Maurie "Mocha" Dunstan (25 March 1929 – 17 May 1991) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Dunstan had been on Collingwood's radar since his late teens but was only convinced by the club to join them after spending two seasons with

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

in the Victorian Football Association. During his early career at Collingwood, the young centre half-forward was also serving an apprenticeship in an engineering unit of the Australian Army. Although he missed the first four rounds of the

1951 VFL season The 1951 VFL season was the 55th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 21 April until 29 September, and comprised an ...

, Dunstan topped Collingwood's goal-kicking with 40 goals, including a bag of eight against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval.AFL Tables: Maurie Dunstan
/ref> He was their top goal-kicker again in 1952, when he kicked 43 goals, but was goal-less in the finals series and finished on the losing team in the

1952 VFL Grand Final The 1952 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September 1952. It was the 55th annual VFL Grand Final, Grand ...

. He played in 13 of the 18 rounds in the 1953 home and away season but was then struck down with appendicitis. As a result of his illness, as well as a leg injury, he missed out on participating in Collingwood's 12th premiership, with Terry Waites replacing him in the team for the finals. His misfortunes in 1953 weren't the only time he had spells on the sidelines, over the course of his short career he suffered breaks on his ankle, hands, toe and ribs. Dunstan later coached Fish Creek in the

Alberton Football League The Alberton Football Netball League was an Australian rules football league covering the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. History 1946: Reformation of Alberton Football Association (League) The Alberton Football Association wa ...

. Two sons,

Graeme Dunstan Graeme Clement Dunstan (born 4 August 1942) is a prominent Australian cultural and political activist. A graduate of Essendon High School, Graeme matriculated in 1960 as dux with honours in maths, physics and chemistry. He is an engineering gr ...

and Ian Dunstan, would both be recruited to the VFL from Fish Creek.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunstan, Maurie 1929 births Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Collingwood Football Club players Preston Football Club (VFA) players 1991 deaths Australian Army personnel