Charlie Milburn
Collingwood and Essendon
AFL career
69 games3 goals
- Debut
- R2 1923 v ESS12 May 1923
- Most recent
- R18 1929 v FIT31 Aug 1929
Stats
Bio
A professional sprinter before he was a league footballer, Charlie Milburn brought elite athletic pedigree to the Collingwood wing. Born in Tasmania and recruited from North Melbourne's VFA side, he was signed specifically to inject speed into a Magpies midfield transitioning between eras. Reputed to be the fastest man in Australia during the early 1920s, Milburn’s game was defined by blistering runs down the wide spaces of Victoria Park, where he used his pace to burn off opponents and deliver the ball via a sharp stab kick. He was a key member of the 1927 Premiership side but stunned club officials by leaving immediately after the flag to accept a lucrative country coaching position in Stawell, missing the bulk of the "Machine" dynasty. Milburn made a brief return to the VFL with Essendon in 1929, playing nine games, before spending the remainder of his life as a respected country coach and sporting nomad.
Profile
- Born
- 10 Mar 1899
- Died
- 14 Nov 1953 (aged 54y 249d)
- Birthplace
- Gormanston, TAS
- Deathplace
- Mooroopna, VIC
- Height
- 174 cm
- Weight
- 75 kg
Teams
Honours
- Premiership1927
- Brownlow Medal
- Top 10
- 1925
Family
- Son:Pat Milburn
Bio
1 revisionA professional sprinter before he was a league footballer, Charlie Milburn brought elite athletic pedigree to the Collingwood wing. Born in Tasmania and recruited from North Melbourne's VFA side, he was signed specifically to inject speed into a Magpies midfield transitioning between eras. Reputed to be the fastest man in Australia during the early 1920s, Milburn’s game was defined by blistering runs down the wide spaces of Victoria Park, where he used his pace to burn off opponents and deliver the ball via a sharp stab kick. He was a key member of the 1927 Premiership side but stunned club officials by leaving immediately after the flag to accept a lucrative country coaching position in Stawell, missing the bulk of the "Machine" dynasty. Milburn made a brief return to the VFL with Essendon in 1929, playing nine games, before spending the remainder of his life as a respected country coach and sporting nomad.