Collingwood blitzed the VFL reserves competition when it was first formed, winning a Premiership in the competition’s inaugural season, 1919, and four in the first seven years. All four of these flags were annexed in the name of Collingwood Districts, the club that acted as Collingwood’s reserves team until 1938.

Success was a little harder to come by in the ensuing years, but further flags followed in 1940 (in a team featuring Lou Richards), 1965 and 1976.

It’s also worth noting that Williamstown won a flag in the VFL in 2003, during the period it was allied with Collingwood’s reserves team.

1919
Grand Final (October 11)
University A                      1.2             2.4              3.6             4.8.32
Collingwood                     2.3             3.6              4.6             6.11.47
Goals: Dillon 3, Utting 1, Holt 1, H. Chesswas 1
Best:   Thomson, Youren, Joseph, H. Chesswas, Webb, Dillon
Premiership team*
Backs: Charlie Mutch (C)      Wally Chesswas         Arthur Dillon
HB:      Sam Mackechnie       George Youren           Bob Foran
C:         Hugh Thomas             Vernon Carkeek          Leo Wescott
HF:      Joe Keary (VC)             Les Husband               Harry Chesswas
For:      Valentine Daicy         Ern Utting                  "Brownie" Holt
Foll:      Arthur Joseph            Archie Thomson      Reynolds Webb
Coach: Charlie Mutch (TBC)
* Please note that we have not been able to find a published final team for this game, so it has been pieced together from different newspaper reports. As such, doubt surrounds a small number of the above-named players and whether they actually played in the game.
The Collingwood Districts side that won the first VFL reserves Premiership

 

 

1920
Grand Final (September 25)
Collingwood                     2.3            3.8              4.10         7.14.56
University                         1.1             5.1              7.1           7.2.44
Goals: Harding 2, Dillon 2, Ross 2, Monohan 1
Best: Ross, Wescott, Thomson, Buck, Mutch, T. Chesswas, H. Chesswas. Oram
 
Premiership team
We so far have been unable to find a full team for this game. Players confirmed to have played include: Bill Buck, Leo Wescott, Hector Ross, Artie Dillon, Les Oram, Charlie Mutch, Jack Monohan Jnr, Tom Chesswas, Harry Chesswas, Archie Thomson & T. Harding. George Tory, Wally Wildsmith, Wally Chesswas, Arthur Joseph & Herbie Taylor are all considered highly likely, having played in the previous final. The final two spots are most likely to have been filled by Joe Keary, George Beasley or Roy Allen.

 

 

1922
Grand Final (October 14)
Essendon                        1.2               1.4            1.7                1.9.15
Collingwood                   4.1               6.2            6.7                8.10.58
Goals: Clayden 3, Taylor 2, Oram 1, Wraith 1, Rudd 1
Best: Lee, Utting, Harrison, Oram, Green, Mutch, Clayden, J. Monohan, Allen, Taylor, Rudd
Premiership team
Backs: Charlie Mutch (C)           Jack Harrison         Archie Thomson
HB:      Roy Allen                         Charlie Lee             Ern Utting
C:         A. Smith                           Max Hardie                 Fred Mutch
HF:       Tom Wraith                    George Clayden     Cliff Monohan
For:      Jack Green                      Herbie Taylor         "Brownie" Holt
Foll:      Les Oram                        Jack Monohan Jnr  Bert Rudd
Coach: Hugh Thomas
The Collingwood Districts 1922 side.

 

 

1925
Grand Final (October 10)
Fitzroy                            0.1                 5.1              7.2              11.4.70
Collingwood                  3.6                 4.10           10.11          13.16.94
Goals: Beveridge 4, Stevens 3, A. Collier 3, Todd 1, H. Collier 1, Boyle 1
Best:  Clayden, Henry, Stevens, Boyle, Todd, Allen, A. Collier, Beveridge
Premiership team
Backs:  Mick Laffey                 Vin Batchelor                  Charlie Mutch (C)
HB:       Roy Allen                     George Clayden              A. Dunstan
C:          Alf Sparks                    Jack Jobson                      Norm MacLeod
HF:       Jack Monohan Jnr      Bill Henry                          Tommy Bird
For:      Jack Beveridge            Albert Collier                    Harry Collier
Foll:      Reg Boyle                    P. Todd                               Hector Stevens
Coach: Hugh Thomas
The 1925 Collingwood Districts team. Albert Collier is second from the right in the second row, Harry Collier is second from right in the front row and George Clayden is fifth from the right in the back row.

 

 

1940
Grand Final (September 28)
Collingwood                 2.3                 2.7               5.12             6.16.52
Carlton                          1.1                 2.8               3.9               3.12.30
Goals: Mears 2, Hustler 2, Pimm 1, Tyrrell 1
Best: Mears, Hill, Newman, Noonan, Smith, Hustler, Knott
Premiership team
Backs:    Ron Smith                Norm Crewther                Phil Busbridge
HB:         Charlie Newman     Bill Noonan                       Bill Johnstone
C:            Les A Hill                   Kevin Barrett                    Dan Knott
HF:          Clarrie Shields         Colin Rose                            Ron Carruthers Snr
For:         Len Hustler              Jack Pimm                         Lou Richards
Foll:        John McHale (C)      Leo Tyrrell                         Harry Mears
19th:      E.H. Hancock
Coach:    Horrie Edmonds
The 1940 Reserves Premiership-winning squad

 

 

1965
Grand Final (September 25)
Collingwood                 4.3               9.4                 13.7              16.9.105
Geelong                        2.4               5.7                  7.13              10.20.80
Goals: Ballantyne 4, Bremner 4, Searl 4, Hutchesson 1, Chapman 1, Dalton 1, Evans 1
Best: Ellis (BOG), Mahon, Thompson, Pitt, Searl, Gray
Premiership team
Backs:      Kevin Huppatz            Reg Sanders               Vaughan Ellis
HB:         Len Clark                     John Mahon                Lee Adamson
C:            Albert Chapman         Max Pitt                       Barry Anderson
HF:          Brian Gray                   Doug Searl                  Max Ballantyne
For:         Denis Dalton               Ian Bremner               John Murton
Foll:         Len Thompson           Len Evans                    Errol Hutchesson (C)
Res:         Noel Vincent              John Thatcher
Coach:     Neil Mann
The 1965 Reserves Premiership squad. Back row: S Blanch (bootstudder), J Dicker (Committee), G Carrison (Committee), J Thatcher, B Gray, A Chapman, D Dalton, W Skewes (Committee), T Smith (Door steward), K Tate (trainer). Third row: L Bromley (Committee), K Huppatz, D Wright, L Clark, N Vincent, E Burgess, A Pond(Committee), T Pew (Committee). Second row: R Smith (Trainer), L Lees (Head trainer), J Smith (secretary), M Ballantyne, R Sanders, L Adamson, G Jenkin, L Evans, M Pitt, I Bremner, Fr Bruce (Committee), B Lewis (Trainer), G Hudd (Committee). Front row: R Patterson (Property steward), J Burton, P Wadham, L Thompson, J Smith (Chairman), E Hutchesson (Captain), N Mann (Coach), J Mahon, V Ellis, D Searl, J Morrison (Messenger).

 

 

1976
Grand Final (September 25)
Collingwood                6.4                9.11               15.14             23.17.155
North Melbourne       5.3               12.7                17.10             19.15.129
Goals: Williams 6, Kink 4, Gonsalves 4, McCormack 3, Perry 2, Foley 2, Oborne 1, Clifford 1
Best:  Kink, Williams, Foley, Dellamarta, Greening, Wise, Bond
Premiership team
Backs:      Russell Jessop            Graeme Moyle            Chris Perry
HB:           Terry Wight                 John Greening             Kerry Foley
C:              Andrew Ireland          Stephen Clifford          Jimmy Board
HF:            Rod Oborne                John Williams (C)        John Dellamarta
For:           Shane Bond                Peter McCormack       Bruce Gonsalves
Foll:           Murrie Batt                 Rene Kink                     John Wise
19/20:       John King                     Alan Holmes
Emg:          Derek Shaw, Craig Considine, Geoff Walsh, Lou Dilorio
Coach:       Ron Richards
The 1976 Reserves Premiership squad (missing premiership players Jimmy Board, Shane Bond, Kerry Foley, Bruce Gonsalves, John Greening, Allan Holmes). Back row: Mick Warren, Peter McCormack, John Dellamarta, Murrie Batt, Stephen Clifford, Rene Kink, Rod Oborne. Third row: Russell Jessop, Ross Johnson, Graeme Moyle, Andrew Ireland, Terry Wight, Lachie McDonald, John King, Chris Perry. 2nd row: John Williams (Capt). Front Row: Lou Dilorio, Guy Pickering, John Wise, Kelvin Shaw.