Bruce Andrew - Collingwood

Collingwood

Bruce Andrew was light framed wingman, and the 321st player to play for Collingwood's senior team. He was considered to be one of the fastest wingmen in the competition, and had good all round skills, although he was rather injury prone. He played his first senior game for Collingwood, on the wing, against Fitzroy in round 13 of the 1928 season on 14 July 1928, having been promoted from the Seconds to replace an out of form Jack Beveridge; the match report in The Argus noted that "the new man, Andrew, from the second eighteen, fully justified his inclusion".

He played from 1928 to 1932; and, then, as Club Vice-President, he returned to the football field at the end of the 1934, playing 4 games because the team was depleted due to injuries to the regular 1934 players. He played a total of 62 senior games in his VFL career.

He was a member of the 1928 Collingwood premiership team; he played on Stan Judkins and received six free kicks. In October 1928, after the 1928 season had finished, he badly damaged his neck whilst bathing at Mornington. He dived too deeply, and struck his head on the bottom. The injury was serious enough for the doctor who examined him at Mornington, to have him taken immediately by ambulance from Mornington to St Vincent's Hospital at Fitzroy.

He only played four senior games in 1929.

In October 1930, having been dropped from the team for the previous week's Preliminary Final match against Geelong — which Collingwood lost, 9.11 (65) to Geelong's 12.19 (91) — he was selected on the wing for the 1930 Grand Final against Geelong and, playing on Jack Carney was one of the best on the ground for the Collingwood team that won 14.16 (100) to 9.16 (7), despite the absence of its coach Jock McHale due to illness (he had pleurisy). Noting that Collingwood had awarded its trophy for the champion player of the match to half-forward Bob Makeham, The Argus described Andrew as "invincible" on the wing.

On one occasion his individual brilliance and intelligent initiative was his downfall. Collingwood coach Jock McHale always insisted that his players remained in their position's set location at all times. Twice during one match, Bruce Andrew raced away from his position on the wing, and ran deeply into the forward line to kick two scintillating goals. Rather than being congratulated, he was immediately taken off the field by McHale; which meant, in those days, before the concept of "interchange", that Andrew was off the ground for the rest of the match. McHale told him "We've got bloody forwards to do that!".