His tenacity was personified when he was left a quadriplegic in 1993 after a horrific accident while on holiday in America.

Mick's life expectancy was 10 to 12 years, but the popular Henty football and cricket identity lived for another 28 before his death on Sunday, May 9, at the age of 64.

"Mick was the type of bloke that no-one was ever going to tell him what to do," close friend and former teammate Dennis Kane said.

"He was going to survive for as long as he could and that's what he did."

Mick played for Henty in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and was considered "as tough as they come" in a career plagued by injuries.

He was Henty's senior best and fairest winner in 1978 and 1980 and finished runner-up in the league count by one vote in 1980.

Mick and his late brother John, who died in 2010, enjoyed success in reserve grade in Henty's trifecta year of 1986. He also coached the under-17s in the late 80s.

In 1992, he won a premiership and best and fairest at West Wyalong after he relocated for work.

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Mick had just as much of a presence on the cricket field as captain for six years and his efforts post-accident were "nothing short of incredible" according to Kane.

"In 2002, we had a 50-year club celebration and Mick was part of the committee that organised it," Kane said.

"Mick and Austin Diffey put together a publication called Howzat - 50 Not Out and it was a jubilee history of the Henty Cricket Club.

"Mick couldn't move at all, he'd operate the wheelchair with his chin, but he had a computer that he could talk to. I saw him put together a lot of the articles and it was a pretty painstaking job.

"He also created the data for the cricket club to maintain record keeping."

He was awarded cricket life membership in 2010.

Mick is survived by his wife Wendy.

His funeral will be held at Sacred Heart Church, North Albury, on Monday at 11am.

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