Ken Healy - look forward, not back

Paul Ryan | April 17, 2023

Ken Healy made his first grade debut for South Brisbane during the 1984/85 season and he continues to make a significant contribution to the game as the head coach at Northern Suburbs Cricket Club and he’s the Business Development Manager for the Bulls Masters.

The Bull Masters foster and develop cricket throughout the whole of Queensland utilising retired Queensland cricketers as well as providing community support and assisting charities along the way.

Before we find out more about Ken’s journey in the game let’s ask him about his role with Bulls Masters.

KH: I’m Business Development Manager, Bulls Masters

The Bulls Masters is the Queensland Players from the past promoting the game throughout regional areas in Queensland. The strength of the Bulls Masters is players like Michael Kasprowicz, Jimmy Maher, Andy Bichel, Andrew Symonds, Allan Border & Ian Healy when they give their time to ensure our regional areas remain strong and produce talented cricketers across the state

The Bulls Masters would be the only past playing group in the world of sport that actually sponsor the current team. This link is so important and we have to ensure we stay engaged with all of our past players, keep them involved in the game that gave them so much, and so many great moments.

The Bulls Masters tours through regional Queensland are very popular with the locals and the players graciously give so much of their time to make sure they are successful/

It’s an amazing organization with great outcomes for junior and senior players from all over Queensland. It is great opportunity for players like Luke Feldman who has just retired to stay involved in the game. It is most important to the young players coming through the ranks.

 

The Bulls Masters have a number of great sponsors that we’ll promote through the interview as Ken shares his favourite moments and experiences in the game he cherishes and loves.

 

What year were you born and where?

1967 in Brisbane

Where did you go to high school?

Year 8 at Biloela High School, then Year 9 to 12 at Brisbane State High School.

Do you remember your first ever game of cricket?

Yes, my father was umpiring. I would have been 7 or 8. He called over after the first 4 balls I bowled didn’t hit the pitch.

Where did you play your junior cricket?

I started in Biloela, then moved to Brisbane, where I played for MacGregor.

Which clubs have you played for?

Souths & Wynnum Manly in 1st Grade. A few of us came back after giving the game away to play with our sons at Norths, which was a great experience for us all.

What age did you make your first grade debut?

17

What is your highest score in first grade?

I think it was 192 possibly against Wynnum or Toombul at Souths.

I found challenges against all clubs and enjoyed playing against many of them. I was never a great stats person as I just wanted to keep scoring runs. I’ve probably scored over 25 hundreds and just loved batting and help get the team into a strong positions, whether coming in early or when things were more established.

You played a first class game for Queensland. How did you first find out you’d been selected to play for the Bulls, who told you and can you describe the emotions?

I had played quite a few 2nd Xl games and some Qld Xl games and was starting to find my feet. I was scoring very heavily for Souths at the time and was lucky enough to get a call up.

I think it may have been Max Walters who was Chairman of Selectors at the time, but again it is hazy. I just loved the sight of my Maroon Cap. I had been given plenty of them through juniors and Under 19’s but this one was different. It was an opportunity to progress my career further and a reward for all the hard work that had gone in.

Andrew Symonds, Jimmy Maher, Ken Healy and Andy Bichel

What can you remember about your first class debut, how different was it to playing first grade cricket in Brisbane?

It was in Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval. An amazing ground. It was an environment that you learn so much in a very short time, then you have to process it and adapt. I did not have a great game with the bat and came up against the best spinner I’d ever played in Tim May. He was at the peak of his game.

It looked as though each ball he bowled was a different and was delivered with slight variations in his action. A great learning curve for me but he knocked me over twice in the game. I think I was not the only one in trouble with him as I think he took 5 wicket hauls in both innings.

Stuart Law showed his class with a great 2nd innings hundred but we went down in the match which leaves a hollow feeling for a debutant..

Did you ever think about moving states? If so if you could share why you didn’t

I made 140 odd against the South Australian 2nd Xl in Brisbane, and was made an offer to go to South Australia. I didn’t go because it was always the Queensland Bulls I wanted to be a part of and I thought if I kept scoring the runs I was in 2nd Xl & Grade cricket, I was being told I would get picked here. Hence I stayed here.

But I had an accident at a Shield Training Camp which could have been a lot worse than it ended up, but it was enough to put me out of the game for a year or so until I was able to get my skills level back to where they’d previously been..

What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?

I’ve won Premierships wherever I played in Australia, England & Holland and whether it be Under 19 or 1st Grade, they are all very special, especially the ones that you are not expected to win.

Pulling on an Australian Under 19 Cap at the time, your 1st First Grade Cap, your 1st Queensland Cap & any cap that represents Queensland in between. They are all special. 100’s in Finals & leading teams to wins. It is very hard to single out a moment.

Who’s been the biggest influence in your cricket career?

Early on at Souths we had a great coach, Ian Seib. I was very close to him and he was ruthless in a very nice way. He was a great coach who got me as a young player and guided me through to our 1st Grade ranks until I went to Wynnum.

Who was the funniest cricketing team mate?

Glenn Trimble was always on. I saw him do things that no one else could do both on the field and off the field. Adam Dale was also a favorite as well as he would say things that only he could get away with.

Stuart Law & Scott Prestwidge were also great mates and we seriously did not stop laughing most times we were together. Kim Evetts also gave us a lot to laugh at, but usually at his expense!!!!

Who is your favourite all time cricketer?

Allan Border

What was the best win you were involved in?

There were many, and mainly Grand finals. But a game that really sticks out was against University, who batted well into day 2 and left us just 4 hours to make 390 odd. Adam Dale cover drove a ball through mid-wicket for 4 to win on the very last ball of the game in darkness at University. We chanted in those Uni rooms for a couple of hours.

Who were the 3 fastest bowlers you played against in Brisbane Grade Cricket?

Scott Muller, Carl Rackemann & the one that I played with not against was Boyd Williams. On his day he was the quickest of the lot.

Who were the top 3 spinners you played against in Brisbane Grade Cricket?

Bruce Oxenford, Trevor Hohns, & again played I with him but David Short was certainly one of the best.

Who were the 3 players in Brisbane Grade Cricket you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit during your timer?

Adam Dale. Chippin just would not let it go until he got his man. He had the skill to back up his competitive nature as well. He played for Australia from Club Cricket, not many can say that.

Stuart Law was just an incredibly talented player at anything, but his drive and maturity at such a young age and the desire to score runs irrespective of the game made him very special. His desire to succeed no matter what level he was playing at was something to behold. He looked so casual, but underneath the exterior, he was a fierce competitor.

Glenn Trimble was the biggest and hardest hitter of a ball I’ve seen. He used to use Ian Botham’s size bats which were 3 pounds plus in weight & picked up like they were 5 pounds. Such a powerful player who did not know his own strength.

What’s the best innings you saw played in Brisbane Grade Cricket and if you could describe the circumstances as to why it’s the best?

Again it would have to be some of the innings I saw at Souths. Kim Evetts, Stuart Law, Clinton Perrin, James Hopes, Jimmy Maher & Matty Hayden were all very good to watch but the raw power, mental strength and determination to dominate an opposition puts Glenn Trimble at the top in Grade Cricket for me.

It did not matter who was bowling, although he did not rate spinners highly at all, made him a very difficult proposition for opposition teams and bowlers. I saw him make 230 at Souths which was not just raw power but amazing stroke play. He was amazingly classy, with absolute power. Not sure Queensland or Australia ever saw the best of him although he had a very successful 1st Class career.

Do you remember a bowling spell where you thought, gee game on here, this is a challenge and it’s a step above what we’re used to?

We (Wynnum) played Valleys in a game and both teams were at full strength. We had lost Evetts, Law, Prestwidge, Dale & a young Justin Poole I think, & were 5 for 35, chasing 350 odd. The ball was doing it all at pace on a wicket that was not at its best after overnight rain. My partner came in and said “what do you think?”…………..I just said lets bat as long as we can.

This wicket will get better the longer we are here. We got to lunch, then drinks then Tea then had the game in the bag with an hour to go.

I think I got 140 and he ended up on 170, a record partnership for the club at that time for the wicket as well. It is amazing what impact patience can have on a game when conditions are not the best. We chose not to mention the conditions and just control what we could control……ourselves and what we could do.

Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?

Glenn Trimble. He was very fair but also ruthless. He backed himself and his decisions all the way. He was hard on his team mates but no harder than what he would expect from himself. Always believed we could win a game from a dire position. His positivity was infectious and aided belief in all players around him.

If you’re in the middle seat of the middle row of Qantas QF1 flight to London which team mates would you choose to on your left and right?

Stuart Law and Scott Prestwidge.

Did you have any cricketing superstitions?

I always put my left pad on first

Which ground in Brisbane did you enjoy playing at the most?

Valleys & the Gabba

What did you enjoy most about playing Brisbane Grade Cricket?

It was the team mates and the environment we built as a team and club. I was lucky to play at 2 clubs for a lengthy period at both. Both had great culture and people and we were very successful, which always helps.

But I guess it comes down to your team mates and the commitment they have to a cause that you are chartering. We always had players who bought in and it help us with our success and made us very hard to beat.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Look forward and don’t look back. You can’t control anything in the rear vision mirror but you can control everything looking forward.

What advice would you offer a young 18 year old who has the ambition of playing Test cricket?

Acquire your skills and advance them to fit the game today. Our game is changing and so must we. Make yourself accountable. If your skills put you in that exclusive bracket of a future player, then dominate all competitions and oppositions that you play, no matter what level. Potential will take you so far, performance and outcome will take you all the way.

What are your hobbies?

Golf

Are there any lessons from your time in cricket that you take into work or life in general?

Never underestimate the power of hard work. I have seen players who worked really hard and some that didn’t. It is quite often the case that the most talented players who don’t work that hard, don’t always make it, while on the other side, the players who may not have the greatest natural ability, but work as hard as they can and get everything out of themselves, quite often do succeed.

I look back to various things when we were playing and think about how they would play out in the game today. Most of those thoughts wouldn’t!!!!!

We played hard, but fair and had some great battles as so many of us played 1st Grade for over 15 years. I’m now the Head Coach at Norths, and the number of lessons and experiences I’ve been through, I’m trying to get through to the young players of today.

I would love them to have the drive to dominate games in different conditions even when they think they can’t. That makes these players very hard to play against.

We have achieved great success at Norths over the last few years, and I just want to bring players through that are accountable for their results. I want players to achieve results for themselves that they possibly don’t think they can get to. If I can achieve that, Norths will continue to breed Queensland and Australian Players into the future.