One by one the Magpies players, who were responsible for bringing to an end a 31-year drought last September, marched up and collected their premiership medallions and were met with the obligatory rapturous applause.

But, when the man largely credited with the Magpies on-field revival from the blackest period in the club’s history was asked to come forward, the supporters spontaneously began to chant out: “Henry, Henry, Henry, Henry ...”

“I hadn’t played in a flag before and it was a great experience, but it was more about the club,” Henry said.

“It had been so long for us and to be part of it was good.

“Most years you would go to the grand final and leave before the end and I suppose you were a little bit jealous.”

At the age of 37, Henry finally played in a senior premiership team for the club he made his own after a spectacular schoolboy career at Assumption College and brief stints at Carlton and Brisbane.

Originally from Kamarah, near Ardlethan in the Riverina, his career as a Magpie, which will reach the 200-game milestone tomorrow against arch-rival Wangaratta Rovers at the Norm Minns Oval, is a story of two parts.

The first signalled his arrival as an Ovens and Murray league star. He was the competition’s leading goal-kicking in his debut year, 1992 before being involved in a heart-breaking preliminary final loss to Wodonga the following year.

After a brief stint at Melbourne suburban club East Ringwood, Henry returned in 2000 to Wangaratta which resembled a rabble.

The Magpies turned over coaches at a rate never seen in the O and M, spent six seasons in last and were led by an administration in denial as to the gravity of the club’s plight.

It was far easier to shoot the messenger.

Henry’s first season back in black and white was as assistant coach to Col McClounan before Henry accepted the poisoned chalice in 2002.

The build-up to his first season in charge started promisingly enough with Henry convincing Jason Lappin to return from VFL club Coburg after previously playing together for the Magpies in the early 1990s.

But round one was a brutal reality check as Henry’s star recruit finished the game injured and the Magpies were on the receiving end of a loss from the Hawks.

The Magpies did improve before a string of surprise results in the final round conspired against them and they were left to collect wooden spoon No.6.

The Henry-led revival didn’t happen overnight and in his third year in charge they finally made finals, albeit briefly.

Wangaratta became an aggressive recruiter as well as laying important foundation stones for an on-going supply of home-grown senior players.

One of Henry’s most inspired decisions was appointing a courageous young half-back flanker named Judd Porter captain and in 2005 the team made a charge at the flag.

Jon McCormick returned from Carlton, Lappin was still one of the O and M’s best ball magnets, Dale Carmody was dominant in the ruck and in attack the Magpies were always a chance to kick a winning score with Henry and Damian Lang up forward.

But the football gods had not totally forgiven the Magpies and McCormick was cut down with a serious knee injury in round 10 and Lappin literally limped to the finish line with the assistance of pain-killers for a knee injury.

Despite a rousing qualifying final win against eventual premier Lavington, the Magpies were spent by the preliminary final.

Henry pressed on for one more season in charge, but the Magpies slipped from third to ninth including an inglorious late season thrashing from Wangaratta Rovers.

“My final year as coach was disappointing, but most of the other things in the club were strong,” Henry said.

“Our seconds and thirds made the finals and we were still getting strong support at club functions.

“Off the ground (president) Paul Challman and his blokes were getting really organised.

“It’s a matter of doing the right thing over a period of time and eventually you get the reward for it.”

Henry seriously contemplated retirement at the end of 2006 before some words of encouragement from a former teammate convinced him otherwise.

“I was struggling with the whole coaching and playing thing and getting a bit long in the tooth,” he said.

“Robbie Richards told me the most enjoyable year he had was after he stopped coaching and just played.

“It was the best advice I ever got.

“Coaching can be quite stressful, especially when you are playing, then to become a player again you can put everything into perspective a lot easier and read situations a lot more level-headed.

“If you’ve been playing footy long enough at a reasonable level you know what you’ve got to do (to keep playing).

“You can’t put your body in cotton wool, you still need to get your body in some sort of condition.

“There are a lot of blokes in my boat who have continued to play past 35 and the common theme is you have got to keep your body strong.”

The coaching baton was passed to Lappin and the Magpies, boosted by the injection of some top-liners including Paul Kirby from Tatura, key defender Ben Cosgriff and on-ballers Ed Clarke and Sam Higgs from VFL sides, started a dramatic surge up the ladder.

McCormick was also back after 18 months out of the game.

The Magpies occupied top spot for most of the season before developing the staggers with late losses to Wodonga and Yarrawonga on the eve of the finals.

They were belted in the last round by 70 points and held onto top spot and the luxury of the spell in the first week of finals by only 0.4 per cent.

Henry played a crucial role in clinching the minor premiership.

He left the ground on a stretcher before half-time before returning in the second half to boot two goals himself and have a hand in another.

Henry becomes the first Wangaratta player to reach the 200-match milestone since club games record holder Brett Keir and Chris Crimmins bowed out in the mid-1990s.

“I am a big believer that when you go to a footy club everyone has got an opportunity to make a contribution irrespective of what level you are as a player,” Henry said.

“You get a chance to mould the place into what you want it to be.

“If you get enough people who want to put their head down with a positive attitude to make it a good place to be then things are going to turn around for you.

“People move around for different reasons, but I’ve never taken that view.

“I’ve thought it’s been my responsibility to try and make the place better.

“Look at last year, you get a bit of help along the way, and it turns for you.”