Motivation can come from any number of places, but in sport it’s well established that the desire to prove somebody wrong can be a powerful inspirational force.

And that’s what Kevin Healy discovered in 1962.

By then his VFL career was already over. He’d come to Collingwood from Donnybrook, out near Whittlesea, in 1959. Carlton had actually invited him to training the previous season, but he was in the middle of National Service training and didn't follow it up. Once at Collingwood, however, he immediately received encouraging reports during the 1959 practice matches. “Healy showed ability in his limited opportunities in the second half,” said one of the Club’s newsletters. “Lightly built, his ability and position play in the forward zone has made him one of our most promising players.”

Kevin spent most of the year in the reserves but managed to break through for two senior games, one at half-forward and one on the bench, and kicked a goal, without going close to establishing himself.

But he was convinced he was being played out of position. He had always been a defender, usually half-back flank or centre half-back, and there seemed to be opportunities in front of him with the vaunted trio of Peter Lucas, Ron Kingston and Frank Tuck all coming to the end of their careers. But the Magpies were sure his future would be as a forward. He had speed, desire, good hands, was supremely fit and was a decent left-foot kick. His ball-handling was also first-class. He had the tools, but never felt comfortable in the forward half.

It seemed to be the same story in 1960. So midway through the season, after playing his 23^rd reserves game (in which he’d kicked 20 goals), he accepted former teammate Barry Donegan’s suggestion to go to Murchison and play there. The money on offer was reasonable, plus they would put him up at the pub and pay his petrol money. Healy jumped at the chance to reinvigorate his football career, and Collingwood granted his clearance.

Two years later, Collingwood ventured to Shepparton to play a combined Goulburn Valley League team. And there on the half-back line waiting for them was Kevin Healy, who had become a star with Murchison since leaving Victoria Park and was the combined team’s vice-captain. In 1961 he had finished second in the competition best-and-fairest and won a commercial award for the best player of the season sponsored by Slee’s Furniture Store (the 100 pound prize sounded wonderful, but the fine print actually dictated that the money had to be spent at Slee’s Furniture Store. So he bought a big green couch bed!)

Almost inevitably, Healy starred against Collingwood that day. He won a trophy as the GV’s best player, somewhat awkwardly made available and presented by the VFL team that let him go in the first place. Healy later described his performance that day as the proudest moment of his career.

“It must have been ironic for some of the Collingwood officials to see the magnificent game played on the backline for GVL by Kevin Healy,” wrote the local paper. “From the first bounce he starred with courageous defence and if he had been wearing the black and white guernsey would have been acknowledged as a Collingwood star.”

The Magpies, having finally seen first-hand just how good Kevin could be, decided they wanted him back. But Kevin didn’t bite. He was enjoying his footy again and wanted it to stay that way. So he told the Pies he was happy where he was, and remained in country and outer suburban leagues for the rest of his career.

After his years with Murchison he played for Bungaree, and in 1967 he joined Crib Point. He would go on to play 125 games there, playing in three Premierships and winning three best-and-fairests (twice finishing runner-up in the League B&F), as well as captain-coaching the team for three seasons. He was described there as “the ultimate competitor”. So significant was his contribution that a trophy for games against local rivals Red Hill, the Edmond-Healy Shield, was co-named in his honour.

In the end, Kevin Healy’s story was one of ‘what ifs’. But what everyone saw in that game against Collingwood in 1962 was all that was needed to show that he was good enough to have ended up with a far longer career at VFL level.

- Michael Roberts