Charlie Dibbs

Charlie Dibbs
Dibbs during his Collingwood career
Personal information
Full name Charles William Dibbs
Date of birth 3 April 1905
Place of birth Carlton, Victoria
Date of death 22 November 1960(1960-11-22) (aged 55)
Place of death Preston, Victoria
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 76 kg (168 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1924–1935 Collingwood 216 (1)
1936 Geelong 007 (0)
Total 223 (1)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1936 Geelong 7 (3–4–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1936.
Career highlights
  • Collingwood premiership player 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1935
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Charlie Dibbs (3 April 1905 – 22 November 1960) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Magpies in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1920s and 1930s.

Charlie Dibbs was born Charles William Heaton in Carlton in 1905, the son of William George Heaton and Elizabeth (née Hodge). He took the Dibbs surname after his mother remarried following his father's death.

Most of Dibbs' football career was spent at fullback, and he was a member of the Collingwood side, which won four consecutive premierships. Dibbs kicked his only career goal in his 4th match and was goalless for the remaining 219 consecutive games; as of 2023, this streak remains the longest goalless streak by a single player in VFL/AFL history.[1]

He finished his career in that league with a season as captain-coach of Geelong in 1936.

Dibbs was appointed playing coach with Latrobe in the NWFU in 1937,[2] and also represented the NWFU in an intrastate match against the NTFA.[3] He decided to return to the mainland after the season was over.[4]

In 1938, Charlie was appointed coach of Williamstown, but within days of being advised that club he preferred accepting the position at Essendon of coach of the Second Eighteen side.[5]

Dibbs was a Collingwood life member, and in 2007, he was inducted into the Magpies' Hall of Fame.[6]

  1. ^ "Miscellaneous Goal Kicking Records". AFL Tables. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  2. ^ "FOOTBALL. LATROBE COACH". The Advocate (Australia). Tasmania, Australia. 1 April 1937. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "NORTH WEST DEFEATS NORTH AFTER HIGH-CLASS DISPLAY". The Advocate (Australia). Tasmania, Australia. 21 June 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "LATROBE FOOTBALL CLUB". The Advocate (Australia). Tasmania, Australia. 26 October 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "RIVAL CLAIMS FOR FOOTBALLER". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 28, 560. Victoria, Australia. 5 March 1938. p. 14. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Seven greats inducted". Official AFL Website of the Collingwood Football Club. 20 March 2007. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2011.