Ron Dowling
Collingwood
AFL career
72 games9 goals
- Debut
- R4 1936 v ESS23 May 1936
- Most recent
- R17 1940 v ESS24 Aug 1940
Stats
Bio
Arriving at Victoria Park from Ivanhoe Amateurs, Ron Dowling was a distinct figure in the Collingwood setup—a dashing winger who played his entire VFL career as an amateur to protect his standing as a professional engineer. Renowned for his skillful disposal and ability to read the play, he wasted no time establishing himself, claiming the Harry Collier Trophy as the club's best first-year player shortly after his debut. Dowling was a key contributor during a period of near-misses for the Magpies, featuring on the wing in the losing Grand Final teams of 1937 and 1938, but his greatest heartbreak came in 1939 when a suspension for striking Melbourne ace Keith Truscott forced him to watch the Grand Final from the sidelines. Although the club accommodated his engineering studies—even allowing him to miss training—he eventually returned to local footy with Ivanhoe, remembered as a talented wingman who successfully balanced top-level football with a demanding professional career.
Profile
- Born
- 27 June 1913
- Died
- 05 Mar 2005 (aged 91y 251d)
- Height
- 175 cm
- Weight
- 73 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionArriving at Victoria Park from Ivanhoe Amateurs, Ron Dowling was a distinct figure in the Collingwood setup—a dashing winger who played his entire VFL career as an amateur to protect his standing as a professional engineer. Renowned for his skillful disposal and ability to read the play, he wasted no time establishing himself, claiming the Harry Collier Trophy as the club's best first-year player shortly after his debut. Dowling was a key contributor during a period of near-misses for the Magpies, featuring on the wing in the losing Grand Final teams of 1937 and 1938, but his greatest heartbreak came in 1939 when a suspension for striking Melbourne ace Keith Truscott forced him to watch the Grand Final from the sidelines. Although the club accommodated his engineering studies—even allowing him to miss training—he eventually returned to local footy with Ivanhoe, remembered as a talented wingman who successfully balanced top-level football with a demanding professional career.