Collingwood Forever

For many years, this player has been listed as ‘Dredger’ in most records (including here), for that is the way he was listed in some newspapers of the day.

However, extensive recent research has suggested that his name was incorrectly spelled at the time, and that it should be Dreger. Further, it is highly likely that the man who played with us in 1894 is one of two brothers – Henry and James Dreger. Henry won a medal for ‘best central play’ with local club Collingwood Excelsior in 1892 and continued playing with them in 1893. James appears to have been playing with Collingwood Imperials. Both played the first game of 1894 with the Collingwood Juniors. As yet there is no conclusive evidence to suggest which of the two brothers played the senior games late in the 1894 season. There is a leaning towards James being that player, as some sources said the ‘Dredger’ who debuted had come from Imperials, but nothing that we could take as absolute confirmation.

Both Henry and James appear to have been scallywags (putting it kindly) and they were frequently in trouble with the law over the years, especially in Western Australia, where they moved in the early 1900s, and where they would later die.

A third brother, William, also played with Collingwood Juniors in 1905, just before the club was disbanded.