Collingwood Forever

Darren Millane's death

on August 24, 2014

On October 7, 1991, tragedy descended upon the Collingwood Football Club when premiership hero Darren Millane died in a drink-driving car accident.

The other Pies-Saints draw

on August 3, 2014

The other Collingwood-St Kilda draw is almost forgotten now.

Stoning the Crows

on August 3, 2014

The first time Collingwood met Adelaide was in round 15, 1991, at Victoria Park, and Adelaide was in its inaugural season, having won its first match in Melbourne only the previous week against Richmond.

Daicos' baker's dozen

on August 3, 2014

Arguably Peter Daicos' greatest game was when he kicked 13 goals against the Brisbane Bears on a dewy night on the Gold Coast in Round 20, 1981.

1991: Collingwood vs Richmond (Round 23)

1991: Geelong vs Collingwood (Round 24)

1991: Collingwood vs St Kilda (Round 19)

1991: Brisbane vs Collingwood (Round 20)

1991: Melbourne vs Collingwood (Round 21)

1991: Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs (Round 16)

1991: West Coast vs Collingwood (Round 17)

1991: Fitzroy vs Collingwood (Round 18)

1991: Carlton vs Collingwood (Round 12)

1991: Essendon vs Collingwood (Round 13)

1991: Collingwood vs Sydney (Round 14)

1991: Collingwood vs Adelaide (Round 15)

1991: North Melbourne vs Collingwood (Round 11)

1991: Collingwood vs Geelong (Round 9)

1991: Collingwood vs Hawthorn (Round 10)

1991: Collingwood vs Brisbane (Round 5)

1991: Collingwood vs Melbourne (Round 6)

1991: Richmond vs Collingwood (Round 8)

1991: Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood (Round 1)

1991: Collingwood vs West Coast (Round 2)

1991: Collingwood vs Fitzroy (Round 3)

1991: St Kilda vs Collingwood (Round 4)

Kym Russell

Ex-Sturt. Brother of Scott.

Troy Lehmann

A highly skilled ruck-rover from North Adelaide who was troubled by hamstring injuries throughout his career.

Mark Richardson

A tall utility whose flexibility made him a valuable asset in various positions, Richardson was a stalwart of the Collingwood teams of the 1990s who helped keep the flame flickering while the club endured its lowest ebb on and off the field. Richardson, a true utility who made his mark at centre half back, centre half forward and in the…

Jason McCartney

As a junior from Nhill, McCartney had a huge reputation and there was tremendous controversy even before he was drafted as he told some clubs he would not play with them if they chose him. Collingwood chose him but he had trouble living up to the expectations as a key defender or forward. After four years at Victoria Park he…

Scott Russell

Russell joined Collingwood from South Australian club Sturt without much fanfare but he had a magnificent opening year and showed he was a terrific centre square possession winner as a ruck-rover or centreman. His pace and class in the midfield was a factor in lifting the Magpies and he had more kicks than any other player in the 1990 flag…

Paul Williams

One of the fastest players of his era, Williams had the exceptional knack of being able to kick long goals when running at breakneck pace. His breakaway speed made him a match-winner – his trademark was a dash out of the centre and a long bomb goal from 50 metres. Great stamina also made him a quality centreman. Serious ankle…

Stephen Anderson

Former South Warrnambool player who won the 1991 Gardiner Medal.

Tony Francis

A cheeky rover with great acceleration, Francis enshrined himself in Collingwood history when he tied with Scott Russell for the club’s Best First Year Player Award in the premiership year of 1990. Francis crossed to Collingwood after two years with the Norwood seniors in the SANFL, and it proved a fairytale end to a season that began disastrously when he…

Craig Kelly

A strong and tough defender who quickly become a fan favourite during his stay at Victoria Park, highlighted by his key role in the 1990 premiership. Kelly, universally known as ‘Ned’, was recruited from South Australian club Norwood and was a recognised leader around the club during his 122-game career, often playing above his height in the back pocket. His…

Andrew Tarpey

Ex-Oakleigh Districts. Brother of Howard.

Colin Alexander

COLLINGWOOD looked to the 1988 national draft desperate to secure a classy rover. Two of those chosen went on to premiership glory with the Magpies; another shone brightly in his debut season, winning the club’s best first-year player award in 1989, before injuries and inconsistent form cut short his time in black and white. Colin Alexander, from Clarence in Tasmania,…

Damian Monkhorst

A ruckman from Woori Yallock who was thrust into the No.1 ruckman role at a young age. He marked time in his second year and although he started slowly in the 1990 finals he eventually came good and outpointed Simon Madden in the Grand Final to help greatly towards the flag win. He was never a prolific mark, but compensated…

Darren Saunders

A resolute defender, Saunders arrived at Footscray via Kingsville. He played six games for the Bulldogs in 1986 before shifting to East Ballarat. He moved to Victoria Park in 1988 and featured in Collingwood’s semi-final loss to Melbourne a year later. Although never a regular, Saunders was on the fringe of the senior side in 1992-1993 and played four games in the…

Graham Wright

An ex-East Devonport (Tasmania) player whose non-stop running on the wing made him a menace to opposing teams. He took a while to settle down in his first year, but by 1990 he went within a vote of winning the Brownlow. In the same season he was part of a Tasmanian State-of- Origin team that beat Victoria then capped it…

Paul Tuddenham

PAUL Tuddenham resolved early in his career that he was never going to feel suffocated by his surname. In the end, it was injuries and at times a lack of opportunity, which prevented the son of one of Collingwood’s most famous players, Des Tuddenham, from making a more lasting impact on the Magpies’ fortunes during the late 1980s and early…

Doug Barwick

An highly skilled half forward, Barwick was recruited from East Launceston and after starting out at Fitzroy ended his career as a hero of the 1990 premiership. Barwick’s early years with Fitzroy saw him establish himself as a reliable small forward with an eye for the big sticks, slotting a career-high 47 in his final year in 1987. He was…

Mick McGuane

A prolific ball-winner whose talents were used across the centre and half-back lines, McGuane was genuinely a member of the top echelon of League players during his halcyon days of 1992-1994. McGuane was a Collingwood barracker from his youngest days as a kid outside Ballarat. He was recruited from Sebastapol which was in St Kilda’s territory. Ironically the Saints, who…

Alan Richardson

A steady influence on the half back flank across nine seasons, Richardson narrowly missed out on a place as a Collingwood immortal when he was a late withdrawal from the 1990 Grand Final due to injury. Rarely a high possession winner, Richardson was a reliable solider under Leigh Matthews and Tony Shaw for almost a decade, and he later returned…

Jason Croall

A defender from Bundoora in Collingwood’s northern suburb heartland, Croall joined the club in its under-15 development squad and moved through the under-17 and under-19 teams. He captained the under-19s to a premiership under Keith Burns against North Melbourne in 1986, playing in a team that included the likes of Gavin Brown, Gavin Crosisca, Mick McGuane and Damian Monkhorst. Croall…

Craig Starcevich

A tall and lean key position player, Starcevich is famous for his role in Collingwood’s 1990 premiership triumph. He was an outside chance to claim the Norm Smith Medal as best afield until a heavy blow from Essendon defender Terry Daniher put an early end to his day. Starcevich was recruited from East Perth, for whom he played 37 games…

Michael Christian

A talented key position player who made his name as one of the 20 men who took Collingwood to premiership glory in 1990. Christian was recruited from East Perth and made an immediate impression at Victoria Park, making his debut alongside six other first-timers against Sydney in round one of 1987. Christian missed only four more games for the season,…

Gavin Crosisca

Gavin Crosisca was the kind of player teammates love to have on their side: tough, unrelenting, a guy who left everything out on the field every time he played. He was a Premiership player at 22, and an under-19s flag-winner before that. He placed in the Copeland three times, and won three “Wrecker” awards for his bone-jarring tackles and penchant…

Gavin Brown

Brown’s commitment to the Collingwood cause made him a favorite at the club. He started as a winger when he came from Templestowe and showed himself to be an absolutely fearless player in all situations. Alongside Gavin Crosisca, Damian Monkhorst and Mick McGuane, he played in the Collingwood under-19s premiership side of 1986 and that was the launching pad for…

Shane Kerrison

A strong and durable tagger who built a reputation as an effective and unobtrusive defender, Kerrison etched his name into club history when he was a late inclusion for the 1990 Grand Final victory at the expense of Alan Richardson. Kerrison debuted in Leigh Matthews’ second game as senior coach against Footscray in 1986 and did not miss another game…

Mick Gayfer

Few Collingwood footballers have extracted as much out of their natural abilities as Mick Gayfer, the club’s ever-reliable, close-checking defender of the late 1980s and early 1990s. That shouldn’t been taken as a slight. Quite the contrary, it is a compliment of the highest order. By his own admission, Gayfer wasn’t blessed with the sharpest of skills, or the pure…

James Manson

A tall Taswegian who was an excellent contested mark, Manson endeared himself to Collingwood supporters with an unconventional and occasionally unreliable kicking action. His role in the 1990 premiership triumph cannot be understated, for his relief ruckwork helped Damian Monkhorst overcome Essendon powerhouse Simon Madden in the decide. Persistence and willingness to work hard were his greatest assets from the…

Darren Millane

It is one of the most treasured images in Collingwood’s history: Darren Millane throwing the ball into the air at the end of the 1990 Grand Final, signalling that, at last, the Premiership flag was coming back to Victoria Park. Yet one year later that same image had assumed such an air of poignancy that it was impossible to view without…

Ron McKeown

Ron McKeown endured more than his share of heartache as a Collingwood footballer, including his controversial omission from the last two finals of Collingwood’s fabled 1990 triumph. But the powerfully-built Magpie, who was equally adept at both ends of the ground, deserves to be remembered as much more than one of the club’s hard-luck stories or an answer to a…

Jamie Turner

In an era before versatility was an AFL pre-requisite, Jamie Turner might well have been the ultimate utility. Across 10 seasons and 160 games, there were few positions this adaptable, remarkably durable footballer wasn’t asked to play at stages of his career with Collingwood. He may not have mastered them all, but he was always ready, willing and able to…

Shane Morwood

A dependable, classy backman who was an important member of the 1990 triumph. Morwood had played alongside his brother at South Melbourne but quit the club after it shifted to Sydney and took up residence on a back flank at Victoria Park. Although he was the lowest profile of several recruits of the time, he proved to be the best…

Peter Daicos

The idol of all Collingwood fans in the modern era. Daicos originally was a fanatical South Melbourne supporter, but his family shifted from the South zone and Collingwood recruited Daicos from Preston RSL. He was a star from his first game, against St Kilda. He had 28 possessions (as centreman) in a Collingwood record score of 31.21 (207) to St…

Denis Banks

The 1979 season was a period of regeneration at the Collingwood Football Club: no fewer than 14 players debuted during that year. Among those debutants was a skinny kid from Preston called Peter Daicos, who would go on to become one of the all-time greats of the game. But Daics didn’t win our Best First Year Player award that year.…

Tony Shaw

Whenever talk turns to the great Collingwood captains, Tony Shaw’s name is always near the top of the list. And justifiably so, for Shawry’s intense and driven leadership played a huge role in guiding his teammates to their fabled drought-breaking Premiership of 1990. But so did his footy. It remains one of the great curiosities of the game that, despite…