Almanac Footy Teams – Crikey, colossal Cols!: A team of Colins

Colin Alexander

 

A Crescendo of Colins

 

Colin was a never really a hugely popular name throughout the 20thcentury, although it did seem to reach an apex in the 1960s and 70s as this team indicates.

 

Col is the favoured shorter version, particularly in Australia. One of mum’s favourite singers was Col Joye, who seemed to be everywhere on Australian telly in the black and white era.

 

This team was inspired by the recent piece from Footy Almanac editor Colin Ritchie who found himself in the same room with two other Colins. A rare event for our times.

 

In this team we have two Colin Rices, both premiership players for the Cats and the Hawks.

 

You’d be hard pressed to find a better curly mullet than Colin Alexander’s (pictured above)

 

Sydney’s Colin O’Riordan flies the flag for the name in 2019 and recent Colins include Melbourne’s Colin Garland and the late Colin Sylvia, who was a prodigious talent on his day.

 

What would be the most apt collective noun for a team of Colins?

 

Almanackers, here is your chance to nominate your favourite Colins from Australian Football. Nominations outside the VFL/AFL always welcome and encouraged.

 

 

B: Martyn (Carl)                         Beard (Rich)             Tully (Coll)

 

HB: Austen (Haw)                     Garland (Melb)         Robertson (Haw)

 

C: Sylvia (Melb)                          Watson (StK)              Youren (Haw)

 

HF: Hounsel (SthM)                 Williamson (StK)        Rice (Haw)

 

F: Davey (Coll)                           Benham (Fitz)              Alexander (Coll)

 

Ruck: Thornton (NthM)          Hebbard(Ess)                Rice (Geel)

 

Inter: Dell (Foots) Saddington (Rich)   Niven (Fitz) Eales (Geel)

 

Coach: Kinnear (Syd)

 

Umpires: Mance , Rowston

 

Entertainment: Col Joye

 

 

For more novelty teams click HERE

 

To read Col’s story about a room of Cols click HERE

 

To find out more about Almanac memberships CLICK HERE

 

About Phillip Dimitriadis

Carer/Teacher/Writer. Author of Fandemic: Travels in Footy Mythology. World view influenced by Johnny Cash, Krishnamurti, Larry David, Toni Morrison and Billy Picken.

Comments

  1. Wally from Williamstown says

    Surely Colin Hobbs of Fitzroy deserves a spot if only for causing Big Bad Carl to miss the 66 premiership. He was suspended for striking Daryl Peoples, who just happened to be in Carl’s way as he attempted to get to Hobbs, who had been sledging the big Saint.

  2. Surely places could be found for Glenelg’s champion rover and back pocket Colin Richens.

    Sturt’s Colin Casey was a champion full back

    Also West Adelaide’s back pocket Colin Brown could play a bit.

    Over in baseball Colin Payne represented Australia at first base in t e ’56 Olympics against an American armed forces team.

    Then, of course, there was Cole Younger of the infamous Younger Brothers that rode with Jesse and Frank James.

    And of course the team could sail around Australia in a COLLINS CLASS SUBMARINE repelling people smugglers boats.at the same time.

  3. PS Again over here in South Oz, we had a champion All Australian baseballer named COLIN ALEXANDER, younger brother of PHIL (The Big Chap). both were utility players and long ball hitters and both won the CAPPS MEDAL Cole also had a season in WA before returning home for further glory.

    Incidentally, I have just had a book published about Phil. Naturally Cole features quite strongly in the book.

  4. Luke Reynolds says

    After Graham Wright’s magnificent debut season in the forward pocket in 1988, Colin Alexander looked an ideal replacement and future rover as Wright was moved further up the ground. Remember Alexander kicking plenty of goals early but sadly he never kicked on and ended up playing a few games at the Brisbane Bears. But what a magnificent curly mullet!!!

    A cricketing Colin XI-

    Colin Cowdrey (England) (c)
    Colin McDonald (Australia)
    Colin Milburn (England)
    Colin Bland (South Africa)
    Colin Ingram (South Africa)
    Colin de Grandhomme (New Zealand)
    Colin Smith (Scotland) WK
    Colin “Funky” Miller (Australia)
    Colin Blythe (England)
    Colin Croft (West Indies)
    Colin Stuart (West Indies)

    Ingram, a T20 star who played 31 ODI’s, and Smith, who repesented Scotland in 27 ODI’s are the only non Test players. de Grandhomme is a current member of the world’s number 2 Test team. Colin Blythe took 100 wickets in 19 Tests with his left arm spin. Colin Bland was a Rhodesian who averaged 49 and was considered the Jonty Rhodes of his era in the field. Colin Stuart was an average quick who played 6 Tests including the Boxing Day MCG Test of 2000/2001. And any team that includes the wonderful Funky Miller is a great team!

  5. Rabid Dog says

    This bloke to provide advice to the Board:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylnHNt7EX7o

  6. Luke Reynolds says

    Colin Hay of Men At Work fame (plus a prolific solo career) would be an ideal support act for Col Joye

  7. Les Everett says

    Colin Hebbard… Essendon, West Perth was pretty good.

    Colin Lofts was a frightening defender for Perth in their 1976-77 premierships.

  8. Colin Churchett kicked 554 goals for Glenelg (SANFL) in 186 games in the immediate post WW2 period. Twice kicked 100 goals in a season and was a famously accurate kick with both feet.
    Colin’s Rice (the Geelong one) and Saddington (who are in Phil’s team) both finished their career in the SANFL with Glenelg and Sturt. Rice was a classy rover who teamed with Billy Goggin in Geelong’s 1963 flag.
    Q: Who was second out of the race when Geelong ran onto the MCG for the 1963 Grand Final?

  9. Our team could enjoy listening to NAT KING COLE

    It could also watch re-runs of DOCTOR WHO featuring the 6th doctor COLIN BAKER

    For entertainment value, straight from there outstanding performance in the Adelaide Fringe, COLIN LANE of LANO AND WOODLEY.

    But we won’t mention OLD KING COLE and his fiddlers 3.

  10. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Bays 70s Blow-In, Colin Anderson from the Deeeess

    Colin Graham blew the other way, to Melbourne via Eastern Park and Centrals lower grades

    Westies had rugged ruckman/defender Colin Thompson for 201 games

    Best of all was original 1964 Bulldog B&F, sports store impresario and opal miner, Colin Stutley

  11. For all those who can remember their youth, in ENID BLYTON’S Secret Seven books, the boys in the group were, Peter,COLIN, Jack and George.

  12. Colin Nish played a few games for Geelong in the mid 1970’s.

    I’m glad ‘Swish’ mentioned Colin Graham . He was on a football card in the mid 1970’s. Was he the first indigenous player for Melbourne ?

    Glen!

  13. Josh's Dad says

    Colin Thornton went to primary school at Waaia,then to Melbourne to further his education unlike his 3 brother’s who went onto the family farm and all 3 played in Waaia’s first premiership side in 1953

  14. Dave Brown says

    Yep, another vote for West Adelaide’s Colin Brown – a very handy post-war rover and back pocket and played a fair amount of interstate footy. Plus, good surname and can be found, cracked rib and all in Brown’s Browns: https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/almanac-teams-browns-browns/

    Norwood’s most prolific Colin was Colin Johns, a full back who played 80 games in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

  15. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Peckers and Glenelg ruckman Colin McVicar

    And fancy overlooking CS Hayes, who would have provided some tips to fund the end of season trip.

  16. Wally from Williamstown says

    Colin Hayes was on Open Mike last week with his wife and son, what happened to all his hair? Last time I saw him he had a full head of black hair, now he’s bald, must have been a while ago it seems …..

  17. Wally from Williamstown says

    Oops, David Hayes I meant, Colin is/was his dad of course

  18. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Tremendous response folks. I love the stories and memories that accompany the names.
    Wally – didn’t know a Colin was responsible for Big Carl Missing out on St Kilda’s only flag ! Infamy.

    Fisho – Enjoy your South Australian contributions and entertainment suggestions. Nat King Cole definitely a contender. Fantastic stuff !

    Luke – Now that is an excellent cricketing eleven of Colins. Every team worth its salt needs a Funky Miller type. Colin Hay a fine entertainment suggestion.

    Cheers Les – Always look forward to your learned nominations.

    PB – Let’s not talk about Saturday .Too bloody good again. To early for back to back ? Colin Churchett ? Great name and fine record. Ah Happy Hammond. Simpler, more carefree days when things were a bit less precious. Great footage. Happy would get fined $10k and get thrown in the can for trespassing nowadays !

    Nice one Rabid – Good old Col’n Carpenter. Comedy Company was pretty good in its first 2 seasons. Kyle Mole, Con The Fruiterer, Uncle Arthur, David Rabbitborough. Great characters.

    Swish – An opal miner is a rare commodity like the name Colin these days. Super noms.

    Glen ! Nish and Graham a bit before my time. Would be interesting to research indigenous connection at Melbourne. I though Les Bamblett was the first.

    Josh’s Dad – Waaia ? Can I buy a consonant?

    Dave – Good to see you bringing the Browns into play. Plenty to choose from. Knew there had to be a Colin Brown somewhere in the footy world.

    Does anyone remember Colin Long’s golf segment on World of Sport ? Some famous names from the early 1980s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AebeWOmVRw

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