John Charles "Jack" Collins (3 January 1930 – 6 July 2008) 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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who represented in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL). His father, Jim Collins, who had been the captain-coach of the

Yarraville Football Club The Yarraville Football Club, nicknamed the Eagles, was an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Yarraville. It founded in 1903 and competed in Victorian Football Association (VFA) from 1928 until going into recess in ...

from 1918 to 1919, played 30 senior games for from 1919 to 1921. 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 Charles Sutton Medal is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged best and fairest for the Western Bulldogs throughout the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League season. The medal is named a ...

). In 1953, Collins fronted the VFL Tribunal twice. In June, he was cleared of a striking charge against captain

Ron Clegg Ron "Smokey" Clegg (17 November 192723 August 1990) was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. Clegg was recruited from the South Melbourne Under 19's after winning the 1944 Melbourne Boys Football League's bes ...

, but later in the season he was involved in an incident with 's Frank Tuck. Both players were reported following a fierce fight and were subsequently suspended. Collins' four-week suspension meant he would miss the finals of the

1953 VFL season The 1953 VFL season was the 57th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 18 April until 26 September, and comprised an ...

in which Footscray finished third.Jack Collins 1930 – 2008
,

Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition. Originally named the Footscray F ...

, 7 July 2008. Collins' return to the side in Round 3 the following season could not have happened sooner. As one of the flag favourites, Footscray had lost their first two games to and before they beat South Melbourne by 87 points; Collins starred with eight goals. The following week, he would kick nine before against . Collins kicked four goals in the semi-final win over and then starred in the 1954 VFL Grand Final, kicking seven goals as Footscray claimed their first premiership. Collins ended the season as the VFL Leading Goalkicker with 84 goals. He was the leading goalkicker, again, in the

1957 VFL season The 1957 VFL season was the 61st season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 20 April until 21 September, and comprised an ...

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 Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...

with in 1989. Collins was a personal friend of murdered lawyer Keith William Allan, and gave evidence at each of the three trials in the

Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court compri ...

in which three persons were charged with Allan's murder.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Jack C. 1930 births 2008 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Place of birth missing Western Bulldogs players Western Bulldogs premiership players Coleman Medal winners Yarraville Football Club players Charles Sutton Medal winners VFL Leading Goalkicker Medal winners VFL/AFL premiership players