In Whitlamesque tones, "It's time," Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told the Herald Sun last night.
John was one of the game's most precocious talents when he was knocked out behind play in a game against St Kilda in 1972, his 94th game in a row. (Think about those stats - Ed) He was 21. He didn't play again until 1974 and was never the same in a further 13 games.
He polled 14 votes in the '72 Brownlow Medal from just 13 completed games in the year teammate Len Thompson won with 25 votes. He wore Bob Rose's No.22 guernsey and many believed he might have joined Rose as the club's greatest player to that time.
We had the good fortune to watch John play and 'precocious' just doesn't cut it. In today's terms, he had all the ground skills of a Swann/Didak in full flight, the kick of a Buckley, the grab of a Dawes in front or behind, the courage of Dale Thomas, and the attitude of a Mick Malthouse. McGuire's statement of John "...deserved legend status", is almost an oxymoron.
McGuire said Greening "electrified a generation of people". "We like to think this will bring closure for John. He knows the club loves him and will never forget him."
Greening distanced himself from football in retirement, hurt and angry that his career virtually had been snuffed out. "Gee, it was a big story at the time," McGuire said. "You can't help but think what might have been. "I remember as a kid saying prayers for John Greening every day while he was in hospital."
Last Modified on 12/03/2011 10:37