‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers …’  - William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, Scene III

While it may be strange to begin with a Shakespearean quote, for one family, it appears quite appropriate.  Three Collins brothers played for Hawthorn during the club's time in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association.  All three served their country in WW1.  Only two returned home.

It was September 20, 1917, the first day of the battle for the Menin Road when Sergeant Jack Collins and his mates from 8th Battalion’s Company D attacked a series of German pill boxes on Westhoek Ridge, near Polygon Wood.  After the attack, Jack was posted as Missing in Action.

With no information as to his fate, his brother Matthew wrote to the Red Cross in December 1917, asking for news.

A few respondents to the Red Cross enquiry were well off-base with their thoughts.  But, we can still glean enough from the published Missing & Wounded report to piece together his tragic end.

Collins was hit and badly wounded from a bullet or artillery shell. Before stretcher bearers could bring him in, ‘either another shell killed and buried him, or the Germans got him away.’  This was the conclusion made by Private Draper from the 7th Battalion, a friend of Jack Collins.  He finishes with a description of Jack as being, ‘about 5’10”, sturdily built … a fine footballer.’

One particularly poignant account came from a TW Corkhill of the 8th Battalion Transports.  He mentions that Jack had, ‘a premonition that he would not come out and gave all his papers to Chaplain Booth to send to his people.’

John Joseph (Jack) Collins was a forward. He played 18 games for Hawthorn between 1907-08, kicking 34 goals.  Earlier, he had played for the Hawthorn Rovers in the Eastern Suburbs Association.  He had played against Mat Collins when Hawthorn took on the Rovers in September 1906. 

Joining his brothers Mat and Tim at Hawthorn the following season, Jack rated a number of mentions in newspaper reports for his scoring ability as a half-forward.  An exception was noted, though, in The Argus, July 22, 1907, ‘Jack Collins had very bad luck in shooting for goal, hitting the post four times out of six.’

A furniture salesman in Richmond, Jack joined the AIF July 21, 1915 and embarked with the 13th Reinforcements aboard the HMAT Demosthenes for training in Egypt on December 29, 1915. 

Mentioned in Dispatches in September 1916 for, ‘participation in a very successful raid on enemy trenches,’ Jack was promoted to Sergeant on 21 July, 1917.  He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.

Matthew Collins was Hawthorn’s rover, playing 50 games, 1905-08.  Vice-captain in 1907-08, he was a regular feature among newspaper best player lists.  Match reports often mention his play as ‘splendid’ or ‘dashing'.  He also played representative football for the Metropolitan Association in their games against Fitzroy in 1906-07. 

A description of Hawthorn’s annual dinner in The Herald in August 1906 said that a cup was presented to Mat, ‘ being the best all-round player this season.’  This ‘Most Consistent’ trophy, believed to be a forerunner of the Best & Fairest Award, is on display in the Hawks Museum.

Mat enlisted on February 1, 1916 at the age of 32.  He served in France and England as a member of the the 2nd Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps.  He returned to Australia in 1919 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Tim Collins joined his two brothers at Hawthorn for the last six rounds of the 1907 season, playing in a forward pocket.  The three brothers also played together through the first five rounds of the 1908 season, after which Mat ended his Hawthorn playing days.  Tim and Jack, though, played together in most of the games that season.

A report in the Hawthorn Camberwell Citizen in May 1908 says that the Collins brothers, ‘… shone for Hawthorn.’  The Herald called the fateful day when the three Collins boys left the club to join MJFA rivals, Beverley, ‘a huge blow’.  The Collins family lived in Richmond.  Beverley was a Richmond club.

But, Tim Collins returned to Hawthorn in 1911 and captained the side in 1912-13.  His leadership and good play was often noted.  The Hawthorn Kew Citizen said that he, ‘set the pace for his colleagues in first class style.’  The Argus said that he, ‘set a splendid example … and played the best game this season.’

Finishing his time at Glenferrie having played 53 games and kicked 27 goals, Tim joined Melbourne in the Victorian Football League in 1914. 

A serious knee injury ended his League career in Round 13, 1915, following 20 games and 20 goals for Melbourne.  He enlisted in the AIF on January 24, 1916.

The leadership he displayed on the football field held him in good stead.  Joining Company A in the 39th Infantry Battalion, Collins trained at Ballarat.  He was soon made Company Quartermaster Sergeant, a very responsible position.

A 3rd Division unit, the Battalion left for further training in England in May 1916.   Promotions came to Tim Collins.  He was made Regimental QMS in August of that year and Warrant Officer 2nd Class a month later.  He left for France and the front in November 1916, just in time for one of the coldest winters in living memory.

Timothy James Collins was commissioned in 1917 following several months of Officers’ Cadet School in Oxford..  He returned to the 39th Battalion in France and received one further promotion to full Lieutenant in February 1918.  He served in France until the war’s end in November 1918  and returned to Australia in March 1919. 

Tim stayed on the Reserve Officers’ List well after the War.  He lived in Hawthorn. Three handwritten diaries that he maintained during WW1 are now in the Australian War Memorial collection.

The three Collins brothers served the Hawthorn Football Club with distinction.  They were one of the earliest bands of brothers to don our guernsey.  They wouldn’t be the last, but they were the only band of three Hawthorn brothers to serve in their nation’s uniform in WW1, too.

Our records for the MJFA years are incomplete.  This is what we know of the Collins brothers:

Matt Collins

Played 1905-08

Games 50

Goals 16

Most Consistent Player 1906

Vice-captain 1907-08

Jack Collins

Played 1907-08

Games 18

Goals 34

Tim Collins

Played 1907-08, 1911-13

Games 53

Goals 27

Captain 1912-13