Earlier this year, Collingwood Forever launched an appeal to the Magpie Army.

The club’s Archives Committe, led by historian Michael Roberts, searched far and wide for 125 unique items that would help tell the story of Collingwood’s first 125 years.

Now, proudly on display in the Holden Centre foyer, are some of the rarest and most intriguing Collingwood artefacts in existence.

From jumpers and trophies to photographs and publications, and all other ephemera, the display has items that will resonate with all Collingwood fans, young and old.



One of the most notable items is the jumper Collingwood very nearly wore for the premiership season of 1990.

When the VFL became the AFL that year, the newly formed league contemplated a major overhaul of club guernseys.

A design firm was engaged to come up with designs that could be replicated across a number of teams – and Collingwood was one of those for whom ‘dummy’ jumpers were produced.



This is the prototype version of the Collingwood jumper presented to the AFL, kindly on loan from Russell Kennedy.

All we can say is thank goodness Tony Shaw wasn’t wearing this outfit when he became the first captain to lift an AFL premiership cup that October!

Other items of interest include Joffa's original gold jacket, Ray Gabelich’s boot from the 1964 Grand Final, Nick Maxwell’s 2010 premiership jumper (and the scarf that someone put on him in the crowd), the game bell from Victoria Park plus lots of other rare artefcts, memorabilia and rarely seen objects from the Collingwood Archives Committee’s collection.

The display is available for viewing in the Holden Centre foyer between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, and on match day this Saturday from 10am.