MIKE Fitzpatrick was a born leader as he showed regularly during an illustrious 150-game career with Carlton.
Fitzpatrick was a big-game player who relished the responsibility of captaincy after captain-coach Alex Jesaulenko suddenly left the Blues before the 1980 season.
His contribution to the 1981-82 premierships cannot be understated as an on-field general under the astute coaching of David Parkin.
In the 1981 Grand Final Fitzpatrick rucked tirelessly to help set up the 20-point win over Collingwood and was unlucky not to win the Norm Smith Medal.
The following year in the victory against Richmond he switched between the ruck and attack, booting two valuable goals before coming off with an ankle injury in the last quarter.
Despite often giving away height and weight to opposition ruckmen, Fitzpatrick was a fierce competitor who was an outstanding mark, athletic, skilful and handy around goal.
Fitzpatrick arrived at Carlton in 1975 with a big reputation from Western Australia, having been a dual best and fairest winner with Subiaco and played in its 1973 premiership team.
He made his VFL debut against Geelong in round one at Kardinia Park and went on to play in all of the Blues’ 24 games.
Over the next three seasons football took a back seat, playing only 14 games as the Rhodes Scholar completed his studies at Oxford University in England.
When he returned to Australia, Fitzpatrick was able to focus on his football and was superb in the premiership year of 1979.
The ruckman won the club best and fairest and capped off an excellent finals series with a brilliant display in the Grand Final against Collingwood, which the Blues won by five points.
After being restricted by injury, he retired at the end of 1983, but maintained a close association with Carlton for several years as a board member in the 1990s.
He was a member of the Carlton and Subiaco teams of the last century and was given the honour of being named captain of Subiaco’s side. He was inducted into the Blues’ hall of fame in 1992.
1970 – Makes his senior debut as a ruckman for Subiaco, at age 17.
1973 – Wins Subiaco's best and fairest in a premiership year.
1974 – Again wins the Subiaco best and fairest and plays the last of his 93 games for the club.
Mike Fitzpatrick retires from AFL Commission
1975 – Joins Carlton and plays all 24 games in his debut VFL season. Is awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and is accepted to study at Oxford University.
1976 – Returns to the Blues mid-year and plays the last 12 games of the season.
1979 – Finally returns to full-time football after no games in 1977 and a two-game cameo in 1978. Caps off a great home and away season with a brilliant finals series, a premiership and the club best and fairest.
1980 – Is named Carlton captain after the bitter internal board split that resulted in club legend Alex Jesaulenko quitting the club. Is seen as a popular and conciliatory figure.
1981 – Is famously penalised for time wasting late in the final quarter of a tight game at Princes Park against Essendon. The Bombers would win the game with a kick just before the siren. Later that year he captains the Blues to the premiership under new coach David Parkin.
1982 – Captains the Blues to the flag once more and is named in the All Australian team.
1983 – Surprises the Blues by retiring at the end of the season. All up, he played 150 games and kicked 150 goals for Carlton.
1984 – Starts working as an adviser to the Victorian government and premier John Cain in the state treasury department. Calls football for the ABC, during which time a Coodabeen Champions' song, Where Do You Go To Fitzpatrick? to the tune of Peter Sarstedt's Where Do You Go To My Lovely, lampoons his cerebral style.
Late 1980s – Moves to New York and works for investment banks including Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston.
1989 – Joins the board of the Carlton Football Club.
1994 – Establishes Hastings Fund Management.
1995 – Steps down from the Carlton board.
2002 – Sells a 51 per cent stake in Hastings to Westpac Bank.
2003 – Joins the AFL Commission after earlier rejecting overtures to become president of Carlton.
Mike Fitzpatrick outside AFL headquarters in 2003. Picture: AFL Photos
2007 – Replaces Ron Evans as chairman of the AFL Commission.
2008 – Approves the creation of a 17th AFL team on the Gold Coast. One year later, Greater Western Sydney is granted the AFL's 18th license.
2009 – Oversees the commencement of a major capital works program, including investments in the construction or renovation of stadiums and training and administration centres across the country, including Adelaide Oval, Perth Stadium, Metricon Stadium, Spotless Stadium, MCG, SCG, the Gabba and Skilled Stadium.
2012 – AFL Media opens for business.
2013 – Essendon is a stood down from the finals following the supplements scandal. Fitzpatrick engages in a "robust" conversation with Swans chairman Richard Colless after the surprise signing of Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin. The AFL immediately moves to dismantle the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) enjoyed by the Swans.
2014 – Installs Gillon McLachlan as the new chief executive of the AFL, replacing Andrew Demetriou.
2015 – Helps oversee a monster six-year $2.5 billion media rights deal with Seven, News Limited (Fox Sports) and Telstra, starting from 2017.
2016 – At the urging of McLachlan, AFLW is fast-tracked by three years for a February 2017 opening season. Oversees the purchase by the AFL of Etihad Stadium several years ahead of schedule.
2017 – Retires as commission chairman effective April 4. Cites the media rights deal and the creation of the Suns and Giants as his greatest achievements as chairman and says the Western Bulldogs premiership helped vindicate decisions made around equalisation . Expresses satisfaction with how the AFL handled the four-year long Essendon saga and lists interchange numbers and Tasmanian football as areas that didn't get resolved to his satisfaction.
Mike Fitzpatrick in action for the Blues in the late 1970s. Picture: AFL Photos
