Ian Collins

Recruited from Sale in the Gippsland region, Ian Collins arrived at Princes Park in 1961 as a promising utility but initially struggled to cement a regular spot in the senior side. While he spent his early years trying to break in as a centreman or half-forward, his career truly flourished when coach Ron Barassi reinvented him as a specialist back pocket. In defence, Collins became known as a courageous and uncompromising tagger, willing to sacrifice his own game to shut down the opposition's most dangerous roving forwards.

Collins was a key member of the Blues' defensive unit during the club's resurgence in the late 1960s, playing a vital role in the drought-breaking 1968 Premiership victory over Essendon. However, his on-field journey was marked by significant misfortune two years later, when an Achilles injury forced him to miss the entire 1970 season, costing him a place in Carlton’s famous comeback Grand Final win over Collingwood. He returned for one final season in 1971 before retiring to coach Port Melbourne in the VFA, though he would later return to the club to forge a massive legacy as a powerful administrator and President.