Jim Ross and Donald Gale from Tasmania, and Barry Metcalf from the VFA. And the VFL’s Owen Abrahams.

Yes, Owen Abrahams of Fitzroy, who was chosen in this very special side alongside legendary clubmate Kevin Murray.

It was the first time a pair of Fitzroy players had won All-Australian honours together, and the proudest moment in the career of one of Fitzroy’s finest.

A veteran of 132 games from 1954-62, Abrahams was a super-smooth half forward flanker in the traditional sense… skilful, quick, elusive and disciplined.

He kicked 232 goals to rank 15^th on the club’s all-time goal-kicking list, led the goal-kicking in 1957 and ’61, was Fitzroy captain in 1962 and represented Victoria nine times. And, ever a loyal Lions man, he served as club treasurer in retirement.

In 2002 Abrahams was named at half forward in the Fitzroy Team of the Century and now, 20 years after his passing on 31 January 2006 aged 72, he has been inducted to the Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame.

It is due recognition of what would be rated a special career for any player, but for one who was rejected by the Fitzroy Thirds (Under 19s) and began his senior football at the Commonwealth Bank Amateurs it is extra special.

It was a career which began when former Fitzroy and ANFC secretary Percy Mitchell, after whom the Fitzroy best & fairest award was named, saw him play one day for Commonwealth Bank.

“He is not yet a John Coleman,” Mitchell said at the time in reference to the former Essendon champion and Australian Team of the Century choice who kicked 537 goals in 98 games from 1949-54 before injury saw him retire at 25. “But he should be a most useful player and could develop.”

Indeed he was. He was the 10^th of only 20 Fitzroy players to kick 200 goals, and was 9^th quickest, hitting this mark in 106 games.

Through the period of 1958-61 he was one of the most consistent goal-kickers in the competition, kicking 38-40-29-32 goals for a total of 139 that was bettered by only four players.

Abrahams kicked a career-best eight goals in his 61^st game on what was a special day for Fitzroy in Round 15 1958. It was the club’s first season under coach Len Smith. They beat Richmond 19-18 (132) to 10-8 (68) at Punt Road as future 100-gamers Eddie Goodger, Bob Henderson and Graeme MacKenzie, plus 55-gamer Ken Jones, made their debut.

He kicked a Brunswick Street Oval best of six goals three times – in his 66^th, 82^nd and 116^th games – with his last six-goal bag in a 103-point win over South Melbourne helping to send Alan ‘Butch’ Gale and Kevin Wright into retirement on a high.

It wasn’t the first time he starred on a big occasion – in Len Smith’s first game as Fitzroy coach in Round 1 1958 he kicked four goals in a 120-point win over North Melbourne at Arden St. It was the biggest win of Abrahams’ career.

Sadly, the Lions couldn’t quite get the job done when Abrahams played his 100^th game on arguably the biggest day of his life – the 1960 preliminary final against Collingwood at the MCG. They lost by five points after leading at every change in what was Abraham’s third and last final.

Still, he’ll forever hold a place in the combined Lions history. Having worn the #16 jumper more often than any other Fitzroy player, he’s recognised at the Brisbane Lions’ Springfield home as one of five names on the #16 locker room, alongside Fitzroy’s Chris Hansen (101) and Brisbane’s Jonathan Brown (256), Matthew Clarke (130) and current player Cam Rayner.