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Jack Collins

1930 – 2008

Australian rules footballer, born 1930

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About Jack Collins

Lived 1930 – 2008 (aged 78). Jack Collins was an australian rules football player.

John Charles "Jack" Collins (3 January 1930 – 6 July 2008) was an Australian rules footballer who represented in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

His father, Jim Collins, who had been the captain-coach of the Yarraville Football Club 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).

In 1953, Collins fronted the VFL Tribunal twice. In June, he was cleared of a striking charge against captain Ron Clegg, 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 in which Footscray finished third.

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

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Important facts

Birth century
Awards
Coleman Medal; Charles Sutton Medal
Also known as
Jack C. Collins

People in Jack Collins's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jack Collins's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jack Collins?

Australian rules footballer, born 1930

When was Jack Collins born?

Jack Collins was born on 3 January 1930.

When did Jack Collins die?

Jack Collins died on 6 July 2008 in Werribee.

What was Jack Collins's occupation?

Jack Collins was an australian rules football player.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jack Collins

· Wikidata: Q6111509

· DBpedia: Jack Collins (footballer, born 1930)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jack Collins. https://biography.guide/jack-collins-australian-rules-football-player-1930/

MLA: "Jack Collins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jack-collins-australian-rules-football-player-1930/.

Chicago: "Jack Collins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jack-collins-australian-rules-football-player-1930/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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