Vale Doug Searl
1966-68
Games 12 Goals 20

The Collingwood Football Club has been saddened to learn of the death of former player Doug Searl.

Searl only played 12 games for Collingwood between 1966 and 1968, but would go on to enjoy a wonderful career at Fitzroy and, later still, a fine coaching career.

Doug came to Collingwood from East Melbourne YCW in 1964. He started with our under-19s, finishing second in the best-and-fairest in his first year. He progressed through the reserves – winning that team’s best-and-fairest in 1965 – and made his senior debut in 1966.

A fine key position player at both ends of the ground, Doug made his mark at Collingwood mostly as a centre half-forward. He was an excellent mark, a good kick for goal and possessed an outstanding football brain.

But despite some promising performances for the Pies across his first two seasons, the Club decided to release him to Fitzroy midway through 1968, just weeks after he’d kicked a bag of four goals against Essendon. Partly this was because of a competition for key forward spots, with Peter McKenna, ‘Twiggy’ Dunne, Robert Farmer and Ian Graham all on the list.

He flourished immediately with the Lions, kicking 31 goals in the remaining eight games of the season (including nine in the last game of the year) to win the team’s goalkicking award, then following up with a grand tally of 68 in 1968.

He would go on to play 131 games with the Lions, kicking 170 goals, having spent the second half of his career as a gun centre half-back. He was later made a Life Member of Fitzroy.

He would later become a renowned coach of young players, winning a Premiership with Fitzroy Under-19s and two more with Richmond Under-19s, followed by a stint coaching Port Melbourne seniors in the VFA.

The Board, management, staff, coaches and players of the Collingwood Football Club would like to acknowledge Doug Searl’s contribution to our club, and also to the wider game of Australian football. Our thoughts are with his family, and his friends from Collingwood, Fitzroy, Richmond and beyond.

Side by Side.

To read Doug’s full story and the stats from his career, check his bio on Forever.