Mick Colliss
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Mick Colliss grew up in Sydney and started his football career playing rugby league aged 7. His grandfather, Dave Colliss, played rugby league for Western Suburbs and alongside renown commentator Frank Hyde at Balmain.
At 15, he was invited by school mate Matthew Parish, whose father Don was a former first grade player and coach of Western Suburbs rugby league, to play rugby union for the Hillview Club. He made the Eastwood District representative side that same year and the Sydney Juniors team the following year, where he played in the 1982 Australian Championships in Melbourne. From that tournament he was named as a stand-by player for the Australian Under 17s team.
In 1986 he toured Taiwan and Hong Kong with the NSW Colleges team, alongside future Wallaby fullback Andrew Leeds. He played first grade colts at Eastwood that year and won the coveted Bryan Palmer Shield as the most outstanding colt, beating team mate and future Wallaby prop Richard Harry for the award.
He moved to Perth to further his studies in 1988 and played first grade for the University Club. He returned to Sydney in 1989 and toured New Zealand with the Australian Colleges team. Coming back to Perth the following year he became a mainstay at the University Club, playing in the second row and back row. He was the Club captain in 1992 and 1993 and first grade captain in 1993.
In 1994 he commentated his first rugby match on radio 927 6NR when Western Australia played Ireland at the WACA.
In 1995 he switched roles and represented Western Australia in the Healthway International Cup, earning 4 caps.
He played 6 matches for Associates at the end of the 1996 season, winning a third grade premiership as the second row partner of Geoff Stooke. He went back to University to finish his career in 1987, bringing up his 100th game in the process.
Upon retirment, he continued calling rugby matches, and has covered each of the Wallaby test matches played in Perth.
In 2003 he was 6PR's rugby expert during the World Cup and called each Western Force home game in the 2006 Super 14 competition.
Apart from his rugby, he's also 6PR's resident poet and has a regular poetry segment every Friday morning on the Breakfast Show with Millsy and Tony Mac. He's given a topic, listeners contribute words and he has one hour to compose and recite the poem.
His poetry has been recited on 2UE, 6PR, Channel 10 and Channel 7 and published in The Sydney Morning Herald, The West Australian, The Sunday Times, Rugby League Week and Rugby News. He was awarded ‘Best Sports Poem in 2002’ by SMH columnist and best selling author, Peter FitzSimons.
He has performed at numerous functions including the Carlton-Mid Derby Lunch; the West Coast Eagles ten year premiership and 20th anniversary; lunches and dinners before rugby test matches in Perth and Sydney; the Sandover Medal award ceremony, Western Force functions and at the dinner to decide WA’s Greatest Ever Sports Star. He released his first book of sports poetry, titled "What Rhymes with Jakovich?" in 2005.
Apart from rugby, he competed in triathlons and surf lifesaving ironman events. He's married with two young boys and by day is a Director of Cooch Creative, a regional advertising and marketing consultancy based in Wembley.
