Andrew Collins (footballer born 1965)

Andrew Collins (born 25 April 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the VFL/AFL. Collins was a rugged back pocket defender whose durability allowed him to play a club record 189 games in succession. He finished equal fifth in the 1990 Brownlow Medal, the same year he was awarded the Peter Crimmins Medal as the club's best and fairest player.

Collins last game was the "Merger game" between Hawthorn and Melbourne in 1996, Collins was reported and later suspended and his run of successive games came to an end.

When Collins retired from league football at the end of 1996, he was appointed for two years as coach of Sandringham in the VFA.

In 2004 and 2005 Collins coached the Box Hill Hawks in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Box Hill participated in the finals both years, finishing fourth in 2004 and eighth in 2005.

In 2006 Collins commenced coaching the Coburg Tigers in the VFL.

It was announced on 27 September 2007, that Collins had signed a three-year deal with West Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), as their new senior coach.

Collins coached West Adelaide to the 2012 SANFL Grand Final where they were defeated by Norwood. He then coached the Bloods to win the 2013 Foxtel Cup over WAFL side East Freemantle.

After coaching West Adelaide to third in the 2013 SANFL season and just missing a second straight Grand Final berth, Collins felt that after six years as coach and guiding the club to its first back to back top three finish since 1960 and 1961, the time was right to leave the club.

External links

• Andrew Collins's statistics from AFL Tables