1990 Premiership player Gavin Crosisca has donated almost all his football memorabilia to the Collingwood Museum.

In an extraordinarily generous act, Crosisca has given us a wealth of material dating back to his junior days in Queensland. Highlights include

  • Both his 1990 Premiership medals (the one presented on the day, and the more elaborate inscribed version presented later);
  • The guernsey he wore in the 1990 Grand Final;
  • A number of other Collingwood guernseys;
  • His 1986 Under-19s Premiership medal;
  • The jumpers he wore for the Allies, Queensland and Victoria;
  • A wide variety of trophies, clothing and other souvenirs from across his career;
  • Signed matchday footballs from several of his milestone games;
  • His R T Rush, J J Joyce, Life Membership and Hall of Fame medals;
  • A wonderful collection of guernseys and photos from his days in Queensland;
  • Scrapbooks, photos and clippings from a life spent in football.

One particularly unusual item is a black-and-white cap with Gav’s nickname ‘Bagger’ on the back and the words ‘Slow the warm-up laps down you idiots’ on the front. It was given to him by teammates as a ‘dig’ over his well-known dislike of training.

All told there are close to 200 items in the collection, making it one of the largest single-player donations the Museum has ever received.

 

Museum curator Michael Roberts said it was a remarkable collection of items.

“The great thing is that Gav hasn’t only kept the ‘obvious’ items, such as the trophies from his Collingwood days.

“He’s also kept signed posters and team photos and souvenirs, and some unique curiosities that we’ve not seen before. Plus his collection goes all the way back, to jumpers he wore and photos of teams he was in as a kid. It’s one of the most comprehensive collections of an individual player we have received, and we can’t thank Gavin enough for his generosity.”

Gavin Crosisca played 246 games for Collingwood across 14 seasons, becoming one of the Club’s most consistent high-level performers during a long and distinguished career. He was a key member of the Club’s famous 1990 Premiership team, and was also part of the under-19s Premiership in 1986. He finished second in the best-and-fairest once, and twice finished third. He also won a number of other awards for Best Teammate/Best Clubman, and was a highly respected teammate who gave everything for the team.

Various parts of the Crosisca Collection will be on display in the Museum in the coming months.

Thank you Gav!