What is it that makes a player a cult figure? Sometimes it’s the way he plays, sometimes it’s his off-field personality, sometimes it’s just a freak of nature and the crowd perversely ‘adopting’ a player as a favourite.
But a player’s physical dimensions can also have a lot to do with it. Often they’re mighty midgets like Ronnie Wearmouth and Micky Bone, or larger-than-life types such as Ray Gabelich and Graeme Jenkin. In Bob Heard‘s case, it had a lot to do with his height.
Big Bob, or ‘Stretch’ or ‘Lurch’ as he was known, was the second tallest footballer in VFL history when he made his Magpie debut. This, combined with his slightly ungainly appearance and sometimes awkward movements, helped make him a fan favourite – especially once it was clear that he could play good football.
Read Michael Roberts' full story on the career of Bob Heard on Collingwood Forever now.
Bob Heard
Games: 106
Goals: 110
Born: 9 February 1949
Recruited From: Preston
Debut: Round 1 1970
Our Collingwood Cult Figures
There are some footballers who, for whatever reason, form a special connection with their club's fans.
They might not always be the best players in the team, but there is something about them that makes them a favourite of those who cheer from the stands each week.
It might be their hair, or their physique, or their temperament, or something about the way they play – the reasons are many and varied. And you can't force it: it has to happen naturally.
These are a football club's cult heroes. And Collingwood has had plenty of them over the years, especially in the decades since TV and media coverage has boomed.
Each week during the 2016 season, collingwoodfc.com.au and the club's history website, Collingwood Forever, will highlight the career of a different Magpie cult hero. Some have been great players, some have been battlers, some have flattered to deceive. But all have enjoyed a special place in the affections of the black-and-white army.
The story so far...
Round One - Rene Kink
The Incredible Hulk.
Round Two - Rupert Betheras
The king of the Rupe Group.
Round Three - Ian Cooper
Collingwood fans have always loved their tough, battling, no-nonsense defenders.
Round Four - Leigh Brown
A journey from the scrapheap to the 'Leigh Brown role'.
Round Five - Graeme Jenkin
Not just Jezza's stepladder.
Round Six - Dannie Seow
A Magpie from Montmerency.
Round Seven - Micky Bone
Unheralded but loved by all.
Round Eight - Ron Wearmouth
Flowing blond locks, energetic bursts from contests, a cheeky on-field manner and a knockabout nature that endeared him to all.
Round Nine - Kevin Grose
Before there was Swanny, there was a man known as Disney.
Round 10 - James Manson
Sometimes the thing that makes a footballer vulnerable becomes the very trait that endears him to the fans.
Round 11 - Stan Magro
Collingwood fans have always loved their hard-as-nails defenders. And in Stan Magro they had one of the best to take to their hearts.
Round 12 - Mick Gayfer
No one was safer than Micky Gayfer.
Round 13 - Ray Gabelich
A Collingwood personality so big, even the opposition liked him. Remember the colourful and unpredictable career of 'The Bear'.
Round 14 - Alan Didak
Footballers who own the clutch moments – those who almost crave it – are so often the ones that resonate the most with the fans.
Round 15 - Phil Carman
Fabulous Phil.
Round 16 - Athas Hrysoulakis
Lou Richards loved him; Jack Dyer wasn't as enamoured for pronunciation reasons, but there was no doubting Athas Hrysoulakis' popularity with Collingwood fans during his relatively short stint at Victoria Park.
Round 17 - Phil Manassa
From an honest battler into a cult hero in the space of thirteen and a half seconds.
Round 18 - Kevin Worthington
Precisely what Collingwood needed after a disastrous 1976 season.
Round 19 - Bob Heard
Big Bob, or ‘Stretch’ or ‘Lurch’ as he was known, was the second tallest footballer in VFL history when he made his Magpie debut.
Click on each player's name to view their profile on Collingwood Forever.
