Jack Charles

Background

His father, James Collins, who had been the captain-coach of the Yarraville Football Club from 1918 to 1919, played 30 senior games for the Essendon Football Club from 1919 to 1921.

Career

In 1953, both Collins and Collingwood player Frank Tuck were reported following a fierce fight. They were both subsequently suspended and, as a result, Collins missed the finals of the 1953 VFL season in which Footscray finished third. Also, in that same year (1954) Collins was the VFL Leading Goalkicker with 84 goals.

He was the leading goalkicker, again, in the 1957 VFL season with a total of 74 goals.

After retiring from football after 154 games and 385 goals, Collins served as a players representative, then secretary, and finally president of the club Collins was active in moves to save the Footscray Football Club when the club nearly merged with Fitzroy in 1989.

Achievements

• Collins was recruited to Footscray in 1950 from the Yarraville Football Club and, for the next two years, he won the club"s best-and-fairest award (later designated the Charles Sutton Medal). The next year,Collins kicked a (then record) 7 goals at full-forward in the 1954 VFL Grand Final, where Footscray, captained by Charlie Sutton, won their only (to date) premiership.

Connections

Friend:

William Allan