Charlie Utting was a nuggety and feisty footballer with relentless determination, courage, resilience and unflinching toughness who made life very difficult for opponents. He was a key contributor to Collingwood’s re-emergence as a VFL force in the years after 1943.

Baptised Charles Albert Utting, Charlie had his first experience of competitive football playing at Victoria Park with the St Joseph’s School team in 1937, aged 14. From there he went on to the Collingwood Juniors, playing in the V.J.F.L.  He had a season with the Collingwood seconds and this led to his promotion to the senior side in 1943. His first game with the seniors was on 14 August 1943 against South Melbourne at Princes Park aged 20. His career goal total was 17 from 125 games over eight seasons.  He retired in 1950, at what would appear to be at the height of his game, to join the family business – working for his uncle Charles Henry Utting as a motor wrecker. Another uncle was Ern ‘Tich’ Utting, who was formerly a star with Collingwood and Hawthorn.

He played in a variety of positions – wing man, half forward, half-back flanker, forward pocket, rover and then back pocket. He went to the centre in 1948 and made a great success of this position. There were few better club men, and he spent his Sundays as a special coach of the Magpie Socials, which won the Premiership of the Sunday Amateur competition in 1949. Charlie was renowned for his pep talks to the boys and interested people would go into the rooms just to hear his speeches.

He knows the game backwards; he is quick off the mark and has excellent judgement. He is a good mark for his size, which is 5ft 9in and places the ball to advantage either with a stab kick or a long driving drop and is most tenacious.

The Argus 3 June 1950, page 6S

During his time at Collingwood he was Vice-Captain and won the Copeland Trophy for Best & Fairest in 1950. He also won the J.J. Joyce Trophy for 3^rd Best & Fairest in 1949. Charlie went on to coach the Collingwood Seconds from 1951-53, was a member of the Committee 1968-75 and became a Collingwood Life Member.

Members of the extensive Utting family had been living in Collingwood since the 1860s and mostly made their living as dealers.  They lived and worked within the area bounded by Gipps, Perry, Wellington and Palmer Streets, at addresses between 170 and 214 Wellington Street, as well as in Vere, Campbell, Down, Emerald and Palmer Streets. Most of the houses and shops in this area have been demolished, to be replaced by Housing Commission flats or factories. As a young man Charlie lived with his parents in Palmer Street, moved to Wellington Street, married while living there then lived briefly in Vere Street, all the while working as a dealer.  He was elected a Collingwood councillor and was Mayor in the 1976-77 year. His final move in the 1970s took him out of the traditional Utting stamping grounds and to The Esplanade in Clifton Hill, where he remained until his death in 2009.

12 The Esplanade Clifton Hill in 2016

State Library of Victoria:  C. E. Boyles photo of Utting