The Hawks Museum is pleased to announce that the guernsey worn 99 years ago by Dan Minogue is now on display.

Long time friend of the Hawks Museum, Dan Minogue is to be thanked for loaning the guernsey his grandfather, Dan Minogue Snr wore back in 1916.

On Saturday October 28, 1916, the former Olympic champion swimmer and later Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Lieutenant Frank Beaurepaire, organized an Australian Rules football match between two teams of Australian servicemen in aid of the British and French Red Cross.

The match was promoted as the “Pioneer Exhibition Game of Australian Football in London”.  It was held at the Queen’s Club, West Kensington before an estimated crowd of 3,000 spectators.  The members of the two competing teams were drawn from the ranks of the Australian Training units and the Third Australian Army Division.  Many of players had already played senior football in their respective states back home in Australia.

Minogue played for the Third Australian Divisional Team.  His team wore a blue guernsey with a large white map of Australia (minus Tasmania) on the front with white shorts.  The opposition team wore a red guernsey with a large white kangaroo on its left breast and black shorts.

For the record, The Third Australian Divisional Team defeated the Australian Training Units team, 6.16.52 to 4.12.36

Minogue was born September 4, 1891 and played 85 games for Collingwood between 1911-1916 serving as captain, 1914–1916 before joining the army, serving in France during World War 1.

When he returned home from war service in 1919, he requested a clearance to Richmond for reasons that were never publically disclosed.  After standing out of football for 12 months, Minogue was appointed captain and coach of Richmond.  He successfully led his team to two premierships, 1920 and 1921.

He next joined Hawthorn in 1926 as captain and coach.  In his first game, after kicking two goals, he sustained a career-ending injury as a player.  Minogue continued as coach to the end of season 1927.  

In a VFL career which lasted more than three decades, Minogue was involved in 448 games of football: first as a player at Collingwood, Richmond and Hawthorn and then coaching at Richmond (1920-25), Hawthorn (1926-27), Carlton (1929-34) and finally Fitzroy (1940-42).  His feat of coaching five VFL clubs remains a record.

In 1996, Minogue was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.  

As a player, he earned a reputation as an inspirationally courageous player playing many fine games in the ruck.  By the time he reached Hawthorn he played more as an attacking forward.  As a coach, he was renown for his shrewdness and a tactical aptitude while instilling a very competitive outlook with all his teams.