Cyril Collard
Hawthorn
AFL career
13 games3 goals
- Debut
- R1 1957 v CAR20 Apr 1957
- Most recent
- R8 1958 v CAR31 May 1958
Stats
Bio
A proud Noongar man from Western Australia, Collard arrived in Melbourne with a strong reputation as a skilled wingman for Subiaco. His transition to the VFL was complicated; after initially training with Collingwood, he committed to Hawthorn following a job offer arranged by the club, only for Subiaco to refuse his clearance and force him to sit out the entire 1956 season. When he finally debuted in Round 1, 1957, he displayed the electric pace and precise stab passing that also distinguished him as a professional runner and Stawell Gift finalist. Although his top-level career was brief, Collard holds a permanent place in history as the first Indigenous player to represent the Hawthorn Football Club, paving the way for the specific legacy of Indigenous talent in the brown and gold.
Profile
- Born
- 20 Sept 1934
- Died
- 20 Dec 2011 (aged 77y 91d)
- Height
- 173 cm
- Weight
- 73 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA proud Noongar man from Western Australia, Collard arrived in Melbourne with a strong reputation as a skilled wingman for Subiaco. His transition to the VFL was complicated; after initially training with Collingwood, he committed to Hawthorn following a job offer arranged by the club, only for Subiaco to refuse his clearance and force him to sit out the entire 1956 season. When he finally debuted in Round 1, 1957, he displayed the electric pace and precise stab passing that also distinguished him as a professional runner and Stawell Gift finalist. Although his top-level career was brief, Collard holds a permanent place in history as the first Indigenous player to represent the Hawthorn Football Club, paving the way for the specific legacy of Indigenous talent in the brown and gold.