Sometimes, in footy as in life, it just pays to be the right man in the right place at the right time. And that's pretty much what happened with Shane Kerrison and the Grand Final story with which he will always be associated.

A strong and durable tagger who built a fine reputation as an effective and unobtrusive defender, Kerrison etched his name into Collingwood history when he was a late inclusion for the 1990 Grand Final victory after Alan Richardson failed a late fitness test. Richo's heartache was to prove Kerro's stroke of good fortune, and boy did he make the most of it.

Kerrison was one of Collingwood's local brigade, having grown up in Heidelberg idolising Magpie stars like Ricky Barham, Billy Picken and Ronnie Wearmouth. He played with Olympic in the Preston District Junior Football Association and won the competition best-and-fairest in the under-18s - as a ruckman! From there he went to Heidelberg in the Diamond Valley League and finished second in their best-and-fairest as an 18-year-old. 

Although still eligible for the under-19s, Kerrison started life at Victoria Park in the senior program, and made his senior debut in what was Leigh Matthews' second game as senior coach. He lined up on Footscray's Brownlow Medallist Brad Hardie against Footscray in 1986 (he suffered an accidental broken nose by Neville Shaw)and did so well that he did not miss another game for the remainder of the year. He was a regular in the seniors for the next three seasons too. By now his days as a ruckman were long gone, and he established himself as a tough, hard-running defender and run-with player. No opponent got an easy kick when Kerro was around, and his own possessions were often the long, clearing kicks that backmen were renonwed for. So good was his kicking that Matthews often used him to take kick-ins when he was stationed in the back pocket.

But a succession of quad, toe and hamstring injuries interrupted his 1990 season. He even played for Victoria that year, but with his hamstrings still given him trouble. They were still troubling him when we played Hawthorn in Round 20, but Kerro started anyway, Matthews determined to have him tag John Platten. But his dodgy hammies gave way early in the game, and there were fears that his season might have been over. Kerrison missed seven weeks, but kept rehabbing and training three times a day, just in case the cards fell his way.

And that's exactly what happened, after Richardson succumbed to a fractured collarbone and Kerrison came from outside the selected side to replace him. Matthews started him to run with the dangerous Alan Ezard, and Kerrison grabbed the first kick of the game - a mongrel punt that floated on the breeze and rolled through for the game's first score. It was quite the turnaround.

Kerrison was very, very good on Grand Final day, winning 18 disposals and laying four tackles as the Pies won one of the Club's most famous Premierships. He started on Ezard, then spent time tagging Derek Kickett, Tim Watson and Darren Bewick. His contribution was significant, despite missing much of the second term dazed after Paul Van der Haar collected him on the chin. 

Unfortunately he continued to battle injuries and operations in the years that followed, suffering problems with his shoulder, groin, toes, planta fascia, stress fractures in his feet and even cracked vertebrae! He fought back to play 19 games in 1994, but his reconstructed shoulder restricted him in 1995 and he retired at the end of the season, the constant battle with injuries finally taking its toll. In all, he had missed the best part of four seasons through injury. He remained at the Club in a variety of volunteer roles - he'd always been a practical joker and positive influence in the dressing room - and also spent time as the runner for Mick Malthouse.

Shane Kerrison was often underrated outside of Collingwood during his 141 senior games. But internally, his coaches and teammates rated him highly, understanding the importance of the roles he was being asked to play. Ultimately it's that respect that matters more than anything. And, of course, being an important part of a Premiership team.