Carlton flag hero and Champion Data founder Ted Hopkins dies

Carlton premiership hero and the man who turned Champion Data into an AFL juggernaut, Ted Hopkins, has died aged 74.

The Blues confirmed on Tuesday that Hopkins, who starred with four second-half goals as they overcame a 44-point halftime deficit to beat Collingwood in the famous 1970 grand final, had died on Monday night.

Hopkins was also the founder of Champion Data, playing a significant role in how the game was perceived through the use of advanced statistics and analysis.

He was chaired off after Carlton charged to a 10-point win in the 1970 VFL decider but was one of his side’s lowest profile players leading into the game and only entered the contest for the third quarter after starting on the bench.

Introduced into the game by his coach, the late Ron Barassi, Hopkins booted four goals to lead his team for scoring as they piled on 13 goals to four in the second half.

He only played one more game, his 29th, for Carlton after the premiership win before retiring from the VFL to pursue other interests.

More to come