The Reserves

Michael Roberts — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 01:20:21 +0000

The Collingwood Football Club has a long relationship with teams that have acted as ‘feeder’ clubs for its senior team. That started as far back as 1893 – just Collingwood’s second season – when the club helped form the Collingwood Juniors. This club disbanded in 1905,and was replaced as the Magpies’ unofficial seconds team by the Collingwood District Football Club. In 1919, the VFL formed an official seconds or reserves competition, which included teams such as St Kilda Districts, Carlton Juniors, Fitzroy Juniors and Richmond, as well as outliers such as University and Leopold. Collingwood Districts represented the Collingwood Football Club in this competition until 1938. But even though Collingwood supported the Districts side financially, it was in effect a stand-alone club with its own committee, its own way of running, a highly regarded coach in Hughie Thomas and even its own loyalties and culture – some seconds players in the 1920s had reportedly not wanted to be chosen for the seniors if it meant missing out on a final with Districts. By the late 1930s, some Collingwood officials felt the seconds had become too independent. They were also concerned at rising costs, and several suspected financial irregularities. So the senior club’s leaders – Frank Wraith, Harry Curtis and Bob Rush – decided it was time to haul them into line. But other long-serving committeemen disagreed, and refused to sign a circular to members denouncing the management of the seconds. A bitter election battle ensued, which the pro-reserves faction lost decisively. The seconds or reserves were now completely under Collingwood control. Collingwood stayed in the VFL/AFL reserves competition until 1992, and then in what was known as the Victorian State Football League from 1993 to 1999. In 2000, the VSFL merged with the modern day VFL (formerly the VFA). Since the merge, the senior grade of the VFL has accommodated senior teams from the VFL, reserves teams from the AFL, and affiliations between VFL and AFL clubs, in which VFL senior players and AFL reserves players compete in the same team. Collingwood fielded a stand-alone reserves team in the VFL in the 2000 VFL season, finishing 11th on the ladder. That team was disbanded in 2001, and the Magpies entered into an affiliation with the VFL’s Williamstown Football Club. Collingwood ended its affiliation with Williamstown after the 2007 season, and re-established a stand-alone reserves team in the VFL in 2008. Reserves Honour Roll 1919- Reserves Best and Fairest Winners Reserves Leading Goalkickers Reserves Premierships View the complete list of players to represent Collingwood’s reserves / VFL team from 1919 onwards

Reserves Premierships

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 20:51:50 +0000

Collingwood blitzed the VFL reserves competition when it was first formed, winning a Premiership in the competition’s inaugural season, 1919, and four in the first seven years. All four of these flags were annexed in the name of Collingwood Districts, the club that acted as Collingwood’s reserves team until 1938.

Success was a little harder to come by in the ensuing years, but further flags followed in 1940 (in a team featuring Lou Richards), 1965 and 1976.

It’s also worth noting that Williamstown won a flag in the VFL in 2003, during the period it was allied with Collingwood’s reserves team.

1919

Grand Final (October 11)

University A 1.2 2.4 3.6 4.8.32

Collingwood 2.3 3.6 4.6 6.11.47

Goals: Dillon 3, Utting 1, Holt 1, H. Chesswas 1

Best: Thomson, Youren, Joseph, H. Chesswas, Webb, Dillon

Premiership team*

Backs: Charlie Mutch (C) Wally Chesswas Arthur Dillon

HB: Sam Mackechnie George Youren Bob Foran

C: Hugh Thomas Vernon Carkeek Leo Wescott

HF: Joe Keary (VC) Les Husband Harry Chesswas

For: Valentine Daicy Ern Utting “Brownie” Holt

Foll: Arthur Joseph Archie Thomson Reynolds Webb

Coach: Charlie Mutch (TBC)

* Please note that we have not been able to find a published final team for this game, so it has been pieced together from different newspaper reports. As such, doubt surrounds a small number of the above-named players and whether they actually played in the game.

The Collingwood Districts side that won the first VFL reserves Premiership

1920

Grand Final (September 25)

Collingwood 2.3 3.8 4.10 7.14.56

University 1.1 5.1 7.1 7.2.44

Goals: Harding 2, Dillon 2, Ross 2, Monohan 1

Best: Ross, Wescott, Thomson, Buck, Mutch, T. Chesswas, H. Chesswas. Oram

Premiership team

We so far have been unable to find a full team for this game. Players confirmed to have played include: Bill Buck, Leo Wescott, Hector Ross, Artie Dillon, Les Oram, Charlie Mutch, Jack Monohan Jnr, Tom Chesswas, Harry Chesswas, Archie Thomson & T. Harding. George Tory, Wally Wildsmith, Wally Chesswas, Arthur Joseph & Herbie Taylor are all considered highly likely, having played in the previous final. The final two spots are most likely to have been filled by Joe Keary, George Beasley or Roy Allen.

1922

Grand Final (October 14)

Essendon 1.2 1.4 1.7 1.9.15

Collingwood 4.1 6.2 6.7 8.10.58

Goals: Clayden 3, Taylor 2, Oram 1, Wraith 1, Rudd 1

Best: Lee, Utting, Harrison, Oram, Green, Mutch, Clayden, J. Monohan, Allen, Taylor, Rudd

Premiership team

Backs: Charlie Mutch (C) Jack Harrison Archie Thomson

HB: Roy Allen Charlie Lee Ern Utting

C: A. Smith Max Hardie Fred Mutch

HF: Tom Wraith George Clayden Cliff Monohan

For: Jack Green Herbie Taylor “Brownie” Holt

Foll: Les Oram Jack Monohan Jnr Bert Rudd

Coach: Hugh Thomas

The Collingwood Districts 1922 side.

1925

Grand Final (October 10)

Fitzroy 0.1 5.1 7.2 11.4.70

Collingwood 3.6 4.10 10.11 13.16.94

Goals: Beveridge 4, Stevens 3, A. Collier 3, Todd 1, H. Collier 1, Boyle 1

Best: Clayden, Henry, Stevens, Boyle, Todd, Allen, A. Collier, Beveridge

Premiership team

Backs: Mick Laffey Vin Batchelor Charlie Mutch (C)

HB: Roy Allen George Clayden A. Dunstan

C: Alf Sparks Jack Jobson Norm MacLeod

HF: Jack Monohan Jnr Bill Henry Tommy Bird

For: Jack Beveridge Albert Collier Harry Collier

Foll: Reg Boyle P. Todd Hector Stevens

Coach: Hugh Thomas

The 1925 Collingwood Districts team. Albert Collier is second from the right in the second row, Harry Collier is second from right in the front row and George Clayden is fifth from the right in the back row.

1940

Grand Final (September 28)

Collingwood 2.3 2.7 5.12 6.16.52

Carlton 1.1 2.8 3.9 3.12.30

Goals: Mears 2, Hustler 2, Pimm 1, Tyrrell 1

Best: Mears, Hill, Newman, Noonan, Smith, Hustler, Knott

Premiership team

Backs: Ron Smith Norm Crewther Phil Busbridge

HB: Charlie Newman Bill Noonan Bill Johnstone

C: Les A Hill Kevin Barrett Dan Knott

HF: Clarrie Shields Colin Rose Ron Carruthers Snr

For: Len Hustler Jack Pimm Lou Richards

Foll: John McHale (C) Leo Tyrrell Harry Mears

19th: E.H. Hancock

Coach: Horrie Edmonds

The 1940 Reserves Premiership-winning squad

1965

Grand Final (September 25)

Collingwood 4.3 9.4 13.7 16.9.105

Geelong 2.4 5.7 7.13 10.20.80

Goals: Ballantyne 4, Bremner 4, Searl 4, Hutchesson 1, Chapman 1, Dalton 1, Evans 1

Best: Ellis (BOG), Mahon, Thompson, Pitt, Searl, Gray

Premiership team

Backs: Kevin Huppatz Reg Sanders Vaughan Ellis

HB: Len Clark John Mahon Lee Adamson

C: Albert Chapman Max Pitt Barry Anderson

HF: Brian Gray Doug Searl Max Ballantyne

For: Denis Dalton Ian Bremner John Murton

Foll: Len Thompson Len Evans Errol Hutchesson (C)

Res: Noel Vincent John Thatcher

Coach: Neil Mann

The 1965 Reserves Premiership squad. Back row: S Blanch (bootstudder), J Dicker (Committee), G Carrison (Committee), J Thatcher, B Gray, A Chapman, D Dalton, W Skewes (Committee), T Smith (Door steward), K Tate (trainer). Third row: L Bromley (Committee), K Huppatz, D Wright, L Clark, N Vincent, E Burgess, A Pond(Committee), T Pew (Committee). Second row: R Smith (Trainer), L Lees (Head trainer), J Smith (secretary), M Ballantyne, R Sanders, L Adamson, G Jenkin, L Evans, M Pitt, I Bremner, Fr Bruce (Committee), B Lewis (Trainer), G Hudd (Committee). Front row: R Patterson (Property steward), J Burton, P Wadham, L Thompson, J Smith (Chairman), E Hutchesson (Captain), N Mann (Coach), J Mahon, V Ellis, D Searl, J Morrison (Messenger).

1976

Grand Final (September 25)

Collingwood 6.4 9.11 15.14 23.17.155

North Melbourne 5.3 12.7 17.10 19.15.129

Goals: Williams 6, Kink 4, Gonsalves 4, McCormack 3, Perry 2, Foley 2, Oborne 1, Clifford 1

Best: Kink, Williams, Foley, Dellamarta, Greening, Wise, Bond

Premiership team

Backs: Russell Jessop Graeme Moyle Chris Perry

HB: Terry Wight John Greening Kerry Foley

C: Andrew Ireland Stephen Clifford Jimmy Board

HF: Rod Oborne John Williams (C) John Dellamarta

For: Shane Bond Peter McCormack Bruce Gonsalves

Foll: Murrie Batt Rene Kink John Wise

19/20: John King Alan Holmes

Emg: Derek Shaw, Craig Considine, Geoff Walsh, Lou Dilorio

Coach: Ron Richards

The 1976 Reserves Premiership squad (missing premiership players Jimmy Board, Shane Bond, Kerry Foley, Bruce Gonsalves, John Greening, Allan Holmes). Back row: Mick Warren, Peter McCormack, John Dellamarta, Murrie Batt, Stephen Clifford, Rene Kink, Rod Oborne. Third row: Russell Jessop, Ross Johnson, Graeme Moyle, Andrew Ireland, Terry Wight, Lachie McDonald, John King, Chris Perry. 2nd row: John Williams (Capt). Front Row: Lou Dilorio, Guy Pickering, John Wise, Kelvin Shaw.

AFL/ VFL Reserves Premierships – Collingwood Forever

The Reserves

Reserves Premierships