Oscar Hyman

One of the earliest South Australians to make a significant mark at Victoria Park, Oscar Hyman arrived at Collingwood in 1901 via a detour in the Western Australian goldfields. He made an immediate impact as a dashing half-back, utilising the blistering speed that saw him win the Sheffield Handicap sprint to launch attacks from deep in defence. Hyman was widely considered one of the Magpies' best in the 1901 Grand Final loss to Essendon, noted for a spectacular long run through the corridor that foreshadowed Phil Manassa's heroics decades later. However, his VFL career was fragmented by a return to Adelaide—where he captained West Torrens and played for North Adelaide—causing him to miss Collingwood's back-to-back premierships in 1902 and 1903. He returned to the Magpies for a second stint in 1905, adding midfield utility to his game and earning enough respect to be considered for the captaincy, before eventually returning home to finish his multi-state career as the captain of Sturt.