Vale Mark Slater

1951-2024

The Collingwood Football Club wishes to acknowledge the passing of former player Mark Slater, who died recently.

Mark was an outstanding junior footballer who had the unusual distinction of representing Victoria in two successive Schoolboys’ Carnivals, the first held in Canberra in 1965 and the second in Adelaide in 1966. He came to notice when he kicked 10 goals against Queensland in Adelaide, and 24 in total for the carnival.

He played local footy with Bundoora, and it was from there that the Magpies recruited him to play with the under-19s in 1968. He played 12 games that year, and topped the team’s goalkicking.

He flitted between the thirds and reserves in 1969, and also managed his senior debut, against Geelong at Victoria Park – aged just 17. He started on the bench and got a run late in the game.

A talented full-forward at junior level, Mark found himself playing more as a second or third forward at senior level but still had the ability to regularly deliver big hauls. He twice kicked six in the under-19s, twice kicked five in the reserves and in 1969 enjoyed a day out against Carlton reserves, kicking seven goals.

But even that wasn’t enough to earn a recall into the strong Magpie teams of that year: he’d played in the opening game of the season – again from the bench – but that would be the last senior action he would see.

He was released just before the start of the 1971 season and then enjoyed a fine career with both Preston and Coburg in the VFA, including playing in a Division 2 Premiership with the Lions. He later returned to Bundoora and captain-coached them the 1981 Diamond Valley League Division 2 premiership in 1981. He also won the competition best-and-fairest that year

The Board, management, staff, coaches and players of the Collingwood Football Club acknowledge Mark Slater’s contribution to our footy club. Our thoughts are with his family, and all his friends from Collingwood and beyond.

Side by Side.