Col Austen
Encyclopedia
Colin 'Col' Austen was an Australian rules football
er who played for the Hawthorn Football Club
in the VFL from 1941 to 1943 and then again from 1946 to 1949. He then played for the Richmond Football Club
from 1950 to 1952.
He tied with South Melbourne's
Ron Clegg
for the 1949 Brownlow Medal
but was not awarded it based on the 'countback' system in place at that time. The League later changed the system for tied results and, in 1989, he was awarded the medal retrospectively.
1950 started with the Hawthorn Football Club
in turmoil, Col Austen had sided with outgoing captain-coach Alec Albiston
who was angry as he was told by a member of the board that he remain as captain. The club had appointed Bob McCaskill
as coach and he wanted Kevin Curran
to be captain. A huge internal split occurred, the board sided with the new coach and gave Albiston and Austen open clearances. Austen was cleared to Richmond
, he played 51 games from 1950 to 1952.
He was Captain/Coach of the Richmond
Seconds side from 1953 to 1955, winning the competition's best and fairest, the Gardiner Medal
, in 1953. He led the Tigers'
seconds to the 1954 and 1955 Seconds premierships.
Finally he went to Box Hill
in the VFA as Captain/Coach in 1956 and non-playing coach from 1957 to 1959. He coached Box Hill
to its first two Finals appearances in the VFA, 3rd place in 1956 and 4th place in 1958. He also coached the VFA's representative side in 1958.
Austen was made a Life Member of the Richmond Football Club
shortly before his death in 1995.
The 'Col Austen Memorial Trophy' is awarded each year to the winning team in the first Hawthorn
vs Richmond
match of the regular AFL season.
Since 2001 the Box Hill Football Club, now a member of the Victorian Football League and aligned to AFL Club Hawthorn, has annual presented the 'Col Austen Trophy' to its best and fairest player.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played for the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in the VFL from 1941 to 1943 and then again from 1946 to 1949. He then played for the Richmond Football Club
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
from 1950 to 1952.
He tied with South Melbourne's
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
Ron Clegg
Ron Clegg
Ron "Smokey" Clegg was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.A brilliant key position player at either centre half-forward or centre half-back, he was awarded the Brownlow Medal in 1949 while playing with the then South Melbourne Football Club...
for the 1949 Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
but was not awarded it based on the 'countback' system in place at that time. The League later changed the system for tied results and, in 1989, he was awarded the medal retrospectively.
1950 started with the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in turmoil, Col Austen had sided with outgoing captain-coach Alec Albiston
Alec Albiston
Alec Albiston is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League and with North Melbourne for his final season. A goalkicking rover, he was captain and coach of Hawthorn between 1947 and 1949...
who was angry as he was told by a member of the board that he remain as captain. The club had appointed Bob McCaskill
Bob McCaskill
Robert 'Bob' McCaskill was an Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond in the Victorian Football League during the 1920s and coached both North Melbourne and Hawthorn....
as coach and he wanted Kevin Curran
Kevin Curran (footballer)
Kevin Curran was an Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the VFL during the 1940s.Curran was recruited to Hawthorn from Traralgon and played his first game with them in 1940....
to be captain. A huge internal split occurred, the board sided with the new coach and gave Albiston and Austen open clearances. Austen was cleared to Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
, he played 51 games from 1950 to 1952.
He was Captain/Coach of the Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
Seconds side from 1953 to 1955, winning the competition's best and fairest, the Gardiner Medal
Gardiner Medal
The Gardiner Medal was an Australian rules football award, formerly awarded to the best and fairest player in the VFL Reserves competition.Officially named the Seconds prior to 1959 and the Reserves from 1959 onwards, the competition ran from 1919 until 1999 and the medal was first awarded in...
, in 1953. He led the Tigers'
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
seconds to the 1954 and 1955 Seconds premierships.
Finally he went to Box Hill
Box Hill Hawks
Box Hill Hawks Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the Victorian Football League. It has an alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club which plays in the Australian Football League....
in the VFA as Captain/Coach in 1956 and non-playing coach from 1957 to 1959. He coached Box Hill
Box Hill Hawks
Box Hill Hawks Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the Victorian Football League. It has an alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club which plays in the Australian Football League....
to its first two Finals appearances in the VFA, 3rd place in 1956 and 4th place in 1958. He also coached the VFA's representative side in 1958.
Austen was made a Life Member of the Richmond Football Club
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
shortly before his death in 1995.
The 'Col Austen Memorial Trophy' is awarded each year to the winning team in the first Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
vs Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
match of the regular AFL season.
Since 2001 the Box Hill Football Club, now a member of the Victorian Football League and aligned to AFL Club Hawthorn, has annual presented the 'Col Austen Trophy' to its best and fairest player.