The 1961 Brisbane Carnival was the 15th edition of the Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 interstate competition. It was the last carnival to be held in Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

.

It was one of the most competitive carnivals to have been played, with the traditional carnival powerhouse in the VFL going down to Western Australia. Despite the VFL comfortably accounting for South Australia, the Western Australians lost their game to South Australia. Tasmania, who traditionally struggle, lost all games but got within seven points of the South Australians.

Teams

Although the carnival took place in Brisbane, no Queensland team competed in the tournament. The four teams were the Victorian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (VFL), Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Results

Game One Team Score VFL 20.30 (150) Tasmania 12.17 (89) Game Three Team Score West Australia 24.23 (167) Tasmania 10.6 (66) Game Five Team Score South Australia 15.17 (107) Tasmania 14.16 (100)

Game Two Team Score South Australia 16.13 (109) West Australia 15.17 (107) Game Four Team Score VFL 21.22 (148) South Australia 13.12 (90) Game Six Team Score West Australia 15.14 (104) VFL 14.11 (95)

All-Australian team

In 1961 the All-Australian team was picked based on the Brisbane Carnival.

1961 All-Australian Team Brisbane Carnival
Name	State/League	Club
John Abley John Abley John Abley was an Australian rules footballer who played with Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League between 1950 and 1961....	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Magpies The Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
John Halbert John Halbert John Arno Halbert M.B.E. is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Sturt in the SANFL.Halbert was a centreman and first played for Sturt in 1955. In his debut season he finished second in the Magarey Medal count to Lindsay Head and in 1958 was again the runner up with Head winning...	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	Sturt Sturt Football Club Sturt Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League. The club is best known for its period of dominance from 1966–76 under legendary coach Jack Oatey, during which it revolutionised the style of play by emphasising teamwork and accurate ball...
Neil Kerley Neil Kerley Donald Neil Kerley OAM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. Known to his mates as either Neil or Knuckles and to South Australian football fans as King Kerley or simply "Kerls", he is best known for taking three clubs to four SANFL premierships over three decades as both a...	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	West Adelaide West Adelaide Football Club West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
Geoff Kingston Geoff Kingston Geoff Kingston is a former Australian rules footballer who played for West Torrens in the South Australian National Football League . He was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2008....	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	West Torrens West Torrens Football Club West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
Don Lindner Don Lindner Don Lindner was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Adelaide in the SANFL during the 1950s and 1960s...	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	North Adelaide
Don Roach Don Roach Don Roach is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League during the 1960s and also had a noted career in the South Australian National Football League ....	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	West Adelaide West Adelaide Football Club West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
Bob Shearman Bob Shearman Bob Shearman was a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League and South Australian National Football League....	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	West Torrens West Torrens Football Club West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
Bill Wedding Bill Wedding Kingsley Arthur 'Bill' Wedding was an Australian rules footballer who played for Norwood in the South Australian National Football League...	South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	Norwood Norwood Football Club Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
Darrel Baldock Darrel Baldock Darrel John Baldock , commonly nicknamed "The Doc" and "Mr Magic", was an Australian rules football player and state politician who in 1966 was the first captain of a premiership-winning St Kilda Football Club. Baldock was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as a "Legend"...	Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...	Latrobe Latrobe Football Club The Latrobe Football Club is an Australian rules football club which competed in the NWFU between 1910 and 1986. The club has been a playing member of the NTFL since 1987. Latrobe were one of the most successful NWFU clubs and their tally of 12 premierships in a joint record, shared with Burnie and...
Bob Withers Bob Withers Robert 'Bob' Withers is a former Australian rules footballer who played in Tasmania and for Port Melbourne, noted for his selection in the 1961 All-Australian team....	Tasmania Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...	North Launceston North Launceston Football Club The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
Allen Aylett Allen Aylett Dr. Allen Aylett is a former Australian rules football player and administrator. He was the chairman/president of the North Melbourne Football Club during the 1970s and then again from 2001–2005...	Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	North Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
Ron Barassi Ron Barassi Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...	Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....  (captain)
Brian Dixon	Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
John Schultz John Schultz John Schultz is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League and is one of the club's greatest players....	Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	Footscray Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
Ted Whitten Ted Whitten Edward James "EJ" Whitten was an Australian rules football player and media personality. He played a then-record 321 Victorian Football League games for the Footscray Football Club between 1951 and 1970...	Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	Footscray Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
Jack Clarke Jack K. Clarke John Kildahl "Jack" Clarke was an Australian rules footballer in the Western Australian National Football League .Clarke played as a ruckman for East Fremantle, making his debut in 1952...	Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	East Fremantle East Fremantle Football Club The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
Graham Farmer Graham Farmer Graham Vivian "Polly" Farmer, MBE is a retired Australian rules football player and coach. Born in Western Australia, he joined the East Perth Football Club as a ruckman in 1953, where he won several awards and contributed to the team winning three premierships...	Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	East Perth East Perth Football Club The East Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Royals, is an Australian rules football club that is a member of the West Australian Football League...
Ray Gabelich Ray Gabelich Ray Gabelich was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League .He came to Collingwood from Western Australia as a centre half-forward in 1954 too late to be listed...	Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	West Perth West Perth Football Club The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian...
Ray Sorrell Ray Sorrell Ray Sorrell is a former Australian rules footballer who played with East Fremantle and South Fremantle in the WANFL.A centreman, Sorrell achieved many accolades during his time at East Fremantle. He was a dual Sandover Medal winner, finishing equal first with Neville Beard in 1961 and then winning...	Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	East Fremantle East Fremantle Football Club The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
John Todd John Todd (footballer) John Todd is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. After becoming youngest ever winner of the Sandover Medal in his first year of senior football he suffered a serious knee injury, which affected his playing career...	Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	South Fremantle South Fremantle Football Club The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...

Tassie Medal

Brian Dixon

Brian Dixon

Brian Dixon is a former Australian rules footballer and Victorian Politician.Dixon played 252 VFL games for Melbourne between 1954 and 1968, playing mostly on the wing...

 of the VFL took home the Tassie Medal

Tassie Medal

The Tassie Medal was awarded to the outstanding player at each Australian rules football Interstate Carnival or Australian interstate championship series held between 1937 and 1988 with the exception of the 1975 knock-out series....

 after beating East Fremantle's Jack Clarke

Jack K. Clarke

John Kildahl "Jack" Clarke was an Australian rules footballer in the Western Australian National Football League .Clarke played as a ruckman for East Fremantle, making his debut in 1952...

by one vote.