{{short description|Australian rules footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Ian Collins | image = | fullname = Ian Collins | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|10|24|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | originalteam = Sale | height = 175 cm | weight = 74 kg (during AFL Career) | position = | statsend = 1971 | years1 = 1961–1971 | club1 = Carlton | games_goals1 = 161 (49) | years2 = 1972-1973 | club2 = Port Melbourne Football Club | games_goals2 = 20 (17) | games_goalstotal = 181 (66) | careerhighlights = 1968 Carlton premiership player }}
'''Ian "Collo" Collins''' AM (born 24 October 1942) is a high-profile businessman and former Australian rules footballer.
== Playing career ==
===Carlton=== Collins played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1961 and 1971 for a total of 161 games and kicked 49 goals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueseum.org/Ian+Collins|title=Ian Collins|access-date=11 September 2023}}</ref> He was part of the 1968 premiership side. but he missed the entire 1970 premiership winning season due to an achilles injury.<ref name="Ian Collins">{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueseum.org/Ian+Collins|title=Ian Collins|access-date=March 12, 2022}}</ref> He returned in 1971. Collins played as a tough back-pocket player in the back line and was recruited from Sale.<ref name="Grant2002-09-11">{{cite news | last = Grant | first = Trevor | date = 11 September 2002 | title = Clash of the Blues giants | work = Herald Sun | location = Melbourne, Australia | page = 77 }}</ref>
==Coaching career== ===Port Melbourne Football Club (VFA)=== Collins had a coaching stint as captain and senior coach of Port Melbourne Football Club in the VFA from 1972 until the end of the 1973 season.<ref name="Ian Collins"/> where one of his players was his former senior coach at Carlton Ron Barassi, then Collins hung up his boots for good as senior coach of Port Melbourne to prepare for bigger things and to move on with other endeavours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spiritofcarlton.com.au/2012/10/24/happy-70th-birthday-to-ian-collins/|title=Happy 70th Birthday to Ian Collins|date=24 October 2012|access-date=March 12, 2022}}</ref>
== Sports Administration career == ===Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Carlton Football Club=== Collins became the Carlton Football Club's chief executive officer (CEO) from 1981 until 1993,<ref name="Grant2002-11-16">{{cite news | last = Grant | first = Trevor | date = 16 November 2002 | title = Blue Bruiser | work = Herald Sun | location = Melbourne, Australia | page = 23 }}</ref><ref name="Wilson2000-02-29">{{cite news | last = Wilson | first = Caroline | date = 29 February 2000 | title = League boss enters new arena | work = The Age | location = Melbourne, Australia | page = 2 }}</ref> during his tenure as CEO of Carlton, Collins oversaw Carlton's three premiership victories in 1981, 1982 and 1987.<ref name="Wilson2000-02-29"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueseum.org/Ian+Collins|title=Ian Collins|access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref>
===Australian Football League's Director of Football Operations=== In 1993, Collins became the Australian Football League's Director of Football Operations, a position he held until 1999.<ref name="Wilson2000-02-29"/><ref name="blueseum.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueseum.org/Ian+Collins|title=Ian Collins|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
===Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Docklands Stadium=== In 1999, Collins became the CEO of Docklands Stadium, a position he held until 2 October 2012.<ref name="blueseum.org"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.docklandsnews.com.au/etihad-chief-farewells-docklands_8014/|title=Etihad chief farewells Docklands|date=October 2, 2012|access-date=November 4, 2021}}</ref>
===Carlton Football Club President=== Collins became the President of the Carlton Football Club, following John Elliott's departure on 13 November 2002.<ref name="NewscastleHerald2002-11-13">{{cite news | date = 13 November 2002 | title = Determined Collins vows to lift Blues | work = Newcastle Herald | location = Newcastle, Australia | page = 86 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/collins-pleads-for-leniency-20021112-gdus2s.html|title=Collins pleads for leniency|date=12 November 2002|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/inside-a-horror-week-for-carlton-20021130-gduuxs.html|title=Inside a horror week for Carlton|date=30 November 2002|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/elliott-leaves-blues-in-a-shocking-mess-20021124-gdfv1g.html|title=Elliott leaves Blues in a shocking mess|date=24 November 2002|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref> Collins in his tenure as President of Carlton, oversaw himself to work hard with the board of the club to limit the damage to Carlton's profile, prestige and financial position during a rough time for the club, due to the effects and penalties of the club's salary cap breaches and the poor on-field results for the club that followed on.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueseum.org/Ian+Collins|title=Ian Collins|access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref> Collins thereby served an unstable tenure as President of the club, because Carlton still struggled to maintain off-field stability with the club still remaining in seven million dollar club debt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefanatics.com/sports.news.view.php?id=275874|title=Collins 'set to quit Carlton presidency'|date=13 April 2006|access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref> On 13 April 2006, Collins announced he would step down as president of the Carlton Football Club due to ill health and by the pressures of juggling two demanding jobs between his time as Carlton Football Club President and his time as CEO of Docklands Stadium.<ref name="SundayMail2006-04-16">{{cite news | date = 16 April 2006 | title = Collins quits Carlton | work = The Sunday Mail | location = Adelaide, Australia | page = 49 }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-president-to-quit-20060414-gdnd40.html|title=Carlton president to quit|date=14 April 2006|access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref> He was replaced by Graham Smorgon.
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{AFL Tables|ref=I/Ian_Collins.html|alt=Ian Collins}} * [https://www.thevfaproject.org/pages/Players/Collins,_Ian.php] {{1968 Carlton premiership players}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Ian}} Category:Carlton Football Club players Category:Carlton Football Club premiership players Category:Port Melbourne Football Club coaches Category:Sale Football Club players Category:Carlton Football Club administrators Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Category:Businesspeople from Melbourne Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:VFL/AFL premiership players