Collingwood Forever

There aren’t many footballers who can claim to have had the better of Footscray legend Ted Whitten – the famous ‘Mr Football’ – during a game.

But the otherwise unheralded Don Dixon can. And even better, Teddy was captain-coach of the Bulldogs at the time, so he had to move himself off the Collingwood centreman!

The moment came during the Magpies’ game against the Dogs in Round 6 of the 1959 season. The Pies were the reigning Premiers but had lost the first five games of the year and were in desperate straits. Dixon, then playing just his 17^th game of football, lined up in the middle against Whitten. Early in the second quarter, with both Dixon and the Pies flying, Whitten shifted himself to centre half-forward. But Dixon continued to shine, eclipsing first Bob Spargo, then Brian Buckley and finally Don Darcey over the next three quarters.

It was an outstanding performance from Dixon, and one which played a pivotal role in the Pies finally winning their first game of the year. At season’s end it would bring him two Brownlow votes. “Dixon’s marking in the last quarter was worth going miles to see,” wrote one newspaper, “and Don Darcey couldn’t get near the high-flying Magpie.”

But incredibly, Don Dixon would play only two further games of VFL/AFL football after that dream day.

He had first ventured to Victoria Park from Edenhope in 1956, when he played six reserves games on match permits. This saw him driving his brand new FJ Holden to Collingwood on a Thursday for training, then playing on a Saturday before making the 380km return trip on the Sunday back to the family farm.

It was quite the effort required to play reserves footy, but Don did it without complaint. When his permits expired he returned to playing with Edenhope, but he’d done enough to pique the Magpies’ interest.

Collingwood was expecting him back at Victoria Park for 1957, but he opted to stay home and play with Edenhope instead. He returned to the Collingwood fold in 1958, however, and was trialled in a variety of positions throughout the practice matches – centre half-forward, half-forward flank, centre half-back and half-back flank. His performances were something of a mixed bag – one early game as a key forward was described in a club newsletter as ‘strange’ – but his last games across half-back were brilliant, and enough to secure him a spot on the senior list.

He played just two reserves games before getting his first taste of senior football from the bench in Round 3 against Fitzroy. And he enjoyed a wild old introduction, being called into the fray after Brian Dorman had had his nose broken by renowned Fitzroy hard man ‘Butch’ Gale. Don found himself opposed to Gale in his first marking contest, and Butch sent him flying as well (though he later admiringly told the youngster that he was tough, and that others would have had to be stretchered off after such a collision), prompting Ray Gabelich to come in and start some push-and-shove. Welcome to the big time, Donny!

This began a block of 13 successive games for Don, including the famous Queen’s Birthday game against Melbourne that attracted what is still the largest ever home-and-away crowd in VFL/AFL history. His first three games all started from the bench, but he still managed to make quite an impression.

“Collingwood thinks it has found a centreman in Don Dixon,” trumpeted The Age. “Dixon has been called on as a reserve three times this season and has done well. A good high mark and long kick, Dixon may provide the drive to get the ball direct to full-forward Ian Brewer.”

Don’s marking was a standout throughout his career. It was exceptional for a non-key position player and, combined with his long, driving kicking, made him a dangerous proposition in the middle of the ground.

He was tried in a few other positions as well during those first months of his career. Then in Round 15 he broke his toe and couldn’t put a boot on for a few weeks. He resumed training and was picked as emergency for the 1958 Grand Final, but could not play in the reserves Grand Final as he’d played too many senior games during the year. In the end he had to watch both games from the grandstand.

Don played another five games in a row early in 1959, being tried at both full-forward and centre half-forward before returning to the centre, and after the Footscray game seemed to have ‘arrived’. But he injured his knee in the first quarter of the following week’s game against Geelong, missed a few games and couldn’t find a way to reclaim a senior spot.

His start to the 1960 season was delayed, initially by his desire to work on the farm and then by a strained back. The press began calling him Collingwood’s ‘lost’ player. But he eventually turned up late in the pre-season, and was tried again at half-back. He played one senior game in that role in Round 13, but was otherwise unable to grab a senior spot, while playing 13 more reserves games. He tried to cross to Fitzroy mid-season but the Magpies wouldn’t clear him, and at the end of 1960 he decided to return to the family farm for 1961.

He coached the Goroke Magpies for three seasons, winning a flag in ’63. He also brought with him the Collingwood theme song, which Goroke would continue to sing until they disbanded in the 1990s. Don played one more year at home with Edenhope, where it had all began, and then retired.

He might not have been a star, but Don Dixon still managed to force the great Ted Whitten to take himself away. And that remains one hell of a claim to fame.

– Michael Roberts