BRETT KOHLHAGEN: You timed your introduction to senior football at Henty to perfection didn't you?

DENNIS KANE: I was lucky to come through at the same time as a lot of really good young players at Henty. I played my first season in 1983 under David Palmer and the following year we went through undefeated to win the premiership with Wayne Styles as coach.

BK: You were still at school at Billabong High weren't you?

DK: I was. We had a 16-year-old in Brian Duke in the side and three 17-year-olds in Phil Takle, Rick Sibraa and myself. Craig Lieschke was only 19 and he won the league medal.

BK: It was a famous Henty premiership as it had been 47 years since the Swampies last tasted success in the Albury District Football League. Did you make it to school on Monday?

DK: It was pretty big in the town because it had been so long since we'd won one. We had our HSC trials after the grand final and I didn't make it to school until Friday. I remember my English teacher telling me it wasn't a great preparation.

BK: It was the start of a great era for the club even though 1985 didn't go to plan?

DK: 1985 would be the biggest disappointment of my life. We were 10 points up with 10 minutes to go against Osborne and lost by 10 points. It's funny but I can remember more about that loss than the wins as it just eats away at me. We had opportunities to win but didn't take them. It still annoys me to be honest.

BK: You kicked nine goals in the preliminary final against Walla and five in the grand final loss. Did you consider having a crack at the Ovens and Murray?

DK: Not really. I had a few phone calls and all the rest of it but the only thing I ever did was train once with Albury because dad had an association with Merv King. I went to training with the intention of getting back to Henty though because it wasn't what I wanted to do in life. If I had an opinion of myself, I was a bit of a lazy footballer. I'm not sure if I would have excelled in the Ovens and Murray or not. I wanted to play footy for fun. During my whole growing up period all I wanted to do was win a premiership for Henty and play for Henty. I understand people have drive and the rest of it but my drive was being the best I could for Henty. I've just always felt I belonged here.

BK: You played 210 matches for Henty and were a member of four premierships in 1984, 1986, 1990 and 1996 so your decision was more than justified.

DK: Each of the premierships was special for different reasons. I've been asked a lot of times over the years which one is the best and I can't give an answer. They were all great. 1984 was good because it had been 47 years since we had won one, the 1986 trifecta was amazing with the three grades winning, in 1990 we had all locals without paid footballers and 1996 was just a great bunch of blokes with the camaraderie still remaining today. I honestly think premierships start with good committees and good cultures and we've been fortunate to have had that in place at Henty over the years.

BK: Wayne Styles had a massive influence on your career didn't he?

DK: There was a fair bit of contention when we got 'Stylesy' over from Osborne. A lot of locals here like Peter Bourke, Billy Carter, John and Mick Heffernan and Rod Forge, who were all heroes of mine growing up, all had a few concerns about it. I reckon I was a bit scared of him when he first came to the club. Over time that developed into respect and admiration. He was an incredible man and had a huge influence on myself and many other players at the club. I was at that impressionable age as well I guess.

BK: He taught you a lot then?

DK: I was pretty poor defensively at that stage and he told me I had to get better at it. When I finished I was happy with the defensive side of my game. Peter King and Mark Eyers coached premierships at Henty in my time as well so I was lucky to play under them as well.

BK: Your 150^th match against Osborne at Yerong Creek wasn't as memorable as you had hoped was it?

DK: I don't remember much about it at all. It was at about the three-minute mark when I got knocked out. I slept in the changerooms for a bit and came back out to sit on the bench after half-time. Phil Takle had taken offence to what had happened and I remember him chasing the perpetrator around and catching up with him. Phil was sent off and came and sat next to me on the bench with his arm around me.

BK: I know a lot of Henty people rate Craig Lieschke as the club's finest player. Is that how you see it?

DK: 'Nipper' (Lieschke) always gets put up there and rightly so. He didn't need you much at centre half-forward as he could do it by himself. He was just better than everyone else. The other players I would put in the same sentence are Dale Macreadie who was exceptional for Henty over such a long time, 'Heo' (Steve Hetherton) was incredible and so was Wayne Styles. I didn't play with Heath Ohlin but he's been terrific as well. Those guys had the ability to change the course of a game.

BK: You enjoyed being involved in grand final day in some capacity for many years at Walbundrie didn't you?

DK: I've always loved it. From memory I played in grand finals in 1984, 1985 and 1986 and then ran in the league's half-time gift for three years before playing in the 1990 and 1996 grand finals again. I umpired four grand finals as well later on.

BK: Your nickname 'The Henty Flyer' originated from winning the grand final gift didn't it?

DK: Someone from Jindera video taped the third gift and he offered to sell me the tape for $30 after the race. I told him to go to buggery but he still gave me his card in case I changed my mind. Anyway a week later I thought about it and gave him a call because I thought it might come in handy one day.

BK: And it did?

DK: I'd kept it at home for years. Then I was captaining the cricket club one season and we were struggling a bit. So as a team bonding exercise I told the boys I was putting a keg on at my place and that I had this really good video for them to watch. Being young blokes with their imaginations running wild, they all came around and about 30 of us were packed into my small lounge room. It certainly wasn't what they were expecting. As I crossed the finish-line the commentator called me 'The Henty Flyer' which the boys thought was pretty good.

BK: You've brought the video out a couple of times haven't you?

DK: It's always good for a laugh. I did a similar thing with the 1996 premiership team. We plugged it in at the pub and had a look. The cricket club made me up a cap with 'The Henty Flyer' on it as well.

BK: You had plenty of pace but a lot of footballers would have shied away from running at half-time during a grand final.

DK: The first year the prize was a set of tyres for the car. I was broke at the time so I thought I'd have a go at it. By the third year though the prize was some silverware so I gave it away then.

BK: After your first win, you were offered some coaching?

DK: One of the Henty bank managers at the time, Pat Sewell, was a runner himself and because I'd won the previous year he offered me some training. I wasn't really that interested and every time he brought it up I made excuses not to turn up. We had teed it up to have a practice on the Friday night before the Hume league grand final and again I wasn't that keen so I rang him up late and told him I'd been held up but we could have a talk about things at the pub that evening. At 2am, he had me doing laps around the bar and practicing starts.

BK: You retired after the 1996 grand final.

DK: I was 29 and pretty hamstrung by then. At every break I would be stretching and physically I was done. I did my first hamstring at 18 and one of my daughters did her first hamstring at a state carnival at 10 so she's inherited my hamstrings. I had other things happening at the time with family and business and I wanted to focus on other interests as well.

BK: Cricket was one of them wasn't it?

DK: I've always thought of myself as a cricketer over a footballer.

BK: You're a life member of the cricket club at Henty and won many association and club batting awards. When did your involvement start with the club?

DK: I think I started playing first grade as a 12-year-old in 1978 and played firsts until 2008.

BK: John Ellis and yourself played a big role in turning the club around didn't you after some lean times?

DK: Cricket was poor here for a long time with us going two years without a win. We got a group of kids together and dropped back to second grade. We got enormous flak from the association for it but we did it with a plan. We won the premiership that season which wasn't our goal and the following year we went back to A grade. Four or five of those young players were in the flag when we won in 2001-02. The club has been really competitive since.