Phil Carman

Phillip Carman (born 4 September 1950 in Edenhope, Victoria) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Norwood in the SANFL and , , and in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1970s and 1980s.

A flamboyant player who wore white boots and fronted the Tribunal on numerous occasions due to disciplinary issues, Carman was nicknamed "Fabulous Phil" by those who saw him play.

Playing career At the age of 16, Carman left his hometown in western Victoria to play for in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He played with Norwood from 1970 until 1974, spending two years out of the game because of a contract wrangle between Norwood and Collingwood and Collingwood's refusal to allow him to play for Norwood. In total, he played just 58 games for Norwood and several for the South Australian State side. One of his most colourful moments for Norwood was when he rubbed future Adelaide coach Graham Cornes’ face in the mud in front of the Norwood members stand after Cornes had elbowed him (the footage is also famous for Cornes flipping the bird at the Norwood members). By 1974, , who had shown plenty of interest in him, finally persuaded him to return to Victoria, even though he did not like the football lifestyle in Melbourne.

Carman made an immediate impression. In his debut VFL season in 1975 he won Collingwood's Best and Fairest award, the Copeland Trophy, and was Collingwood's leading goalkicker with 41 goals. He was also selected to play for Victoria, and played in the Championship winning team of the Australian National Football Carnival. Carman did, however, break a bone in his foot during the season, keeping him out of Collingwood’s side for eight weeks. However, he still only finished three votes away from winning the VFL's Best and Fairest, the Brownlow Medal, in his debut year. and also striking St. Kilda's Garry Sidebottom. In his comeback match, he was reported again. including Kangaroo Flat and played at full forward for Sandhurst in 1989, kicking 53 goals. Carman was appointed as captain-coach of Kennington in late 1989, but the club folded prior to the 1990 Bendigo Football League season.

Retired from playing, Carman then coached Sturt in the SANFL from 1995 to 2001. He was instrumental in Sturt's resurgence as a power in the SANFL after a run of wooden spoons from 1989 until his third year in charge. Sturt did not win a game in Carman's first year, but with excellent recruiting he built the team up to win the 1998 minor premiership, only to fail to Port Adelaide in the Grand Final.

In 2020, Carman was awarded Player / Coach Life Membership of the SANFL.

In June 2025 Carman was awarded life membership of the Sturt Football Club.