AS A FOOTBALLER, Greg Healy accomplished plenty. Away from the game, he has achieved much post-career.
So, when the opportunity came up at the start of this year to combine football and business on Melbourne’s board, the timing was right.
Healy has taken on the role of Melbourne football director, which, as he says is “to look after the footy side of the club”.
“I spoke to [president] Don [McLardy] and the late Jimmy Stynes over the last couple of years, and we both had interest in getting me back to give some representation to the board from a football side of things and also some business acumen, where I could help as well,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“I was happy to get back involved at the start of the year.”
Healy said his role was also to offer support from the board, monitor the football department and ensure that it is resourced “as best as we can, so that we can compete on game day”.
“By no means am I the expect - that’s why we pay these professional guys, but I have got a passion and an eye for football to a degree, due to my experience and my involvement in the game,” he said.
“I’m just here to give a supporting and lending hand to our board in regards to strategic direction and the major decisions that have been made throughout the football department - and make sure that the MFC is represented for the best long term future.”
Healy said he has “a lot of communication” with McLardy, chief executive Cameron Schwab, coach Mark Neeld and director of sports performance Neil Craig about club, and specifically, football matters.
He said his love for the Demons had never wavered, but he was adamant that he always wanted to return when he could devote the necessary time to the position.
“I always had the passion and commitment to come back and help out where I can. That was never in question,” he said.
“But it was just - as all of us old footballers who are put out to pasture - we had other business side of things to take care of and in my career, I just couldn’t really see that I could find the time over the last few years.
“When I had a look at the example of what Jimmy showed us all over the last few years and then Garry [Lyon] stepped into the helm last year - we just have to find the time. When I spoke to the boys about what I could give, they thought it could work, so that’s why I’m here today.”
In recent times, much of Healy’s commitment has been with surfing giant Quicksilver, where he has made his name in the business community.
“I put myself through an accountancy degree when I was playing football, and I did some time working my way through accountancy,” he said.
“I’ve always been a passionate surfer since I grew up down on the bayside, and I got the opportunity to go down to Torquay and take on the role as CFO (chief financial officer) at Quicksilver.
“I have since been the Asia/Pacific president for the last few years, so it’s been a great career and a great company. It’s been a great learning experience for me.”
Despite relishing his time back at the club, the 46 year-old said it hadn’t been an easy ride, given the team’s recent on-field results. But he is optimistic about the club’s long term future.
“Well, it’d be no secret for everyone that it’s been a challenging environment and a challenging start to the year,” he said.
“Our performance on the field isn’t what we hoped for at the start of the year, and what we would’ve expected.
“But AFL footy is a pretty demanding sport - one of the most demanding sports in the world - and we know where we’re at and we know we’ve got a long way to go to rebuild this club to where we want to get to.”
Healy said his position had allowed him to see up close the impact Neeld and Craig were already having on the club.
“I think they’re absolute professionals to have at our club. I think it was a real fillip for our club that Mark decided to join us as the senior coach, and Neil Craig also decided to come along,” he said.
“Working with them has been a pleasure from my point of view. They’re determined and they’re tough, and they’ve been through the footy environment.
“They know what it takes to get success, and they know it just doesn’t happen overnight, so they’re committed to the long term, as we are.”
From 1984 to 1993, Healy carved out a fine career with Melbourne, playing 141 matches and kicking 167 goals.
He was appointed captain at the age of 22 in 1988 - the same year he led Melbourne to its first grand final in 24 years.
Two years earlier, he won the Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy as best and fairest, playing the 1986 season as a 20 year-old.
When reflecting on this period, Healy said the club had played a significant part in his life.
“I look back on it from very early days - like most young kids growing up in Victoria, all I wanted to do was to play league football and I was fortunate enough that Melbourne saw something in me that I could at least get a kick on the field,” he said.
“From there, I just took my opportunities when they came along, and I was fortunate enough to be involved in an era when we had a lot of great young fellas.
“We had a pretty competitive spirit and wanted to build this club up to where we played in five successive finals series, including the infamous preliminary final [in 1987], where we just missed out, and then we played in the grand final a year later, and unfortunately we didn’t win it.
“I look back on that as a tremendous time and one where great memories and great friendships were formed. It gave me an opportunity to open up a lot of doors throughout Australia, if not the world.”
After Garry Lyon took over as captain in 1991, Healy started the season in promising style. But a season-ending knee injury in round three halted and affected his career.
Healy said the set-back was a “pretty tough time”.
“Jimmy and I were actually living together at that time and we both were challenged throughout the first couple of rounds to even get a game at that stage,” he said.
“We both started to get our act together and I was having a pretty good game and then I went down with a knee [injury], so I had a year on the sidelines that year and Jimmy went on to win the Brownlow, so we had very disparate years.
“It was a real challenging time. I managed to get back and start playing some good footy, but the knee just didn’t hold up and it was an unfortunate end to the career. But I was just happy with what I achieved.”
Healy returned to play in 1992 and 1993, before his career finished at 28. But he did return to the club, where he had his first stint with the board in 1997.
Although Healy was known for his determination as a midfielder/forward, who could win plenty of disposals and kick goals, he is perhaps best remembered for one moment.
It happened in the 1990 elimination final against Hawthorn, when he ran back with the flight of the ball and took a remarkably courageous mark.
“I do remember it fondly. It was against Hawthorn, our nemesis, and it was a really important day for us to win. It was a see-sawing battle in the last quarter,” he recalled.
“I forget who put that ball on top of my head, but I thought there was no other way out of this, but just to go for it. At the last second, I saw Chris Langford bearing down on me, and he was probably the last man you’d want bearing down on you.
“Fortunately I took the mark and kicked the goal and we went on to win, so it was a great day.”
Healy, whose older brother Gerard became a great of the game and is now better known as one of the best football media performers in the business, said it was a “thrill” to play his first match with him.
“One thing I’ll never forget, he actually gave me my first kick, because he gave me the handball,” he said.
“He was a great mentor of mine, and he gave me a lot of advice and showed me the way in regards to just how much hard work you needed to do to get onto the AFL field and then compete and get to the highest level.”
But when Gerard left Melbourne at the end of 1985 for Sydney Swans, Greg said it was a “great disappointment”.
“He decided to go on to try and fulfill another challenge at the Swans,” he said.
“I was acutely aware of the reasons behind that and in a lot of ways they weren’t communicated as well as they could’ve been around the public. But he went on to have a great career with the Swans.
“He, like me, was chasing that ultimate dream of winning a premiership, but he didn’t get round to it. But the year we were in the grand final, he won the Brownlow and we had a great year as a family involved in footy.”
Greg remains very close to Gerard today, catching up regularly to discuss football-related matters.
“Gerard is very much immersed in the AFL scene through his media commitments,” he said.
“I think he’s got a great eye for football and he communicates well with a lot of the kids, who he’s helping to improve their football in the background. I know he’s helped a lot of kids or young guys who have been on the scene for quite some time.
“The likes of [Geelong's] Andrew Mackie, I know he mentored him last year and [helped him] get back up to the heights that he could be. He was close to being best-on-ground in a grand final.
“So we do talk a lot of football, especially in this role, which I see myself in now. He’d see a lot more games than I would. Certainly, we swap notes about players that we should be keeping an eye on, or tactics or whatever’s going on in the game.”
As for how he got his nickname ‘Sugar’, Healy kept his cards close to his chest, but said former Demon ruckman - and one of the game’s true characters, Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan - christened him with it.
“It’s quite innocent and it’s from one of the greats of the AFL footy scene in ‘Crackers’ Keenan,” he said.
“’Crackers’ gave me the nickname Sugar out on this field [at the MCG]. I won’t go into details why he said that, but I owe that one to ‘Crackers’ and that seems to have stuck, so that’s fine by me.”
So does he still get called the nickname today?
“By a certain few,” he said with a smile.
So, when the opportunity came up at the start of this year to combine football and business on Melbourne’s board, the timing was right.
Healy has taken on the role of Melbourne football director, which, as he says is “to look after the footy side of the club”.
“I spoke to [president] Don [McLardy] and the late Jimmy Stynes over the last couple of years, and we both had interest in getting me back to give some representation to the board from a football side of things and also some business acumen, where I could help as well,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“I was happy to get back involved at the start of the year.”
Healy said his role was also to offer support from the board, monitor the football department and ensure that it is resourced “as best as we can, so that we can compete on game day”.
“By no means am I the expect - that’s why we pay these professional guys, but I have got a passion and an eye for football to a degree, due to my experience and my involvement in the game,” he said.
“I’m just here to give a supporting and lending hand to our board in regards to strategic direction and the major decisions that have been made throughout the football department - and make sure that the MFC is represented for the best long term future.”
Healy said he has “a lot of communication” with McLardy, chief executive Cameron Schwab, coach Mark Neeld and director of sports performance Neil Craig about club, and specifically, football matters.
He said his love for the Demons had never wavered, but he was adamant that he always wanted to return when he could devote the necessary time to the position.
“I always had the passion and commitment to come back and help out where I can. That was never in question,” he said.
“But it was just - as all of us old footballers who are put out to pasture - we had other business side of things to take care of and in my career, I just couldn’t really see that I could find the time over the last few years.
“When I had a look at the example of what Jimmy showed us all over the last few years and then Garry [Lyon] stepped into the helm last year - we just have to find the time. When I spoke to the boys about what I could give, they thought it could work, so that’s why I’m here today.”
In recent times, much of Healy’s commitment has been with surfing giant Quicksilver, where he has made his name in the business community.
“I put myself through an accountancy degree when I was playing football, and I did some time working my way through accountancy,” he said.
“I’ve always been a passionate surfer since I grew up down on the bayside, and I got the opportunity to go down to Torquay and take on the role as CFO (chief financial officer) at Quicksilver.
“I have since been the Asia/Pacific president for the last few years, so it’s been a great career and a great company. It’s been a great learning experience for me.”
Despite relishing his time back at the club, the 46 year-old said it hadn’t been an easy ride, given the team’s recent on-field results. But he is optimistic about the club’s long term future.
“Well, it’d be no secret for everyone that it’s been a challenging environment and a challenging start to the year,” he said.
“Our performance on the field isn’t what we hoped for at the start of the year, and what we would’ve expected.
“But AFL footy is a pretty demanding sport - one of the most demanding sports in the world - and we know where we’re at and we know we’ve got a long way to go to rebuild this club to where we want to get to.”
Healy said his position had allowed him to see up close the impact Neeld and Craig were already having on the club.
“I think they’re absolute professionals to have at our club. I think it was a real fillip for our club that Mark decided to join us as the senior coach, and Neil Craig also decided to come along,” he said.
“Working with them has been a pleasure from my point of view. They’re determined and they’re tough, and they’ve been through the footy environment.
“They know what it takes to get success, and they know it just doesn’t happen overnight, so they’re committed to the long term, as we are.”
From 1984 to 1993, Healy carved out a fine career with Melbourne, playing 141 matches and kicking 167 goals.
He was appointed captain at the age of 22 in 1988 - the same year he led Melbourne to its first grand final in 24 years.
Two years earlier, he won the Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy as best and fairest, playing the 1986 season as a 20 year-old.
When reflecting on this period, Healy said the club had played a significant part in his life.
“I look back on it from very early days - like most young kids growing up in Victoria, all I wanted to do was to play league football and I was fortunate enough that Melbourne saw something in me that I could at least get a kick on the field,” he said.
“From there, I just took my opportunities when they came along, and I was fortunate enough to be involved in an era when we had a lot of great young fellas.
“We had a pretty competitive spirit and wanted to build this club up to where we played in five successive finals series, including the infamous preliminary final [in 1987], where we just missed out, and then we played in the grand final a year later, and unfortunately we didn’t win it.
“I look back on that as a tremendous time and one where great memories and great friendships were formed. It gave me an opportunity to open up a lot of doors throughout Australia, if not the world.”
After Garry Lyon took over as captain in 1991, Healy started the season in promising style. But a season-ending knee injury in round three halted and affected his career.
Healy said the set-back was a “pretty tough time”.
“Jimmy and I were actually living together at that time and we both were challenged throughout the first couple of rounds to even get a game at that stage,” he said.
“We both started to get our act together and I was having a pretty good game and then I went down with a knee [injury], so I had a year on the sidelines that year and Jimmy went on to win the Brownlow, so we had very disparate years.
“It was a real challenging time. I managed to get back and start playing some good footy, but the knee just didn’t hold up and it was an unfortunate end to the career. But I was just happy with what I achieved.”
Healy returned to play in 1992 and 1993, before his career finished at 28. But he did return to the club, where he had his first stint with the board in 1997.
Although Healy was known for his determination as a midfielder/forward, who could win plenty of disposals and kick goals, he is perhaps best remembered for one moment.
It happened in the 1990 elimination final against Hawthorn, when he ran back with the flight of the ball and took a remarkably courageous mark.
“I do remember it fondly. It was against Hawthorn, our nemesis, and it was a really important day for us to win. It was a see-sawing battle in the last quarter,” he recalled.
“I forget who put that ball on top of my head, but I thought there was no other way out of this, but just to go for it. At the last second, I saw Chris Langford bearing down on me, and he was probably the last man you’d want bearing down on you.
“Fortunately I took the mark and kicked the goal and we went on to win, so it was a great day.”
Healy, whose older brother Gerard became a great of the game and is now better known as one of the best football media performers in the business, said it was a “thrill” to play his first match with him.
“One thing I’ll never forget, he actually gave me my first kick, because he gave me the handball,” he said.
“He was a great mentor of mine, and he gave me a lot of advice and showed me the way in regards to just how much hard work you needed to do to get onto the AFL field and then compete and get to the highest level.”
But when Gerard left Melbourne at the end of 1985 for Sydney Swans, Greg said it was a “great disappointment”.
“He decided to go on to try and fulfill another challenge at the Swans,” he said.
“I was acutely aware of the reasons behind that and in a lot of ways they weren’t communicated as well as they could’ve been around the public. But he went on to have a great career with the Swans.
“He, like me, was chasing that ultimate dream of winning a premiership, but he didn’t get round to it. But the year we were in the grand final, he won the Brownlow and we had a great year as a family involved in footy.”
Greg remains very close to Gerard today, catching up regularly to discuss football-related matters.
“Gerard is very much immersed in the AFL scene through his media commitments,” he said.
“I think he’s got a great eye for football and he communicates well with a lot of the kids, who he’s helping to improve their football in the background. I know he’s helped a lot of kids or young guys who have been on the scene for quite some time.
“The likes of [Geelong's] Andrew Mackie, I know he mentored him last year and [helped him] get back up to the heights that he could be. He was close to being best-on-ground in a grand final.
“So we do talk a lot of football, especially in this role, which I see myself in now. He’d see a lot more games than I would. Certainly, we swap notes about players that we should be keeping an eye on, or tactics or whatever’s going on in the game.”
As for how he got his nickname ‘Sugar’, Healy kept his cards close to his chest, but said former Demon ruckman - and one of the game’s true characters, Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan - christened him with it.
“It’s quite innocent and it’s from one of the greats of the AFL footy scene in ‘Crackers’ Keenan,” he said.
“’Crackers’ gave me the nickname Sugar out on this field [at the MCG]. I won’t go into details why he said that, but I owe that one to ‘Crackers’ and that seems to have stuck, so that’s fine by me.”
So does he still get called the nickname today?
“By a certain few,” he said with a smile.
