Don Dixon

Recruited from Edenhope in the Wimmera, Don Dixon was a high-flying utility who briefly lit up Victoria Park during the Magpies' celebrated late-1950s era. Initially commuting from his family farm to play reserves football on match permits, he eventually cemented a senior spot in 1958, impressing observers as a centreman and half-back with his exceptional overhead marking and long, driving kicking. His debut season was a mix of promise and heartbreak; after playing 13 consecutive games, a broken toe late in the year forced him to the sidelines, leaving him named as a non-playing emergency for the famous 1958 Grand Final triumph rather than taking the field. Although his time at the top level was curtailed by further injuries and a blocked transfer to Fitzroy, Dixon is fondly remembered for a standout 1959 performance where he lowered the colours of Footscray legend Ted Whitten in a centre-square duel. He eventually returned to the country to captain-coach Goroke, taking the Collingwood theme song with him to his new club.