Australian Football

He may have been less ostentatiously talented than his Brownlow Medal-winning brother Gerard, but Melbourne's Greg Healy was nevertheless a fine footballer in his own right. Gutsy, extremely determined, and highly effective, Greg Healy was a significant contributor to the Demons' upsurge in fortunes during the late 1980s. He joined Melbourne from Edithvale-Aspendale, and won a Morrish Medal for the best and fairest player in the VFL under 19 competition in 1983.

Not many Morrish Medallists go on to enjoy auspicious league careers, but Greg Healy was one such. Between 1984 and 1993 he played a total of 141 V/AFL games and kicked 167 goals. He had an exceptional year in 1986, winning both the club's best and fairest award and its leading goal kicker trophy, with 35 goals. Two years later, aged just 22, he was appointed Dees captain, and promptly led them to their first Grand Final appearance in 24 years. The match was lost, and lost heavily (to Hawthorn), but Healy was one of his team's few noteworthy performers. An inspirational skipper, who led from the front, he retained the captaincy job for another couple of years, and continued to display exceptional on-field leadership qualities even after being replaced in the role by Garry Lyon.

Author - John Devaney