The Collingwood Football Club first awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1901. The award was introduced to recognise the outstanding contribution of those players who had played more than 10 years with the club, and also those officials, support staff, trainers and administrators who had given exceptional service. It was regarded as the highest honour the club could bestow upon an individual. The first recipient was vice-president (and later president) Alfred Cross, while the first player to receive the honour was the mighty Bill Proudfoot, in 1902.
| Year | Life Members |
|---|---|
| 1901 | Alfred Cross |
| 1902 | John Duncan, Bill Proudfoot |
| 1903 | Jack Joyce, Chas Sime |
| 1904 | William Davies, Archie Smith |
| 1905 | Lardie Tulloch, Tom Sherrin |
| 1906 | Jack J. Monohan, Bill Strickland |
| 1907 | Charlie H. Pannam, Dan Reddan |
| 1908 | William Beazley, Arthur Leach |
| 1909 | Ern Copeland, Bob Rush |
| 1910 | Frank Hailwood |
| 1911 | George Baldie, Alf Dummett |
| 1912 | George Angus |
| 1913 | Jock McHale, Ted Rowell |
| 1914 | Wal Lee |
| 1915 | |
| 1916 | |
| 1917 | Thomas Abbott, Percy Gibb |
| 1918 | Dick Lee, Wal Stokes |
| 1919 | Les Hughes |
| 1920 | Jack Peppard, Jim Sadler |
| 1921 | Percy Wilson |
| 1922 | Mal Seddon, Jim Sharp |
| 1923 | Jim Jackson, Syd Sherrin |
| 1924 | Dr Bertram Crellin, Alec Mutch |
| 1925 | Eddie Drohan, Jim Manning |
| 1926 | Arthur Aldridge, Charlie Laxton |
| 1927 | Harry Curtis |
| 1928 | George Connor, Harry Saunders |
| 1929 | Ernie Lumsden |
| 1930 | Ernie Wilson |
| 1931 | Gordon Coventry |
| 1932 | William Balfour |
| 1933 | Harry Chesswas |
| 1934 | Syd Coventry |
| 1935 | George Clayden, Bob Makeham |
| 1936 | Charlie Dibbs |
| 1937 | Frank Murphy, Harry Collier |
| 1938 | Bruce Andrew |
| 1939 | Albert Collier, Percy Bowyer |
| 1940 | Len Murphy, Frank Wraith |
| 1941 | Harold Rumney, Fred Froude |
| 1942 | Jack Regan, Jack Ross |
| 1943 | Jack Eastman, Jack Galbally |
| 1944 | George Centennial Dummett, Alby Pannam |
| 1945 | Albert Longden, Marcus Whelan |
| 1946 | Phonse Kyne, Bervin Woods |
| 1947 | Jim Barry, Leo W. Morgan |
| 1948 | William Angus, Pat Fricker |
| 1949 | Jack Murphy, Pen Reynolds |
| 1950 | Jim McKay, Gordon Hocking |
| 1951 | Jack T. Green, Dr. Frederick James |
| 1952 | Alf Todd, Lou Richards |
| 1953 | Tom Sherrin, Jack Pimm |
| 1954 | Neil Mann, Vin Doherty |
| 1955 | Bob Rose, Bill Twomey Jnr |
| 1956 | John D. Harris, Ron Richards |
| 1957 | Jack Hamilton, Gordon Carlyon |
| 1958 | Frank Galbally, Peter Lucas |
| 1959 | Frank Tuck, Ron Kingston |
| 1960 | Thorold Merrett, John McHale |
| 1961 | Mick Twomey, Neil Kearns |
| 1962 | Rex Watson, Murray Weideman |
| 1963 | Jack R. Burns, Bill Arthur |
| 1964 | |
| 1965 | Graeme Fellowes, Ken Turner |
| 1966 | Ray Gabelich, Brian Gray |
| 1967 | John Henderson, Jim Crowe |
| 1968 | Errol Hutchesson, Kevin Rose |
| 1969 | Charlie Utting |
| 1970 | Kevin Hinrichsen, Harry Langdon |
| 1971 | Ern Reay, Des Tuddenham |
| 1972 | Terry Waters, Ted Potter |
| 1973 | Jim Smith, Graeme Jenkin |
| 1974 | Len Thompson, Peter McKenna |
| 1975 | Bill Skewes, Wayne Richardson |
| 1976 | Barry Price, Dr Jack Marshall |
| 1977 | Ross Dunne, Eric Benjamin |
| 1978 | Max Richardson, Ron Wearmouth |
| 1979 | Alf King |
| 1980 | Tom Benjamin |
| 1981 | |
| 1982 | Des Fothergill, Jack Smith |
| 1983 | |
| 1984 | Jack Hickey |
| 1985 | Pat Quinn, Des Healey |
| 1986 | Ricky Barham, Bill Picken |
| 1987 | Rene Kink, Peter McCormack |
| 1988 | Tony Shaw, Peter Daicos |
| 1989 | Denis Banks, John MacGibbon |
| 1990 | Keith Burns, Bill Scott |
| 1991 | Doug Gott, Peter Moore |
| 1992 | Allan McAlister, Shane Morwood |
| 1993 | Ron McKeown, Jamie Turner |
| 1994 | Lee Adamson |
| 1995 | Shane Kerrison, Tim Loveless |
| 1996 | Gavin Brown, Alan Richardson |
| 1997 | Gavin Crosisca, Peter White |
| 1998 | Mick McGuane, Graham Wright |
| 1999 | John Wassell, Brian Evans |
| 2000 | Mark Richardson, Damian Monkhorst |
| 2001 | Michael Christian |
| 2002 | Jack Kennedy |
| 2003 | Laurie Hill, Ron Reeves, George Hams, Jack Beveridge, Bill Libbis, Leo Wescott, Tony Francis, Mick Gayfer, Craig Kelly, James Manson, Darren Millane, Scott Russell |
| 2004 | Nathan Buckley, Eddie McGuire |
| 2005 | Scott Burns, Simon Prestigiacomo |
| 2006 | Anthony Rocca, Paul Williams |
| 2007 | Paul Licuria, Ian McMullin |
| 2008 | Leigh Matthews, Alex Waislitz, Harry Sullivan, Mike Delanty, Brian Beers, Bill Serong, Bob Greve, Barry Harrison, Ian Brewer, Ken Smale, Ken Bennett |
| 2009 | Tarkyn Lockyer, Shane O’Bree |
| 2010 | Leon Davis, Brian Taylor, Doug Barwick, Craig Starcevich |
| 2011 | Leigh Brown, John Greening, James Clement |
| 2012 | Josh Fraser, Chris Tarrant, Phil Carman, Dick Condon |
| 2013 | Ian Graham, Trevor Steer, Ben Johnson |
| 2014 | Luke Ball, David Emerson, Mark Williams |
| 2015 | Alan Didak, Eddie Hillgrove, Nick Maxwell, Heloise Pratt |
| 2016 | Chris Dawes, Alan Toovey, Mick Malthouse, John Laidlaw |
| 2017 | Ray Shaw, Saverio Rocca, Dane Swan |
| 2018 | Travis Cloke, Dave Francis, Paul Leeds, Brent Macaffer |
| 2019 | Jarryd Blair, Ian Cooper, Tyson Goldsack, Darren Jolly, Dale Thomas, Sharrod Wellingham |
| 2020 | Dayne Beams, Nathan Brown, Ben Reid, Heath Shaw |
| 2021 | Rohan Bownds, Tracey O'Connor |
| 2022 | Mark Korda, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom |
| 2023 | Jamie Elliott, David Galbally |
