Jon Henry – Wangaratta
As a star graduate of the Assumption College football factory, Jon Henry was destined to make his mark on the Ovens and Murray league when he arrived at Wangaratta in 1992 via the Riverina hamlet of Kamarah.
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Henry was a goal-kicking machine at the famous Kilmore school, once kicking 200 goals in a season, before brief stints with Carlton and Brisbane.
He immediately translated those talents to the O and M by topping the league goal-kicking table in his debut before playing a leading role in the Magpies’ charge to the preliminary final the following year.
Henry booted 15 goals in one match for the Magpies before the deadly-accurate left-footer had a successful time with metro club East Ringwood.
But he was coaxed back to Wangaratta in 2000 to help lift the club out of the doldrums.
The Magpies’ coaching job resembled a revolving door before Henry agreed to take on the job in 2002 and eventually succeeded where others had fallen short.
The revival on his watch wasn’t immediate, but the building blocks to sustained success started to be laid.
After the blackest period in the club’s history, the Magpies eventually returned to finals in 2005 and reached another preliminary final.
Henry passed the coaching baton to Jason Lappin with the Magpies ready to strike at premiership glory.
Henry played on and reached the 200-match milestone and played an integral part in Wangaratta’s back-to-back premierships in 2007-08 in the twilight of a brilliant career.
A brilliant mark, who was tough to counter on the lead and in the air, Henry was always a handful for opposition coaches to counter.
Earlier this year he answered an SOS to co-coach the Ovens and Murray inter-league team.
