Jack Collins (footballer, born 1930)


John Charles "Jack" Collins was an Australian rules footballer who represented in the Victorian Football League.
His father, James 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.
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 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. One of the flag favourites, Footscray had lost their first two games to and before they beat South Melbourne by 87 points, Collins starring with eight goals. The following week he would kick nine before half time 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.