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Desmond Jules Healey (5 September 1927 – 18 March 2009) was an Australian rules footballer, who played in the VFL/AFL with the Collingwood Football Club, and was also a first-grade cricketer with the Collingwood Cricket Club.[1]

Des Healey
Personal information
Full name	Desmond Jules Healey
Date of birth	(1927-09-05)5 September 1927
Place of birth	Victoria, Australia
Date of death	18 March 2009(2009-03-18) (aged 81)
Place of death	Melbourne, Australia
Original team(s)	Preston YCW
Debut	1948, Collingwood vs. North Melbourne, at Arden Street Oval, North Melbourne
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1948–1955	Collingwood	149 (37)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1955.
Career highlights
Collingwood best and fairest 1955 Collingwood 2nd best and fairest 1951, 1954 Collingwood 3rd best and fairest 1953 Victorian Team 1949, 1953 All-Australian 1953
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

He married the daughter of Jack Bisset.[2]

After spending 3 years in the reserves team, Healey finally broke into the senior side in 1948. He played every game in 1948 and missed only one in 1949 when he won interstate selection.

The combination of Healey, Thorold Merrett and Bill Twomey, Jr., gave Collingwood a lethal centre line. Healey was a great mark for his size and dazzled the crowd with his evasive ground work and polished skills. He always had great control of the ball and was the master of the pinpoint pass.

Healey was one of the heroes of Collingwood's 1953 Premiership victory and was rated by many as one of the best players on the ground that day. He won All-Australian selection in the same year.

Essendon's great full-forward John Coleman once named Healey as the best wingman he had ever seen. "He is clever, has that wonderful tenacity of all good Collingwood players, and is tireless".

Healey is perhaps best known for his last moments as a League footballer. In the 1955 grand final Healey had a sickening collision with Melbourne's Frank 'Bluey' Adams. They were both stretchered off, with Healey's nose broken in five places and his skull fractured. He never played League football again.[3]

Healey was appointed as captain / coach of the Wodonga Football Club in 1956[4] and won their best and fairest award in 1957.

He coached the Collingwood Under 19s to the premiership in 1974.

Healey also played 52 games of senior Melbourne District Cricket with the Collingwood Cricket Club.

Footnotes

References

• Register of V.C.A. 1st XI Pennant, District & Premier Cricketers: 1889-90 to 2016-17: D to H: Healy, Desmond Jules

External links

• Des Healey's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Des Healey at AustralianFootball.com

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