Australian Football

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