Where Are They Now?: The Collards(Part Two)
Posted Nov 12, 2009 - 6:43 AM
by Ron Head
When the Collard brothers moved to the Fremantle area to serve out the residential qualifying period of eighteen months to enable them to play with South Fremantle, it was Derek and Cliff who were the stars of the family.
Cliff played State schoolboys football, while both represented Western Australia in the Teal Cup, with Derek also playing under sixteen cricket for the State. “Derek was the main reason for us coming to the city,â€the modest Cliff told Footygoss. “Brad and I just tagged along.†In one of the vagaries of football, it was the latter two who had the most success of the three.
Cliff Collard played at Cockburn Junior Football Club on arriving at Fremantle. “A bloke called Peter Hardingham, who was my coach at Cockburn, had a big influence on my career,†he recalled. At South Fremantle, Cliff and Derek played under the coaching of Don Haddow, who coached them to two premierships in the colts, and Stan Magro, who was in charge of the reserves, winning a further two flags there, Derek as a rover, and Cliff as a defender.
After two seasons in the reserves, where he was a most consistent performer who seemed desperately unlucky not to be playing in the league side, the appointment of Magro in 1988 as senior coach signalled the start of a league career for Cliff Collard. “Stan changed the style of play at South,†he recalled. “I fitted the mould of the players he wanted.†Collard became a regular in a back pocket or at half back over the next seven years, with the occasional run in the centre “when we were in strife, and that was often.â€
In the meantime, Derek was struggling with numerous hamstring injuries that had a marked effect on his game, and he was to manage only seventy-odd games with South Fremantle, before following Magro to East Perth in later years.
1990 was a big year for the brothers, who both represented Western Australia, but in particular Cliff, who won the W J Hughes Medal, as South Fremantle’s fairest and best, an award that Brad won the following season. Cliff also won the Fremantle Herald best player award in 1990. In 1993 Cliff was appointed Vice Captain under the leadership of Captain Wally Matera.
Cliff Collard was a player who placed a huge reliance on hard ball gets, and was a dependable backman, with ballhandling skills that enabled him to outsmart many a clever forward. His determined approach and ability to use both sides of his body more than made up for his lack of size, and he was seldom beaten in one on one contests.
Derek’s strengths lay in his skilfull roving, mainly around the goals. An in and under player, he was unable to realise the potential he showed as a junior, mainly because of frustrating injuries cropping up on too many occasions.
Cliff’s form tapered in 1995, and he retired at the end of that season, having played 172 games with the Bulldogs and earning life membership at the port. He still had plenty to offer, though, and spent the next three years at Corrigin, being part of a premiership in 1998. He returned to home territory in 2000, winning a flag and a fairest and best with the C grade East Fremantle Amateur side.
The last 4 years have been spent in the AFL Masters competition with the Fremantle Phantoms.
Derek Kickett and Kevin Mitchell were two players he found difficult to play on. “You learn from good players,†he said, “and I learnt a lot from them,â€while he gave Maurice Rioli top votes as best he’d played with.
Cliff Collard leads a busy but happy life.
“I am heavily involved with my work at the Drug and Alcohol Office,†he said. “It’s a passion of mine to try to do something about the alcohol and other drug problems, especially with the young indigenous people, and it does involve a bit of travelling when supporting communities.†Cliff is still involved with the SFFC NAIDOC committee.
When not working (and when South aren’t playing), Cliff likes to spend time with wife Jane and children Joshua and Amber, following their football, cricket and basketball.
Cliff Collard was a diminutive, determined defender, who represented his State with distinction. Although Derek was hampered throughout his career, the Collard brothers made a fine contribution to the South Fremantle Football Club, and are continuing to make contributions with their work in the community.
