Collingwood Forever

Jim Sharp

Collingwood never got to see the best of Jim Sharp as a player – but that didn’t stop him making a massive contribution to the club during nearly 15 years of service that saw him spend more than a decade as President. But that administrative acumen wasn’t why Collingwood recruited him in the first place. Instead, it was as an…

Mal Seddon

Few figures in the history of the Collingwood Football Club have ever done more to earn the tag ‘great Collingwood man’ than Malcolm ‘Doc’ Seddon. He was a local lad who became an outstanding player, committeeman and chairman of selectors at the football club he served for the best part of 30 years, while also rising to be Mayor of…

Eddie Thomas

From Preston District.

Bill Hammond

There aren’t many pairs of brothers who have found themselves on opposite sides of the Collingwood-Carlton divide. But that’s what happened with Bill and Charlie Hammond – and a third brother, Jack. All were born and grew up in Collingwood. Charlie found his way to Carlton first, in 1905, and was joined there the next year by older brother Jack.…

Paddy Rowan

By Michael Roberts: By now, the story of Paddy Rowan’s personal journey is so well known as to scarcely need repeating: the promising young country footballer who moves to Melbourne under as assumed name, takes up with Collingwood and forms an intensely close mateship with one of his Magpie teammates, ‘Doc’ Seddon. The two play footy together, cricket together and…

George Anderson

Mainly a half-back flanker, Anderson was a blond headed farmer from Howlong. Regarded as Collingwood’s best player in 1915, he was always able to thread his way out of defence. He played in a premiership side in his last game in 1917.

John Somer

By: Glenn McFarlane: ‘Jack’ Somer came perilously close to death in the First World War, having been wounded on at least two occasions. But this one-game Collingwood player, who also managed a solitary game for St Kilda in the same season (1911), would suffer horrific injuries when struck by a car when crossing a road in Albert Park two weeks…

Billy Holmes

By Michael Roberts: Like many footballing soldiers, Billy Holmes’ war years proved to be a turbulent time. Unusually though, most of Billy’s troubles in uniform came at home, rather than on the battlefields of Europe. William Frederick Holmes was born in Bendigo in 1890, and won a solid reputation in the early years of the 20th century playing with California…

Jack Green Snr

A defender from Barwon Downs who represented Victoria. He played on the half back flank in the losing Grand Final side in 1911 and six years later was part of the premiership combination. He was the first of the three Jack Greens to play for Collingwood, paving the way for Jack T. Green and Jack Green Junior.

Dan Minogue

Footballing debuts come in all shapes and sizes, from the triumphant to the disastrous. In Dan Minogue’s case, his first appearance with Collingwood was both. The 19-year-old was thrown in at the deep end in the opening round clash against Richmond in 1911, starting at centre half-back on the highly rated Tom Heaney. After a slightly uneasy start, Minogue bounced…

Alec Mutch

A safe and reliable defender from Collingwood District. Mutch was best on the ground in the 1919 Grand Final. He had been a model player for many years, but had never played better. His marking, judgement and kicking were splendid. He was in great form in 1920 but was injured just before the finals. He was a member of the…

Jack Sheehan

By Glenn McFarlane: Two days after playing his 10th game of VFL football, Jack Sheehan walked into a recruiting office and enlisted in the AIF. It was July 12, 1915. He was a Richmond footballer at the time, having played three games with Collingwood back in 1911. He hadn’t made much of an impact at Victoria Park, but had been…

Paddy Gilchrist

By Michael Roberts: It takes an extraordinary amount of talent, resolve and mental strength for a young footballer to walk straight from a local team into a Premiership-winning VFL combination – especially mid-season. But that’s just what the hugely gifted Paddy Gilchrist managed to do in 1910. Patrick Gilchrist was born in Richmond but grew up in Mitcham. He started…

Charlie Norris

A sterling follower from Northcote who was very consistent. He played in Collingwood’s 1910 premiership team and was also part of the 1913 and 1916 flag sides at Fitzroy. He also played in the runner-up team of 1917. Norris made his VFL debut at the age of 28 and was 37 when he finished.

Ernie Lumsden

As a youngster, Lumsden had sold Heralds at John Wren’s tote. A tough, strong utility player who only had limited chances in his first stint at Collingwood, Lumsden made his mark at Essendon, once kicking seven goals in a game, and in his second try at Collingwood played in three successive Grand Final teams, including the 1917 and 1919 premierships.…

Jim Jackson

Football was a tough caper in and around the years of the First World War. But Jim Jackson inadvertently made his own task considerably tougher during one game in 1915. Jackson had been in army training camp in Seymour but was given the Saturday afternoon off so that he could continue to pull on the boots for Collingwood. Unfortunately for…

Horrie Jones

Norm Oliver

Recruited from Castlemaine, Oliver was a winger in the 1910 flag side. He was brother of Les and George. Do you know more about Norm Oliver’s time at Collingwood? If you have any further information, please email the team at Collingwood Media on forever@collingwoodfc.com.au.

Duncan McIvor

Percy Wilson

Small men don’t come much smaller – or gamer – than 1917 Premiership captain Percy Wilson. The one-time Magpie skipper was only about 168cm (5ft 6in) tall and, even in those days of smaller footballers, stood out as being undersized. But he was not frail, and his fearlessness, courage and skills more than made up for any lack of height…

Charlie Dummett

Alf’s brother.

Dick Vernon

Dick Vernon is perhaps best remembered in football circles for being one of the few players in history to have made his VFL/AFL debut after he’d passed 30. But long-time VFL boot-studder Stan Bouchier once recalled that Vernon stood out to him for a different reason. Bouchier served on Collingwood’s training staff as a boot-studder from 1896 until the mid-1920s.…

Jim Sadler

Speed, skill, agility, versatility, cleverness and a great footy brain – Jim Sadler had it all. And he made the most of it too, one of a handful of Magpie midfielders who terrorised opponents in the years leading up to the First World War. James Sadler came to Victoria Park from Allansford, near Warrnambool. He was recruited as a defender,…

Les Hughes

Collingwood has known plenty of gentle giants over the journey – names such as Ray Gabelich, Bob Heard and Graeme Jenkin spring readily to mind – but Les Hughes was the first to be given the tag, and he remains one of the most popular and good-natured big men ever to pull on a Collingwood jumper. He was also one…

Bill Heatley

Heatley was a forward and occasional defender who later went to Brighton.

Dave O'Donoghue

Managed to break the 50 game mark after being recruited from Northcote.

Dave Ryan

A capable and talented player originally recruited from Yarrawonga he was used as a follower and forward who played many fine games. Ryan was first ruck in the 1910 flag team and the next year he played in the losing Grand Final team. He retired in 1913, but VFA club Prahran talked him into playing again. Dave was the uncle…

Tom Baxter

Tom Baxter was a brilliant, fast and talented rover. But it’s easy to forget that, simply because his career was so heavily punctuated with controversy. He sits alongside names like Carman, Condon, McInerny and Langford as among the most scandal-dogged in the club’s history. Drama seemed to follow Tom wherever he went. That started long before he came to Collingwood,…

Dick Lee

Mention the name Dick Lee to any football supporter and it immediately evokes images of freakish leaps, sensational marks and long, accurate kicks for goal. But there is one other quality for which he is less well known, and without which he might have struggled to play more than a few seasons with Collingwood. That quality is courage. Throughout his long…

Percy Gibb

In the early 1900s, Percy Gibb was hot property. He’d played in a VFA Premiership with Richmond in 1903 as a 21-year-old, and the fleet-footed wingman was in demand. Collingwood secretary Ern Copeland saw the potential and arranged a meeting with Gibb, after which he ‘all but’ agreed to join the Magpies. But nothing was signed. A short time later…

George Angus

One of the most understated of all Collingwood’s early skippers, George Angus nevertheless managed to carve out a reputation for himself not only as an indefatigable follower who was a part of three premierships, but also as an outstanding leader. Angus was an important contributor throughout his 10 years at Collingwood, but never more so than during his successful stint…

Jock McHale

Arguably the greatest figure in the club’s history, Jock McHale played for 17 seasons, coached for 38 — yes, 38 — and provided the leadership, spirit and inspiration that kept Collingwood at or near the top of the football tree for the first 50 years of the 20th century. Even today, his name is synonymous with Collingwood. James Francis McHale (he…

Ted Rowell

More than 1200 men have pulled on the Collingwood jumper since the club’s first outing in 1892, and few have been able to rival Ted Rowell’s heady combination of exceptional on-field achievements, longevity, and colourful side stories. Star forward, champion defender, coach, renowned sprinter, goldfields explorer, singer, bookmaker – Ted Rowell did it all. But one of his more enduring…