https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au The complete history of Australia's greatest sporting club Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:13:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.21 https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/collingwoods-rising-stars/ Sun, 02 Sep 2018 07:41:14 +0000 https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=12926 1. Saverio Rocca, Round 13, 1993 One of Collingwood’s best forwards of the 1990s, Sav Rocca‘s four goals in a losing game against West Coast prompted his nomination after his 22nd game. But his career went into overdrive the week after.  In that game – his 23rd overall – Rocca kicked a bag of 10 goals against Richmond and a fortnight after that he booted another 10 against Footscray on his way to 73 goals for the year. He never got a look in for the overall award though, with the likes of Nathan Buckley, James Hird, Shane Crawford, Glenn Archer, Scott West, Matthew Richardson, Dustin Fletcher and Mark Mercuri making it one of the strongest years on record. 2. Kent Butcher, Round 8, 1994 Twenty disposals in Collingwood’s big win over St Kilda in Kent Butcher‘s 10th game were enough to win the weekly gong. He arguably had a better game the following week, with 26 touches against North Melbourne, but the running backman would manage only another 12 games in black and white before transferring to Sydney, where he did not play a game. 3. Jon Hassall, Round 22, 1994 One of five Magpies to be forever frozen on 50 games with the club, Hassall played 23 games in his debut season with the club in 1994, leaving his Rising Star nomination until round 22. He had 18 touches in the club’s heavy loss to North Melbourne. It was his 20th AFL match and the run-with defender would win the club’s best first year player that season. He would end up playing a further 44 games with Hawthorn from 1997-99. 4. Andrew Schauble, Round 7, 1996 A consistent player in his early years at Collingwood, Andrew Schauble came under notice in his 10th game when nominated for a 14-disposal, one-goal performance in a loss to St Kilda in 1995. It would be the best statistical year of his five seasons – and 79 games – with the Magpies. After a trade to Sydney, he won the Swans’ best-and-fairest award in 2000. 5. Mal Michael, Round 18, 1997 Mal Michael was a three-time premiership player, but sadly not with Collingwood. He won his gong in only his ninth game, after a great defensive game against St Kilda in late 1997, in his debut year. He would manage only 61 games in four seasons in Black and White before his successful move to Brisbane, where he won his flags. Two of them came against Collingwood, which hurt those who fondly remembered him in the No.48 jumper. 6. Nick Davis, Round 5, 1999 Essendon staved off a fast-finishing Collingwood in the 1999 ANZAC Day clash, and while Mark Mercuri would eventually be adjudged the ANZAC Day Medal winner, Nick Davis got his own tick for a strong performance in only his fifth AFL game. Nineteen-year-old Davis had 18 touches and five inside 50s in the eight-point loss and such was his efforts that he was nominated a few days later as the Rising Star of the week. He, too, would be off to a new club after four seasons, heading to Sydney, where he would play in the 2005 flag side. 7. Paul Licuria, Round 18, 1999 After 10 games across two seasons with Sydney, Paul Licuria craved a return to Melbourne and to the club he barracked for as a kid. He got that in 1999, and after only his ninth game with his new club – and 19th overall – he received a Rising Star nomination with a 28-touch effort against West Coast – wearing the unfamiliar No.32 before switching to No.18 the following year. 8. Damien Adkins, Round 3, 2000 Magpie fans wondered if they were witnessing the birth of a new star in Damien Adkins‘ first few games in Mick Malthouse’s first season as coach. He kicked two goals on debut against Hawthorn and a further two and had 19 touches in round three against Carlton, for which the 19-year-old copped his Rising Star nomination. Injuries and inconsistent form cruelled his career and he was gone within three seasons, before being traded to West Coast for Andrew Williams. He played in the Eagles’ 2004 Elimination Final side, but missed selection in the 2005 Grand Final. 9. Josh Fraser, Round 6, 2000 Collingwood’s only No.1 draft selection, 18-year-old Josh Fraser made an instant impact, winning the Rising Star nomination for his Round 6 effort against North Melbourne. He had 17 disposals in the game, kicked a goal and played forward and shared the ruck duties with Steven McKee. 10. Ryan Lonie, Round 4, 2001 Ryan Lonie had a fine debut year for Collingwood, winning a Rising Star nomination in only his fourth game, against Richmond in 2001. He not only ended up playing 21 games in that debut season, his hard-running and long kicking even saw him poll 11 votes in the final tally won by St Kilda’s Justin Koschitzke. 11. Jason Cloke, Round 6, 2002 Collingwood’s massive 83-point win over St Kilda was good enough for Magpie fans, but it got even better on the Monday afternoon when the AFL announced Jason Cloke as the Rising Star nomination for the week after only his fifth game. The defender had 17 touches and five tackles, in a debut season which finished with a heartbreaking suspension in the preliminary final. 12. Mark McGough, Round 10, 2002 You would probably assume that Mark McGough‘s Rising Star nomination would have come from his Anzac Day dominance in only his second game. It didn’t. The 17-year-old school boy had to wait until his seventh game to get the AFL honour, after he had 16 touches against Sydney in round 10. McGough would be a comet flashing before Collingwood supporters’ eyes in only three seasons before moving briefly to St Kilda. 13. Alan Didak, Round 16, 2002 Alan Didak gave a few hints of his brilliance in his five games in 2001, but that just kept escalating in the years to come. In his second season, and in his 16th game, the skilful forward had 13 touches and kicked two goals as a sure sign this kid was going to be a star. And that performance won him a Rising Star nomination. 14. Richard Cole, Round 17, 2003 In his second season at the club, and in a one-sided game against the old enemy Carlton, Richard Cole put his name forward for a Rising Star mention when he had 17 touches and kicked a goal. Frustratingly, his four seasons at Collingwood, and his two at Essendon, did not yield what anyone would have wanted, despite the fact that he polled well in the 2004 Copeland. 15. Matthew Lokan, Round 22, 2003 An unlikely success story for Collingwood in his debut season of 2003, Matty Lokan played every game (including the Grand Final), playing across half-back, won the club’s best first year player and received the final Rising Star nomination that year. Struggled to make an impact after that, but made the most of his AFL career. 16. Guy Richards, Round 9, 2004 The ruckman enjoyed a solid 2004 season, playing 12 games, winning the club’s best first year player, and receiving a Rising Star nomination after having 15 touches, kicking a goal and having 13 hit outs against Adelaide. 17. Travis Cloke, Round 10, 2005 Six games into his AFL career, Travis Cloke won the Rising Star nod for his 15-disposal, six-mark and one-goal performance in the club’s win over Hawthorn. 18. Dale Thomas, Round 2, 2006 His first game produced a screamer and two goals; his second yielded 20 disposals and no goals but won him the Rising Star weekly prize. 19. Heath Shaw, Round 5, 2006 Heath Shaw polled 32 votes – and was third – in the overall count of 2006. He won his nomination in round five, in his 10th game, when he had 23 touches and nine rebound 50s in the clash with Port Adelaide. 20. Scott Pendlebury, Round 4, 2007 Surprisingly, Pendles didn’t get the Rising Star nomination out of nine games in his first year (2006), but he wasted little time in getting the recognition in his second. In round four – his 13th game – the star midfielder had 20 touches and kicked two goals against the Power. Pendlebury polled 37 votes, only seven votes behind the eventual winner Joel Selwood. 21. Marty Clarke, Round 13, 2007 A week after his stunning debut against Sydney, Marty Clarke won the Rising Star weekly tick in only his second game, with a three-goal 19-disposal effort against Hawthorn that had plenty of people talking about the Irishman. 22. Tyson Goldsack, Round 21, 2007 Tyson Goldsack‘s Rising Star nomination in only his 13th game for the club also produced what is still his best disposal count. He had 25 touches against the Swans, and it’s still his personal best for a game. 23. Nathan Brown, Round 10, 2008 Consistency in defence in his first 10 games proved the key to Nathan Brown‘s Rising Star nomination in a 100-point win over West Coast in his first season. 24. Jaxson Barham, Round 4, 2009 Jaxson Barham had the dream start to what would ultimately be a brief AFL career. Wearing his father Ricky’s old No.43, he had 28 touches on debut against Brisbane in round four, 2009, and won the Rising Star nomination from his first game. But not much else followed. He holds the record with St Kilda’s Brodie Atkinson for the least amount of career games for a Rising Star nominee – seven. 25. Brad Dick, Round 11, 2009 Who could ever forget Brad Dick‘s five-goal haul against Melbourne on Queen’s Birthday, 2009, in only his 11th game? But for a few other flashy moments, he never reached those same heights, held back by injuries. He would end up playing 27 games for the club before heading to West Coast where he failed to play a game. 26. Dayne Beams, Round 17, 2009 Two goals and 21 disposals in a big win over Carlton showed Collingwood fans just how good Dayne Beams would become. 27. Ben Reid, Round 12, 2010 He made steady progress during his first three years, but Ben Reid had a memorable 2010 season for many reasons, predominantly the premiership. But he also won a Rising Star nomination after his 17th game. 28. Alex Fasolo, Round 22, 2011 Nineteen disposals, two goals and a Rising Star gong – that all came for Alex Fasolo in round 22, 2011. He had kicked five goals three week earlier but it was not deemed to be his moment. The judges were never going to let that happen this time around, and he capped off a strong debut season by playing in a losing Grand Final side. 29. Ben Sinclair, Round 11, 2012 Playing his 15th AFL game, Ben Sinclair received his nomination for his three-goal effort against Melbourne in Round 11, 2012. It was a perfect Queen’s Birthday for the blond haired man in the No. 28 jumper. 30. Marley Williams, Round 18, 2013 Just five days after his 20th birthday, Marley Williams got a belated present – a weekly nomination for the Rising Star. It was after his good form in round 18, 2013, when he had 16 touches against GWS. 31. Brodie Grundy, Round 22, 2013 Brodie Grundy not only ousted Darren Jolly out of the ruck role in late 2013, he won a Rising Star shout-out for his performance in Round 22, against West Coast. But he only got one vote in the tally at the end of the season, which was won by Jaeger O’Meara (44). 32. Tom Langdon, Round 7, 2014 Tom Langdon won his Rising Star recognition in his seventh game in 2014, when he had 23 touches in Collingwood’s win over Carlton. 33. Tim Broomhead, Round 11, 2015 Twenty five disposals and a goal was enough to lift Tim Broomhead to the Rising Star nomination in round 11 this year. 34. Jordan De Goey, Round 20, 2015 Jordan De Goey got his nomination for his gutsy performance against Sydney at the SCG, when he had 18 touches and kicked a vital goal. 35. Darcy Moore, Round 19, 2016 Darcy Moore played just 34 per cent of the match against West Coast at the MCG. But it was enough for him to kick three goals and two behinds from six marks before injury ended his day. 36. Tom Phillips, Round 9, 2017 The 21-year-old collected 24 disposals, four rebounds and laid three tackles during Collingwood’s thrilling comeback win over Hawthorn. 37. Sam Murray, Round 3, 2018 Months after being traded from Sydney, Murray made his league debut against Hawthorn in round one, and by round three, courtesy of his 21 disposals, seven marks and four tackles against the Blues, found himself on the receiving end of a Rising Star nomination. 38. Jaidyn Stephenson, Round 4, 2018 At just 19 years of age, Stephenson, playing his fourth game, kicked five goals to spearhead Collingwood to its first win in South Australia since 2012. At the end of the season he would go on to become the first Collingwood player ever to win the Rising Star award, with a record count of 52 votes.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/one-game-wonders/ Sat, 23 Aug 2014 02:08:59 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=4150 The first gamer Dick Poole played in Collingwood’s first VFL game, and never played another senior game for the club. It came in the opening round of the league’s first season as the 24-year-old from the Collingwood Juniors broke into what was the side that had won the previous year’s VFA flag. Little is known about the 24-year-old who came into the side that day against St Kilda at Victoria Park, other than he played “half-forward” in the club’s 25-point win. The Argus said when discussing the Magpies’ forward line that day: “Poole, a junior recruit, was commendably conspicuous in the panic division.” A week earlier he had played in a Juniors team against the Collingwood VFL team in a practice match and it is safe to assume his performance that day at half-back led to his one and only senior game for the club. He had won the “best play” award in an awards night in April, clearly for his work the previous year in the Juniors side, earning “a gift from Messrs Verey and Cross”. Poole stood at 173cm and weighed 71kg, but never appeared again for the senior side. He would live until almost two months before his 67th birthday, dying on June 3, 1939. The five-club players Four men in the history of the game have played for five VFL-AFL clubs, and two of them have been one-game Collingwood players. Both of them had the Christian name of Les. The first was Les Abbott. He was born and bred in Collingwood, and would be recruited from the Collingwood Juniors, but he would take his football career all over the city. Fittingly, he played his one and only game for the club against Geelong in Round 8, 1904, at Corio Oval. At least the Magpies won that July match by four goals. Earlier that month he had impressed when he played in an exhibition match for Collingwood against Castlemaine during a mid-season tour, which earned his senior inclusion. But Abbott would never again play for the Magpies. He would play one for Carlton in 1905, 31 for Richmond in 1910-11, three for Melbourne in 1912, and a further three for South Melbourne that same year. He would also play for three VFA clubs – Brunswick, Port Melbourne and North Melbourne. A full-back or defender, who could also occasionally play in attack, he was one of Brunswick’s best players in the club’s Grand Final win in 1909. The Brunswick Annual Report at the start of that season recorded: “Special mention should be made of Mr L. Abbott, in whom the club has found an excellent full-back.” If Abbott had football wanderlust, then the same can be said for Les Hughson, whose brother Fred would later become one of Fitzroy’s greatest players. Hughson would call himself a “tram footballer”, which referred to a player who regularly changed teams during the 1930s Depression years. “We weren’t mercenary, but we had to play to live in those days,” Hughson would say years later about his colourful career. “When my form started to drop, I felt it was wise to move onto the next club.” He was 19 when he played his one game for Collingwood, in round 13, 1927, and he would kick one of the club’s 18 goals in the 74-point win over Hawthorn at Victoria Park. He transferred to Hawthorn the following year, playing four games; before playing 12 games with Carlton in 1933-34; 41 with St Kilda in 1934-36; and 15 with Fitzroy in 1937. When he was appointed playing coach of Stawell in 1938, he was offered two pounds per week, and “as much free beer” as he could drink in the local pub. He led the team to the flag, but had to renegotiate the following year because the publican could no longer take such a big loss on the big-drinking, fun-loving footballer. The fallen Two of Collingwood’s war dead was one-gamers – Charles Langtree and Sam Campbell. Langtree was only 17 when he played his one game, against St Kilda, at the Junction Oval in Round 12, 1900. The Magpies won that day by 25 points. He had originally been from Warrenbayne in country Victoria, but he also attended Dookie College before being recruited to Collingwood as “an old boy” from Haileybury College. But in June 1915, as the war was ravaging the world, Langtree left Melbourne for England “where he obtained a commission in the Royal Field Artillery” in the British Army. Described as “a well-known footballer” who “at times” played for Collingwood, Lieutenant Charles Henry Langtree fought with distinction before dying of wounds at Corbie, France, on August 3, 1916. He was 33. That was just a few days after his old side had beaten Fitzroy in the final round of the abbreviated 1916 season. Campbell played his one game with Collingwood in round one, 1910, against Carlton at Princes Park. He was one of four debutants that day, as the Magpies went down to the Blues by 28 points. Born in Ballarat, he was recruited to Collingwood from Spensley Street Methodists (Clifton Hill). Eight years later, he joined the AIF, but sadly died of influenza before he could reach the theatres of war, on October 21, 1918 – in the dying days of the war. Mal’s great-grandfather Mal Michael’s AFL career – as a Collingwood player first and later as a triple premiership Brisbane player – dwarfed the fleeting, short-lived VFL career of his great grandfather, Robert Michael. Michael played one game for the Magpies, in round 10, 1906. He was 27 when he played his sole game against Fitzroy, being the next club debutant after Dick Lee, who was in his fourth game that day. Lee would go onto a remarkable career; Michael would fade as quickly as he rose. When he was ready to make his debut, the Maffra Spectator recorded: “It is likely that big Michael (he was 184cm and 83kg), who plays football with the Sale team, will soon be included in the ranks of Collingwood. He should make his presence felt.” In an earlier match with Sale, it was said: “Michael was a tower of strength to his side, and his clean and effective work in the ruck, coupled with good long kicking, contributed largely to the victory.” But sadly he could not replicate that form in his one match in Black and White. The Gippsland Times explained: “R. Michael, the local footballer, played for Collingwood last Saturday, but (according to the ‘Age’) did not play brilliantly.” The sports scientist coach Dick Telford was a well-known distance running coach, sports scientist and Australian Institute of Sport pioneer. At times he would work closely with Robert de Castella, Lisa Martin, Andrew Lloyd, among others, at Olympic and Commonwealth Games level. He also featured in a Kelloggs’ commercial during the 1980s. Before all that, though, Telford was a Collingwood footballer. A talented young player, originally from North Reservoir who attended Northcote High School, he performed well at reserves level but could only manage one senior game during his time at Victoria Park. That game came against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval in Round 9, 1966. His game time and impact would be at a minimum, with two handballs being his output in the No.34 jumper. He would transfer to Fitzroy the following season, where he would play a further two games before a hand injury curtailed his time with the Lions. But Telford would dominate in his time at Preston, where he won the 1968 Liston Trophy, as well as helped his team win the flag that season. He played with Preston for several more seasons with a far greater impact than at VFL level. How did we let this bloke go? A 19-year-old from Pearcedale played one game for Collingwood – sitting on the bench for most of the day and not recording a stat – in the final round of the 1966 season. It was against Footscray and he had to sit back and watch as the Magpies obliterated their opponents by 104 points. He never got the chance to wear the black and white senior colours again, being overlooked as the club went into the 1966 finals. Few people gave it much thought when he was offloaded to Hawthorn the following year. His name was Ian Bremner. And when he finished at Glenferrie Oval after the 1976 season, he was a dual premiership player. The half-back flanker would play 158 games for the Hawks, playing in the 1971 and ’76 flags, making him a “one that got away” player for Collingwood. The day Diana died Dwayne Griffin will never forget his one AFL game. And it won’t be the fact that he got through the match without having a touch on the day. But the match will forever be recalled because it was the day that Princess Diana died. The game was against North Melbourne, in round 22, 1997, and a pall came across the MCG that day when it was announced that Diana had been killed following a car accident in Paris. Griffen played two previous seasons with Swan Districts before returning to that club after his short stint with Collingwood. He would play more than 100 games for the WAFL club and won their best-and-fairest in 2002. The first round pick If Danny Roach had made a success of his AFL career, he could still be playing in 2014. He is 32 in 2014, but unfortunately for him, that never panned out. His one game came 13 years ago when he was only 19 years of age. It came against Richmond in round four, 2001 before a bumper crowd of 78,638. What made it difficult for Roach was that he was that he had been a pick seven in the national draft of 1999. The Pies had very high hopes for his future. In an issue of In Black and White following the ’99 draft, then recruiting manager Noel Judkins wrote: “He’s a very versatile player, and people would be yet to decide where his best position is going to be. He’s played on the backline, on the wing, as an on-ball runner and at centre half forward. He’s got a great vertical leap; his second efforts and ability to chase and tackle are very good. Strong overhead mark, but he’s got to work on his kicking.” Unfortunately, Magpie fans would never get to see that kicking style in the seniors. His one game resulted in one tackle only, and no disposals. Roach had several injuries during his time, including a serious hip issue, and when he retired at the end of the 2001 season, he also cited a lack of motivation to continue. Something to Crow about Anyone who plays at least one game for Collingwood has something to crow about. Justin Crow had that one game, plus a little bit more ground time than most in the years later. He acted as the Magpies match day runner for a period of time five years after his sole game as a senior player. The son of former Bomber, Saint and Bulldog Max Crow, he came from Oakleigh Chargers before joining the Magpies and making his debut as a 21-year-old in round 19, 2004. His one game came against Fremantle at Subiaco, in what was Nick Maxwell’s ninth game. Maxy would go on and play another 199; Crow would never get another chance. The Magpies beat the Docker by 33 points that night, despite kicking an inaccurate 14.22. And Crow had two kicks and one hitout with his two marks being contested ones. Unfortunately, he never got another chance to wear the Black and White, but the good thing was that he was not lost to football. Twice he won the club’s reserves best-and-fairest award, the Joseph Wren Memorial Trophy, and he later played with the Northern Bullants, as they were then. He worked as a rehabilitation coach at Collingwood for three years before moving to Essendon, where he is now high performance manager.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/the-40-somethings/ Sun, 03 Aug 2014 01:52:59 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/?p=4144