One of the Mayne Tigers toughest warriors, Jack Collings, will play his 150th game for the club this Saturday in the Annual Anzac Day Clash with historic rivals Coorparoo at the Den. Remarkably, he played his 100th game in the inaugural Anzac Day Clash in 2018.
Jack was in his second year as Club Captain in 2018 when he achieved his 100th game and with his legendary form and renowned approach to preparation, it seemed very likely that he would motor to 150 games in quick style.
Nobody could have imagined or foreseen what was to happen over the intervening five years to see him get to this amazing new milestone.
It has been an incredible period for Jack with outstanding success which has been marred by unprecedented world events and potentially career ending injuries.
Let’s review and enjoy the outstanding success first. Jack was appointed Club Captain in 2017 taking over from his cousin Caleb Brown following two outstanding seasons in 2015 and 2016 as a critical member of Premierships in each of those years. He went on to Captain the club through to 2021 and was appointed again at the beginning of 2022.
He was awarded the Keith Beavis Club Champion Trophy in 2017 and followed it up in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to equal the club record held by Carl Herbert and Andrew Housego in a stellar period of consistent performances.
While 2020 was another incredible year for Jack, everyone will recall it was also the year of the Pandemic with football across the country curtailed or even completely cancelled. In Queensland, we were able to play a shortened season which slowed up his progress to his next milestone.
All of this amazing success came to an abrupt end during the 2021 Pre-Season when Jack sustained an ACL injury which ruled him out for the entire year.
Anyone who was remotely involved with the Tigers in 2021 will recall the incredible work that Jack put into his rehabilitation where he was back running many weeks before expected. He was also in the gym constantly making every effort to be able to return before all medical expectations. He was back into the 2022 pre-season work before Christmas 2021 and all seemed destined for a remarkable return for Round 1 2022.
Despite all the brave work that Jack had invested in his rehabilitation, lady luck was not playing her part as he aggravated a back injury he endured in 2014 which took him out for that entire year. The advice was dire as to whether he would ever play again or even worse, be plagued by a permanent injury.
Stricken with this news, and true to his character, Jack relinquished his much loved role as Club Captain to his long term teammate, Vice Captain and friend Zac McLean in the best interests of the team and the club.
After weeks of even more rehabilitation, he received some hopeful medical advice whereby a critical operation might be the answer. Amazingly, only a few weeks after surgery he was running again and managed to play seven games to get him to 146 games at the end of 2022, a truly brave achievement.
Jack’s form in the first three games of season 2023 has been outstanding and characteristic of his renowned warrior courage as he plays in and under to gain the toughest clearances, rove the hardest ball and tackle the biggest opponent.
The whole Mayne Tigers community congratulates Jack on his incredible service for their club and for his selfless courage to battle through so much adversity to get the very best of himself and achieve this well deserved milestone.
Comentarios