Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Bervin Woods

Known as
Bervin Woods

Born
9 January 1910

Died
13 January 2002 (aged 92)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 25y 108d
Last game: 30y 228d

Height and weight
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 86 kg

Senior clubs
Collingwood

Jumper numbers
Collingwood: 29, 22, 25, 28

Bervin Woods

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
CollingwoodV/AFL1935-194011060.0569%16.235.397
Total1935-194011060.0569%16.235.397

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 4,247th player to appear, 2,148th most games played, 5,897th most goals kickedCollingwood: 382nd player to appear, 164th most games played, 537th most goals kicked

After playing his early senior football with Brunswick in the VFA Bervin Woods tried out unsuccessfully with Richmond before being snapped up by Collingwood when he was already twenty-five. He went on to enjoy a noteworthy if relatively brief career. Between 1935 and 1940 he played 110 VFL games and kicked 6 goals and played in grand finals in five of his six seasons for two flags.

Most commonly used in defence he could also take a turn in ruck to good effect. Despite standing only 180cm in height he compensated by virtue of his prodigious leaping ability.

After retiring as a player Bervin Woods coached the Collingwood seconds for a time. When the club’s senior coach, Jock McHale, retired, Woods was the somewhat surprising - and, as it turned out, unpopular - choice to replace him. At a pre-season practice match Woods was loudly booed and made the decision to resign in favour of the man the fans allegedly wanted, Phonse Kyne. It was an unsavoury way for his involvement with the Magpies to end and it would be unfair if it detracted in any way from recognition of his excellent contributions to the club as a player.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.