Two former Carlton on-ballers, Leigh McConnon and the late John Heathcote, are amongst nine former players to be inducted into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame, at a Gala function at Wrest Point Casino on Friday night.

Heathcote, recruited from Ulverstone in northwest Tasmania, was the 716^th player to have represented Carlton at senior level. He turned out in 69 matches for the Blues between 1958 and 1962 - the first of them on Saturday, April 26, 1958 - in what was the round 3 match with Geelong at Princes Park.

Though the Encyclopedia of League Footballers lists Heathcote’s date of birth as January 23, 1935, family members have since confirmed that he was actually born on January 23, 1934 – but was advised to quote the former to assist with his clearance.

Heathcote’s on-field career had its origins at Penguin in the North West Football Union. He later joined rival club Ulverstone, under the charge of captain-coach and (formerly) Carlton’s 1950 best and fairest player the late Arthur Hodgson.

Heathcote represented Hodgson’s all-conquering Robins in their premiership seasons of 1955, ’56 and ’57, before heading to Royal Parade.

Wearing the No.37 Navy Blue guernsey later made famous by the game’s inaugural Norm Smith Medallist Wayne Harmes, Heathcote ended his maiden season of ’58 with 19 goals to top the club’s goalkicking list.

Named in a forward pocket for Carlton in his first game, Heathcote completed his senior debut with John Benetti and Len Cottrell. Amongst the members of that starting 20 was John Nicholls, together with the then Carlton captain Bruce Comben, Denis Zeunert and Chris Pavlou, all three recently deceased.

“John started out at Carlton the same year as me,” Pavlou said in a recent interview. “He came over at a time when Carlton was trying to build its ‘Mosquito Fleet’ . . . there was John, Bruce Williams, Barry Smith and myself. We were part of that next group, as players like John Chick and Graham Gilchrist were on their way out.

“John was a terrific little player. He was a short, stocky rover and his great asset was his pace. He teamed well with Graham Donaldson, and later, ‘Big Nick’. I’m not sure why he left Carlton, but he might have got a little homesick.”

On his return to the Apple Isle from Carlton in 1963, Heathcote captained and coached Burnie to state premiership honours.

He died in Queensland, aged 74, in 2008.

Leigh McConnon’s senior career can be sourced to the late 1960s when, as a 14 year-old, he debuted for his hometown team Triabunna on Tasmania’s east coast. From small beginnings, McConnon embarked on a senior and masters football journey of more than 40 years across Tasmania and Victoria.

McConnon first came to the attention of Carlton spotters in 1974 when, as a lightly-framed wingman, he performed admirably in North Hobart’s victory in the Southern Tasmanian Football League Grand Final. By then, the 21 year-old speedster’s reputation already preceded him as he’d won a number of professional footraces.

Despite North Melbourne’s interest, Carlton ultimately won the race for McConnon’s signature. Wearing the No.32 now sported by Nick Graham, he completed his senior debut in the third round match against Fitzroy on the open spaces of VFL Park.

McConnon, Carlton’s 858^th senior player, managed 26 senior appearances for the Blues through two-seasons until the end of 1977. The following year he turned out for the Lions, racking up another 23 games through 1980 and ’81.

Later, McConnon chased the leather for VFA clubs Williamstown and Sandringham, before successfully turning his hand to coaching at a string of country and suburban clubs including Hadfield and Sunbury in Victoria, and North Hobart, Clarence and Kingston in Tasmania.