5 players with most premierships in AFL history ft Albert Collier
In the history of Australian Rules Football, some players stand out for their remarkable achievements. Participating in the most winning teams in AFL premierships is our focus here.
We delve into five AFL players since the VFL who have had the most premiership wins, ranging from Guinness World Record holders to remarkable legends.
#5 Bill Hutchison (Four)
Bill Hutchison played with Essendon from 1942 to 1957. He played 290 VFL games, kicking 496 goals.
Arguably one of the game’s finest rovers, he captained the Bombers to four premierships: 1942, 1946, 1949 and 1950. Hutchison has two Brownlow medals (1952, 1953), and seven Essendon’s club Best and Fairest awards: 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956.
#4 Dick Reynolds (Four)
Dick Reynolds was one of Essendon’s greatest players and one of the game’s best rovers.
Joining the club at the young age of 16 from Woodlands, Reynolds won the best-first-year player award and went on to play 320 games throughout his career, setting a league record, which stood till 1974.
Reynolds went head-on into risky situations to get the ball, his weight enabling him to compete with and often outmark larger players. Renowned for his balance and ball sense, the Brownlow medallist made clean dashes.
Among his achievements include three Brownlow medals (yet another record). He also won seven club’s Best and Fairest awards (1934, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1942 and 1943), heading Essendon’s goalkickers with 31 goals in 1943.
He served the team as co-coach with Harry Hunter and captain coach at age 25, a position he held until late in 1950. He played from 1933-1951.
#3 Gordon Coventry (Five)
From being completely demoralised by the first training match at Collingwood to becoming a multiple record breaker and setter, Coventry won five premierships: 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1935.
Coventry’s career was one of many firsts: first to play 300 games, score 100 goals in a season, win the leading goalkicker award in five straight years and register 1000 career goals.
His 1299 goals was a record for 60 seasons. He was both a Collingwood and AFL Hall of Fame inductee.
#2 Albert Collier (Six)
Out of 205 games (and 54 goals), Albert Collier had premiership wins. He won a Brownlow medal and three Copelands and was later inducted into the Collingwood and AFL Halls of Fame.
His career was alongside his older brother Harry Collier’s, starting at a very young age. Albert became an integral part of the famed Machine teams of 1927-1930, playing in five successive grand finals in the mid-to-late 1930s.
By 1938, injuries started to take a toll on Albert Collier. He missed a lot of the season and the next, down with a recurrent knee injury which would require surgery.
In 1940, after a practice match, the Collingwood committee made a decision to have the Colliers retire. Albert was disheartened, convinced that he still had much to offer. He played 11 games at Fitzroy in 1941 and moved on to coach with Camberwell in the VFA and country centres Kyneton and Sea Lake.
#1 Michael Tuck (Seven)
Michael Tuck's career at Hawthorn during the 1980s and early 1990s was a decorated one.
He holds the club record for most senior games (426), finals (39), grand finals (11) and premierships (7). He was a part of the feared threesome with Don Scott and Leigh Matthews, responsible for much of the Club’s success. In 1986, the midfielder became the club’s coach, leading the team to four premierships.
Tuck retired in 1992. The AFL honoured his remarkable contribution to the game with the Best Player in Preseason Cup Competition medal being named after him.