Australian Football

When Brunswick's Ted Henrys called it a day in 1950 after 70 games for the club over the previous five years it seemed he had merely been "one of a number of handy VFA players, the type of fellow who would make a good coach of a country club or soon be forgotten (after) he retired".¹ Henrys' wife, though, had other ideas, and persuaded him to have another stab at Association football with Preston, for whom he made a fairly promising debut in the seconds in the opening round of the 1951 season. Promoted to the league side the following week, Henrys went from strength to strength, particularly after being shifted to what was for him the unaccustomed position of full back. The Bullants were not a strong team at this time, but with Henrys on the last line of defence they became a good deal harder to beat.

Voted Preston's best and fairest player in 1951-2-3 he made history in the last of those years by earning selection in the inaugural All Australian team after representing the VFA at the Adelaide carnival. Henrys and Frank Johnson of Port Melbourne were the first Association players to be so honoured.

Despite not being tall, Ted Henrys was strong overhead, and his kicking was superb. On one occasion he was credited with a drop kick of 69.5 metres.

After 98 games for the Bullants, Henrys retired at the end of the 1955 season. Between 1963 and 1967 he served as assistant coach of the club, and actually took the field as a player on half a dozen occasions, on the last of which he was 43 years of age.

Author - John Devaney