The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped guernseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest during the year. ... The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped guernseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest during the year. ... The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. ... The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. ... The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped guernseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ... The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped guernseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ...

Quick Summary

Darren 'Pants' Millane (born 9 August 1965, died 7 October 1991) played Australian rules football in the VFL/AFL for the Collingwood Football Club between 1984 and 1991, before his life was tragically cut short after he was involved in a car accident with a truck. August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Australian football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. ... VFL/AFL is the term used to refer to the competition established in 1897, which was originally known as the Victorian Football League. ... The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped guernseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ...

Darren Milane, While playing for collingwood in the late 1980's.

Image File history File links Millane. ... Image File history File links Millane. ...

AFL Career

A highly skillful and strongly built wingman, Darren Millane was one of Collingwood’s greatest footballers seen before a shocking death which would end his life and career in 1991, at the age of 26. The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies after the black and white striped guernseys worn by the players, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the elite Australian Football League. ...

Millane was considered a fine youngster, who was considered by Sydney and St Kilda, but Hawthorn won the chance, with Millane training at Glenferrie with the Hawks, but didn’t like the atmosphere and went back to captain Dandenong in the VFA U18’s. Collingwood snapped him up and Millane liked what he saw, and his football career came along nicely, debuting in 1984, aged 19. The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney, New South Wales. ... The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... VFA may refer to: Victorian Football Association, an Australian rules football competition established in the 19th Century that was superseded as the elite competition by the 1897 establishment of the Victorian FootbalL League. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1987, Millane won the best and fairest award after a stellar season. He found his place on the wing and was a feared footballer for his toughness and attitude towards the game. He was most likely the recipient on the end of the kick-outs because of his strength. His skills were sometimes ordinary, but at his best he found the football, and was an inspiration to players and fans all-around him at Victoria Park. The Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest during the year. ... Several places are named Victoria Park, most of which are named for Queen Victoria: In Australia: Victoria Park, Adelaide, South Australia Victoria Park, Western Australia Victoria Park, New South Wales Victoria Park Nature Reserve, New South Wales Victoria Park railway station, Melbourne, Victoria. ...

In 1990, the premiership drought breaking year for the Magpies, Millane was at his peak. He won the AFL Players Association MVP Award, now known as the Leigh Matthews Trophy; was selected as an All-Australian for the first time; and came second in Collingwood's best and fairest; but it was his finals campaign that was recognised. He broke his thumb just before the series, but had the toughness to play with pain-killers during the campaign and already an inspiration, he proved more than that. In the Grand Final, against Essendon, he had 24 touches, and ended up throwing the ball up in the air as the siren went at 5:11pm to put history in the book on October 6. This article is about the year. ... The AFL Players Association is a body that consists of players and former players in the Australian Football League. ... In American sports, a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests. ... The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. ... The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. ... Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club that is part of the Australian Football League. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ...

Millane’s Death

On October 7, 1991, just one year and one day after he celebrated the 1990 Premiership, Millane was killed in a car crash. On the early morning of the day, he was driving on Queens Rd, near Albert Park Lake, before he clipped a Semi-Trailer and rolled his car, being killed instantly. The football world, and the City of Melbourne were in shock to find out the terrible news delivered. He was on his way to his Noble Park home, and that day he was set to join 19 of the other 1990 Premiership side members, but that had not happened, as players and officials, along with fans set off to Victoria Park. October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Albert Park is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Noble Park is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

Millane, the proud wearer of no.42 on the Black and White Guernsey had also been retired from the game, with the player wearing it, still wearing the number as I write, yet far away from the game.

The funeral was held at Dandenong Town Hall, where more than 5000 people attended, while large crowds heard the service on a loud-speaker outside the venue. Millane’s Guernsey with no.42 on it was laid on the coffin, while the 1990 flag hung in the background at half-mast.

Famous Quotes

• “People like that…you believe they’re never going to die” – Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan (Collingwood ruck coach)
• “If you don’t get goose bumps on your neck when his name is mentioned, then I don’t think you have got the character to be around the club” – Collingwood captain Tony Shaw
• ”If he had been here tonight, he would want you all to have a good time…so lift your chins and make sure you get out there next year and win the flag” – Brother John Millane, when accepting the Phonse Kyne Trophy, for services to the club, awarded to Millane.
• ”’’’MILLANE KILLED’’’” – Herald Sun newspaper headline, October 7, 1991.

Tony Shaw (born July 23, 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer and media personality. ... Phonse Kyne, 29 Oct 1915 - 8 April 1985, was a centre half-forward for Collingwood who later went on to coach the Magpies. ... The Herald Sun is a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that is published by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tribute

• A brief tribute from the 9th of August 2003, from Buckley Surfers Collingwood website

"None of us will forget that shocking, empty moment when we learned that Darren Millane was dead. The great man, selected in the Collingwood Team of the Century on a wing, was born today in 1965. He would have been 38, no doubt a rebel, probably only four years into retirement. It didn't happen that way, and there's not a day the Collingwood Football Club or the Millane family is not bleeding for it. It still doesn't feel quite real. But today is not about filling the morning, or your coffee break with dark clouds. It's about celebration. Today we're all about Darren Millane IN LIFE.

The raging bull, the man with the affectionate moniker of 'Pants', was a Collingwood legend. Made with the sternest of stuff. He was introduced to football, Collingwood style, in Round 18 1984, in the side's six goal eclipse of Richmond at Victoria Park. In only his fifth game, he was selected in the Elimination Final against Fitzroy, in the league's historic first Sunday final. Earlier in the year he was playing in the VFA for Dandenong. Several places are named Victoria Park, most of which are named for Queen Victoria: In Australia: Victoria Park, Adelaide, South Australia Victoria Park, Western Australia Victoria Park, New South Wales Victoria Park Nature Reserve, New South Wales Victoria Park railway station, Melbourne, Victoria. ... VFA may refer to: Victorian Football Association, an Australian rules football competition established in the 19th Century that was superseded as the elite competition by the 1897 establishment of the Victorian FootbalL League. ...

That year Millane provided valued freshness and vigour to a hybrid side of high priced recruits (Geoff Raines, Michael Richardson, Gary Shaw, Bruce Abernethy) and firming old hands (Tony Shaw, Dennis Banks, and Peter Daicos). Darren Millane went on to become one of those 'old hands'. Unfortunately, not old enough. He played with cheeky authority in his first two finals of 1984 - both wins - versus Fitzroy and Carlton, and was possibly our best player in the Preliminary final loss to Essendon. Millane obviously never forgot that 133 point belting. He saved some of his best for the Bombers. Michael Richardson is an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. ... Gary Shaw was an expolsive striker with Aston Villa and his goals helped them win the League in 1980 and the European Cup the following year. ... Bruce Abernethy (born May 10, 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL and media personality. ... Tony Shaw (born July 23, 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer and media personality. ... Dennis Banks (born April 12, 1932), a Native American leader, teacher, lecturer, activist and author, is an Anishinabe born on Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. ...

Millane's second season did not go to plan, interrupted through injury and a struggle for fitness, but by 1986 he was back and played every game, just missing out on the Copeland Trophy to Wes Fellowes. By 1987, Millane was big, muscular and intimidating. He required an opponent of skill, beef and pace. He was a hard match-up on a wing. It is not difficult to appreciate Millane winning the Copeland in 1987 - take a look at the Round 4 clash against Richmond, at his influence in the 51 point turnaround. In the nine goal last term, Millane lays a ferocious tackle on Dale Weightman near centre half forward, virtually arriving unannounced from the periphery, pulling both of them to the ground. Millane does not get rewarded for the perfect tackle, but gets straight back to his feet, beats the floundering opposition crumbers to the roll of the ball nearing the centre, swings around and drives the football deep forward for a capitalising goal. Magnificent stuff. A lot of lessons in that solo string of play. The Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged Best and Fairest during the year. ...

There's another great moment in that last quarter, when Muzza crunches Terry Wallace playing for the safety of the boundary line. Now Wallace may get the free kick, but the damage has been done - Wallace looks totally ill at ease. It's a beautiful reaction, only a fraction of a second's emotion, but the footy nomad can almost be heard to be thinking : "Hey, mate, it's only a game of football . . . and it's only a Richmond jumper." Try telling that to Darren Millane. Hawthorn Premiership Player (Australian Rules Football), Western Bulldogs Coach 1996 to 2002 Terry Wallace was a good if not outstanding centre position player in a champion team at Hawthorn, briefly at Richmond and at Footscray (Western Bulldogs). ...

Millane was a rarity, in that same bracket as Dermott Brereton, tough and hard, a bull on the loose, but one hell of a skilful footballer, and a match winner. A team lifter. A team player. None of this was lost on Melbourne which, in 1988, brought back resident thug and man-on-the-exodus Ted Fidge for one last strip with the club. His assignment - to eliminate the 'intimidation factor', to 'take out' Darren Millane. It worked. Millane was flattened. Hit with a right fist to the head, in the first quarter. Fidge got six weeks but Melbourne won. Ironically, Fidge's cowardly act was a glowing tribute to Millane, a glaring recognition of his ability, of his importance in the makeup of the Collingwood side. Dermott Brereton (born August 19, 1964) is a former champion Australian Rules Football player in the Australian Football League. ...

Millane won the Copeland in 1987, but 1990 was his best year of football. A three match suspension cost him any chances of the Brownlow Medal, but he topped the media awards and played twenty three games for the season. After the Grand Final, 'Pants' confirmed football's worst kept secret, that he had played the last six games with a broken thumb (reported as a wrist injury in the official match report of Round 21). The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal, is an annual medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League during the regular season (ie. ...

Playing with painkillers, Millane averaged twenty five disposals in the finals series. During premiership celebrations at the Southern Cross Hotel, President Allan McAlister introduced the players to the rampant following in alphabetical order - with two exceptions. Tony Shaw, as skipper, was introduced last. Darren Millane was introduced first. Tony Shaw (born July 23, 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer and media personality. ...

The man is enshrined in football history as the last in possession of that beautiful football when the final siren sounded on the game's most cherished of victories.

Darren Millane played 147 matches for Collingwood between 1984 and 1991. Tonight, when you get home, pour a beer, raise your glass, and have a smile at the way he played the game.

Darren Millane - born today in 1965.

Darren Millane - never to be forgotten."

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