Hard as it is to believe, there was a time when not just about every footballer covered his body with tattoos.
Indeed, when Kevin Grose pulled on the Black and White jumper for the first time in the mid-1970s, tatts on footballers were a relative rarity. Kevin Murray of Fitzroy and Richmond’s Robert McGhie had been famous for theirs, but they were very much in the minority.
So when the heavily tattooed Grose made his debut in 1975, his body art quickly became a real talking point.
Read Michael Roberts' full story on the life and career of Kevin Grose on Collingwood Forever.
Kevin Grose
Games: 32
Goals: 10
Born: 18 June 1954
Recruited From: Reservoir HSOB
Debut: Round 5 1974 v Footscray
Nickname: Disney
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.
Click on each player's name to view their profile on Collingwood Forever.
