Charlie Dibbs Explained

Charlie Dibbs
Fullname:Charles William Dibbs
Birth Date:3 April 1905
Birth Place:Carlton, Victoria
Death Place:Preston, Victoria
Height:175 cm
Weight:76 kg
Statsend:1936
Years1:1924–1935
Club1:Collingwood
Games Goals1:216 (1)
Years2:1936
Club2:Geelong
Games Goals2:7 (0)
Games Goalstotal:223 (1)
Coachyears1:1936
Coachclub1:Geelong
Coachgames Wins1:7 (3–4–0)
Careerhighlights:
  • Collingwood premiership player 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1935

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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Miscellaneous Goal Kicking Records. AFL Tables. 5 August 2023.
  2. News: FOOTBALL. LATROBE COACH. . . Tasmania, Australia . 1 April 1937 . 6 November 2023 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  3. News: NORTH WEST DEFEATS NORTH AFTER HIGH-CLASS DISPLAY. . . Tasmania, Australia . 21 June 1937 . 6 November 2023 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: LATROBE FOOTBALL CLUB . . Tasmania, Australia . 26 October 1937 . 6 November 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: RIVAL CLAIMS FOR FOOTBALLER . . 28,560 . Victoria, Australia . 5 March 1938 . 6 November 2023 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
  6. Web site: Seven greats inducted. Official AFL Website of the Collingwood Football Club. 25 January 2011. 20 March 2007. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120318084248/http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5586/Default.aspx?newsId=39829. 18 March 2012.