Carlton named their father-son academy after a flag hero. Now his son is its star pupil

4 hours ago 1

One random Sunday morning training session more than 40 years ago takes on far more meaning for Carlton fans these days.

The Blues, including premiership greats Ken Sheldon, Jim Buckley and Des English, were playing a full-ground soccer match designed to be little more than a casual run-around. But one of the young players was going full bore, prompting Sheldon to ask him to “ease up”.

Harry Dean (right) is set to become a Carlton footballer, just like his premiership-winning dad, Peter.

That player was then-teenage defender Peter Dean, who went on to play 248 games, including in Carlton’s 1987 and 1995 premierships, while earning a reputation as a fierce competitor.

The apple has not fallen from the tree.

Murray Bushrangers talent manager Mick Wilson recalls a simple handball game on a basketball court where Dean’s richly talented – and ultra-competitive – 18-year-old son Harry was “trying to kill everyone”. Mum Kerrie is pretty fiery on a netball court, too.

“We tried to bring him up to be respectful, with old-fashioned values, and treat people as you like to be treated,” Peter told this masthead of his son.

“But once you’re out on the ground, you’re going into war – it’s a genetic thing.”

Dean 2.0 is barely a week away from following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a Carlton footballer in the AFL draft.

According to Harry, the Blues told him they would match any opposition bid on the 194-centimetre defender, which is fortunate, given West Coast could call his name out as early as pick two, although that is unlikely.

Emerging from injury heartache

Harry’s competitiveness and aggression, plus his intercepting prowess, courage, composure and skill, helped establish him as the standout key defender in this year’s draft class, 18 months after breaking his left shoulder and fearing his AFL dream was dashed.

The Dean legacy is poised to add another chapter.

That setback, in a marking contest against GWS in the first quarter of his Bushies debut, followed persistent injuries, mostly to his adductor muscles, and otherwise related to growing pains, in the two years before that.

Harry even briefly wondered whether it was wiser for him to pursue basketball.

“I got invited to the state basketball tryout, and there was a period where I was just playing local football [at Bullioh], was injured most of the time, and couldn’t get a run at it,” he said.

“But footy started to get a bit brighter for me [so I quit basketball], and then I broke my shoulder, so I was a bit confused because I’d lost both. It was a tough decision, but I love football.”

Carlton are delighted he made that call because he has emerged this year as an outstanding prospect who looms as a long-term partner for Jacob Weitering down back.

League recruiters suspected that Harry was a future star before this year’s under-18 championships – and he finished the carnival as the All-Australian full-back, including 22 disposals and five intercept marks to help Victoria Country beat Metro by five goals.

Just as exciting for Blues fans was that Cody Walker, son of Andrew and eligible to join Carlton via the father-son rule next year, gathered 24 disposals in the same match.

Cody Walker, left with ex-Blue Charlie Curnow, is Carlton-bound next year.

Last year, the Blues also drafted Scott Camporeale’s twin sons, Lucas and Ben. Carlton launched their father-son academy a decade ago, naming it after Peter Dean.

“It’s pretty cool [being part of the Blues’ next generation], and to come in at a similar time to the ‘Campos’, so, hopefully, it will be me this year, then Cody next year,” Harry said.

“It’d be great to wear the navy together, and it’d be pretty special if we could hold the cup up all together as well one day.”

You don’t want a ‘helicopter’ parent

Peter coached Harry, an only child, for a few years and still coaches many of his friends in Lavington’s under-18s team, but has made a concerted effort to give his son breathing room.

They are extremely close, and speak about football almost non-stop. One of the last steps in Harry’s process of being football-ready again post-shoulder injury was a wrestling match with his “old man” at home that, as you can imagine, got fairly willing.

The Deans even had the chance to share the field a few years ago as teammates for Bullioh, after Harry had asked for a while.

They hooked up for a few goals, too, including one where dad wheeled around on the half-forward flank and laced out his son, who was running inside the team’s forward 50m from the centre, or as Peter put it: “I hit him on his left tit”.

“The club was very good, and gave a lot of those father-son opportunities,” Peter said. “It was great fun being out there on the ground, watching him, and it was good to see the smile on the young fella’s face.”

Harry cherishes his relationship with his father, particularly since he always aspired to be an AFL footballer, play for and win a premiership with Carlton – and, in his words, not fall off the podium afterwards like Peter famously did.

“He’s always been there throughout my footy journey, but the last couple of years, he’s trying not to shadow me as much. He’s just let me play my football,” he said.

“Obviously, you don’t want the helicopter parent. He’s been pretty good like that. But we always talk about football – and the Blues as well – so we have a pretty special connection.

“It’ll be pretty tough to beat 250 games and two premierships.”

As draft night creeps closer, Peter is increasingly envisioning the moment his son officially joins him as a Carlton footballer.

He knows it is just the start of what he hopes is a long journey at the top for Harry, and he is immensely proud, but there is more to his emotion than that. His son – his great mate – will also be moving out of the family home to live hours away in Melbourne.

“I’ll probably have a tear in the eye,” Peter said.

“We’re pretty good mates as well as father and son. Any decision I made in footy, I’d always ring up and have a chat with him, and use him as a sounding board, and Harry does that every now and then, too.

“I thought about this at the start of the year, and how that in about nine months there was a possibility he might be gone. It’s coming around to that. We’re going to miss him, but we’re very proud.”

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.