Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Dennis Collins

Known as
Dennis Collins

Born
17 May 1953

Place of birth
Braybrook, VIC (3019)

Died
31 August 2011 (aged 58)

Place of death
Hyden, WA (6359)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 18y 334d
Last game: 27y 112d

Height and weight
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 78 kg

Senior clubs
Footscray; Carlton; Richmond; East Perth

Jumper numbers
Footscray: 48, 22, 15
Carlton: 1
Richmond: 28

Recruited from
Braybrook (1972); Footscray (1978); Carlton (1980); Richmond (1981)

State of origin
VIC

Family links
Jack Collins (Father)Daryl Collins (Brother)

Dennis Collins

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
FootscrayV/AFL1972-1977100600.6047%12.003.582.4324
CarltonV/AFL1978-197930120.4073%13.434.733.7715
RichmondV/AFL19801720.1276%10.475.062.295
East PerthWAFL1981-19821060.60
V/AFL1972-1980147740.5056%12.123.992.6944
WAFL1981-19821060.60
Total1972-1982157800.51

AFL: 8,447th player to appear, 1,374th most games played, 1,473rd most goals kickedFootscray: 607th player to appear, 137th most games played, 113th most goals kickedCarlton: 873rd player to appear, 461st most games played, 395th most goals kickedRichmond: 821st player to appear, 566th most games played, 714th most goals kicked

Footscray recruited Dennis Collins from Braybrook and he gave the club solid service in precisely 100 VFL games between 1972 and 1977. Pacy and elusive, he played most of his football across half forward. The second phase of his career took in 30 games with Carlton in 1978-9 but unfortunately for Collins his appearances did not include participation in the Blues’ 1979 premiership-winning combination. 

He was similarly unlucky at his next port of call, Richmond, where he played 17 games in 1980 but was dropped for the grand final, which the Tigers won, after failing to keep an appointment with the club’s psychologist. The alleged reason he missed the appointment was that he opted to go to the movies with his girlfriend instead. Presumably disgruntled at his axing he moved on to East Perth where he added a final 10 league games over two seasons. His entire career comprised 147 games in eleven seasons and saw him kick 74 goals. In the eyes of some he was the archetypal football journeyman but what was equally clear was that he boasted considerable natural football talent and was in some respects unfortunate not to have achieved more.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

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