Watch Chris Tarrant's interview on this week's episode of The Club now.
The very beginning. One of Tarrant's first training sessions at Victoria Park shortly after being drafted to Collingwood with the eighth selection in the 1997 National Draft.
Side by Side with senior coach Tony Shaw and back pocket Luke Godden, Tarrant belts out Good Old Collingwood Forever after the Magpies' first win of the 1999 season in round eight against Fremantle at the MCG. It was the first time the club had emerged victorious since round 16, 1998.
Fans began to note glimpses of Tarrant's best in 1999. He took one of the Marks of the Year over Port Adelaide's Stephen Daniels and Darren Mead in the one point loss in round 14, 1999, and whipped out a victory dance with Tyson Lane after kicking one of his four goals in the upset win over St Kilda in round 13 at Waverley Park.
Tarrant is the only current Collingwood player to have played a senior game at Victoria Park. Here, he flies over Gavin Brown, Justin Leppitsch and Chris Scott on that very day in round 22, 1999, against the Brisbane Lions.
Permission to fly. Taz shows Matthew Scarlett a clean pair of heels in the loss to Geelong round 12, 2000, played in icy conditions at the MCG.
The No. 20. Ben Reid might wear it now, but it was Taz's for nine years between 1998 and 2006. He celebrates one of his five goals on ANZAC Day, 2001, with Rupert Betheras.
Check out the famous guns!
"Lockyer's kick inside the 50...OOOHHHH!!! BIG MARK! TARRANT OVER THE TOP! What a mark! He came down the front of the pack as if it were a waterfall" - Dennis Cometti on Tarrant's Queen's Birthday mark in 2001. On the right, Taz receives his ANZAC Medal despite playing in a losing team in round five, 2001.
Ready to take on the world in his 53-goal 2001 season.
Finding time to chill out on his seven-goal Queen's Birthday against Melbourne in round 11, 2002. It remains Tarrant's high watermark in front of goal. On the right, he celebrates kicking five in the epic three-point win over the Lions in the royal rumble at Colonial Stadium in round eight, 2002. Taz can't hide his jubilation, and neither can Nick Davis.
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Matthew Bishop can't believe it. Neither can Taz. Collingwood has pulled off the great escape in the 2002 Qualifying Final and has secured a home Preliminary Final. Without captain Nathan Buckley, against the minor premiers, in unfamiliar territory, with only one win from its previous four games and with the odds stacked against them, Collingwood turned in perhaps the greatest backs to the wall performance in its history. Tarrant had a hand in the final play, dishing off to Leon Davis and using his body well to protect space to allow Leon to kick the sealer.
A dreadlocked Taz gets a massage after jarring his neck in the first quarter of the 2002 Preliminary Final win over Adelaide.
A moment that Collingwood fans won't forget. Chris Tarrant tangles with Darryl White midway through the 2002 Grand Final, only metres from the Magpies' goals. Collingwood led by three-points. No whistle was blown. The Lions raced the ball down the other end where Alistair Lynch was infringed and put Brisbane back into the lead.
Mick Malthouse bears the look of a proud father minutes after Tarrant kicked the winning goal after the siren to sink Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in round seven, 2003.
Ouch. Tarrant feels the pinch after an errant Mark McGough kick smacked him square in the face in the opening minutes of round 19, 2003, against the Brisbane Lions.
In 2003, Taz was the man. With a home final at stake, he stepped up to the plate in round 22, 2003 with the sealing goal against Essendon in one of the game's of the year on a balmy Friday night.
The 2004 season is one Collingwood fans wish to forget. But Tarrant was a shining light, kicking 36 goals despite injuries and suspensions arriving at inopportune times. He kicked five to break a six game losing streak in round nine against the Crows, and the goal on the right was a heartbreaker. With half a minute remaining in the final match of the season against Carlton, Tarrant's goal brought the Magpies back within a single point. Nick Stevens helped rush the ball towards the boundary line in the dying seconds and the jig was up. But with five goals in a losing team, it certainly wasn't Taz's fault.
The highs and lows of season 2005. Despite kicking another 36 goals, it was another year best forgotten as the Pies slipped to 15th on the ladder.
Tarrrraaaaaaannnnnnttttttt!!!!! Eddie McGuire called this mark several seconds earlier than anyone else at Telstra Dome in round 11, 2005. Taz has always loved a good grab against the Cats.
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The 2006 season brought new hope, and Tarrant delivered in bulk with six goals against the Kangaroos on Easter Monday at Telstra Dome.
Testing times. Collingwood dropped three games in a row mid-season and the vultures were circling. Tarrant's topsy-turvy form mirrored that of the team. At season's end, Tarrant and Collingwood parted ways and became a Fremantle Docker. Who would have thought that he'd have been back all these years later?
A facinating reunion. Wearing a rye smile, Taz clashed with several former teammates at three quarter time. He kicked two behinds in Fremantle's narrow loss on a Friday night in round 10, 2007. Tellingly, the Collingwood crowd didn't know whether to boo (as is the custom for players who leave for greener pastures) or cheer. It sums up his place in their hearts.
Tarrant leaves the field looking worse for ware late in the 2010 season. With his career entering its twilight, the prospect of a return to Collingwood looming on the horizon.
"This can't be real - a flag, and now Taz is back!" Collingwood supporters had all their Christmas' come at once when Tarrant was unveiled to the media on the MCG alongside good friend Heath Shaw and the 2010 premiership cup.
Yep, it is real. A man on a mission returns to the Westpac Centre. And that mission isn't over yet.
Pre-season matches don't historically draw much attention from the fans, but this round-robin fixture against Carlton in February 2011 proved an exception. Taz was back, chatting with Leigh Brown after the win.
Tarrant and Heath Scotland - the only two players who are still playing to have run out in anger on Victoria Park - reunite after the Magpies' round three win; Tarrant returned to the forward line with two final quarter goals to sink Adelaide in round nine and couldn't hide his joy.
Umpire, please?
One of Collingwood's best in the 2011 Grand Final. Tarrant had James Podsiadly on a tight leash before the J-Pod went down with a dislocated shoulder.
Chaired off AAMI Stadium by close friends Ben Johnson and Dane Swan after Collingwood's 138-point win over Port Adelaide in round 20, 2011. Tarrant had notched 250 senior games in his 14th season.
No, thank YOU Taz. A Collingwood hero.
