Nick's Collingwood Bulletin Board

stui magpie wrote:

leon_d wrote:Says he was a pilot during WWII, but going by his age listed at the CFC site he would have been between 3 and 8 years old during WWII

???

That aside, sorry to hear of the passing of another Collingwood faithful.

Born in 1930 he would have been 9 when it started and 15 when it finished so I doubt very much if he served during WWII.

Shares his brithday with my daughter on December 13 in fact. So on Australia's declaration of war, September 3rd 1939 (My father's exact birthday) Jack would have been just 8. But yes I do believe Jack served in the RAAF late in the war as a teenager, possibly a cadet.

I have confirmation from the Australian War Memorial that John 'Jack' Hickey was born in Toowoomba QLD on 21st September 1920.

He turned 19 shortly after the outbreak of WW2 and was 24 when the war ended and enlisted in the RAAF at Point Cook on November 6th 1939.

Jack started playing for Collingwood at the age of 30 in the season of '51 and retired at the age of 35 after the Round 16 loss to Carlton at Victoria Park in 1956.

Jack passed away on January 3rd 2009 at the ripe old age of 88.

A life well lived in the service of his country and the people of Collingwood. He is survived by his wife Nancy and children Caroline, Toni, Damien, Patrick and Timothy. Jack and Nancy had another son David but he has passed away.

Apologies to all for the confusion.

[align=center]Vale Jack Hickey
1920 - 2009[/align]

sic ...

PLENTY has happened at Collingwood during Eddie McGuire's stint as Magpie chairman, but few of the Pies' leaders have had as eventful a reign as did John Hickey, who died last Saturday, aged 73.

Hickey, a decorated World War II pilot and Collingwood life member, took over as Magpie president with the club in turmoil, his predecessor Ernie Clarke having resigned mid-season in 1976 after several skirmishes with coach Murray Weideman, the Pies going on to "win" their first wooden spoon.

But it was Hickey who lured Tom Hafey to Victoria Park, a move that would catapult the Pies to top of the ladder the following season, from where they would tie the grand final with North Melbourne and lose a replay.

Collingwood would remain a power until Hickey's final season as president in 1982, when turmoil again engulfed the club, Hafey sacked as coach after round 10, the Pies near the foot of the ladder, and Hickey tipped out at season's end by Ranald Macdonald's "New Magpies".

And if the late Bob Rose was popularly branded Collingwood's unluckiest coach after three grand final losses by a total of 15 points, Hickey must surely have been its unluckiest president, presiding over a grand final draw and four defeats in 1977 and 1979-81.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/syd ... tml?page=2

jmcp wrote:sic ...

PLENTY has happened at Collingwood during Eddie McGuire's stint as Magpie chairman, but few of the Pies' leaders have had as eventful a reign as did John Hickey, who died last Saturday, aged 73.

Hickey, a decorated World War II pilot and Collingwood life member, took over as Magpie president with the club in turmoil, his predecessor Ernie Clarke having resigned mid-season in 1976 after several skirmishes with coach Murray Weideman, the Pies going on to "win" their first wooden spoon.

But it was Hickey who lured Tom Hafey to Victoria Park, a move that would catapult the Pies to top of the ladder the following season, from where they would tie the grand final with North Melbourne and lose a replay.

Collingwood would remain a power until Hickey's final season as president in 1982, when turmoil again engulfed the club, Hafey sacked as coach after round 10, the Pies near the foot of the ladder, and Hickey tipped out at season's end by Ranald Macdonald's "New Magpies".

And if the late Bob Rose was popularly branded Collingwood's unluckiest coach after three grand final losses by a total of 15 points, Hickey must surely have been its unluckiest president, presiding over a grand final draw and four defeats in 1977 and 1979-81.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/syd ... tml?page=2

Idiots. At 73 John would have been just 4 at the outbreak of WW2. The RAAF was not of the habit of awarding 9 year olds the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Jack Hickey is indeed Collingwood's most unlucky President, but how many of you know of John's playing career. Yes. Like the great Syd Coventry and Harry Curtis, Jack had a distiguished career ON THE FIELD as well.

Joined the Club in '51 and played in the Prelim that year.

In '52 he was on the wing in the losing grand final to Geelong.

In '53 he played all but 2 games for the season. Played in the semi final win over Geelong and missed the grand final win two weeks later due to injury.

In '55 Jack once again featured on the wing in Alphonse Kynes' team and Jack was 20th man as the Pies fell short yet again in the Grand Final.

Jack played in two runners up and missed the only premiership he could have won due to injury. Not unlike Frank Tuck in both '53 and '58 and Richo in '90.

Jack presided over one draw and four runners up and a third and had accept the Club's first spoon as he took over in June of the disasterous '76 season.

Jack did, however, get his mits on an Escort Cup in '79, but that was overshadowed by the GF losses that followed and the fact that the Pies should have won back to back Escort Cups in '80 if it was not for a deaf maggot.

Jack is without doubt the unluckiest of all Magpies. But we pay credit to Jack's humble dignity as he would never bemoan his terrible lack of fortune and had a fantastically positive outlook on life.

Jack lived to the ripe old age of 88 and it was surely a life worth living by any standards.

[align=center]Vale Jack Hickey
21/9/1920 - 3/1/2009[/align]

error has been duly acknowledged.

AND a big thank-you to the 743-odd people who have emailed or rung Sporting Life to point out the story we missed in last Friday's item about the passing of former Collingwood president John Hickey.

Which, of course, was the amazing and previously untold tale of Hickey's incredible exploits as a World War II pilot, at the tender age of just 10.

No, not really. The sad fact is we stuffed up. We gave Hickey's age as 73. In fact, he was 88. Apologies all round.

And yes, for those concerned for our lack of mathematical prowess, Sporting Life's remedial maths classes begin this week.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/mag ... tml?page=2

^ Thank goodness. Sanity at last. Now we can have our genuine hero back.

Well done for Collingwood Jack Hickey.

Thanks for that research, d4p...

Jack Hickey was born in Toowoomba on September 21st 1920 and moved to Melbourne. In 1939 Jack enlisted at Point Cook airbase in the RAAF and was assigned to 22 Squadron. Jack became a squadron leader and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his service in World War 2. Jack was discharged from service on October 22nd 1945 at the age of 25.

Collingwood President 1976-1982

In Collingwoods darkest hour while Ern Clarke was busy bickering with The Weed (almost exactly like Kennedy/Thompson in the movie The Club), Jack was swept to power in the dark gloomy June of '76. Like Eddie McGuire, his first item in the trophy cabinet would be wooden. But Jack, with former premiership player Peter Lucas and Club administrative stalwart Gordon Carlyon by his side, embarked on an ambitious plan to modernise the Collingwood Football Club while still respecting the past. The tradition of selecting former Collingwood players as coach was dispensed with, thanks mostly to a chance meeting on a flight back from Perth between Jack and Tommy Hafey and the tough hard working former Richmond premiership player and coach was appointed the toughest job in football.

What happened next was a roller-coaster ride of great promise and ultimate gut-wrenching failure. While the Club had once again regained financial stability, nobody will remember the great work done off the field to rebiuld the Club, only how close and how far we were from winning what the game is really all about. A premiership.

1977. Our last minor premiership and the only time a team has gone from last to first in just one single season. Tommy's men take it all the way and lead North Melbourne in the grand final by 27 points at the last change only to see Barassi's men snatch the lead. Twiggy marks and goals to give us a replay but the Pies let it slip. Tom overworked the boys is the general view. But we finished 1977 in 2nd and the rise is so meteoric that we all know something bigger is just around the corner.

1978. Tommy gets us to a prelim and Thommo leaves the Pies exactly 14 seasons after he played his first game, which was also a prelim loss in '65. Pies finish third this time and plenty of young hopeful emerge through the under 19's. Surely it is just a matter of time now.

1979. A new breed emerges. Kids with names like Shaw, Daicos, Banks and a swashbuckling mobile ruck by the name of Moore take the Club to some long awaited silverware by winning the Escort Cup night premiership. September can't come soon enough. On a wet and miserable day the Filth steal a commanding lead. Tommy's kids fight back and then disaster strikes. Everyone can see it, except the one person in white that should have. 2nd again and a pattern is emerging. Still the team is young and there is much to look forward to.

1980. The Pies, in their fortress at Victoria Park, are unstopable. Marching towards another Grand Final. Bitter disappointment in the night cup when a goal after the siren steals the game. Deja Vu. Umpires rob us again?!!! September comes, the parade, the kids on show and looking hungry, this is the year!!! Tigers too good. Colliwobbles? 2nd again. Where was our Leater Collier to thump that Fartlett bastard!

1981. Tommy's workman like ethic fits Victoria Park and Collingwood to a tee. Pies will play off yet again against the arch enemy for one last horah that would be more horror than horah. 2nd yet again and the wheels don't just fall off they go flying and take out a few on the way.

Did the Pies suffer stage fright? Colliwobbles? Did they try too hard? Or was it simply that circumstances conspired against a team and a Club that deserved better. Opinions vary greatly and are strongly argued.

Jack Hickey was a wonderful president that brought democracy and stability back to Victoria Park. Under Jack and Tom Hafey the Pies would play 138 games and win 89 of them and finish runners up a staggering four times. It was the most successful unsuccessful combination in our Club's history.

Jack would have turned 90 today.

[align=center][/align]

RIP Jack and Happy Birthday.
I'll catch you and the guys at Vic Park on Saturday.

Great read d4p, well done !!