Opportunities can sometimes present themselves in the unlikeliest of moments and locations. For Ron Moylan, born and raised in West Heidelberg, his big moment came in the country town of Hamilton.

He had arrived at Victoria Park in the summer of 1968, as a promising half-forward flanker from West Ivanhoe CYMS, where he had won best-and-fairest awards in both 1966 and 1967. When the pre-season practice matches rolled around, he was initially chosen only as an emergency for the 11am match – a timeslot reserved for the youngest and least likely of those on trial.

But he ended up playing that day, and doing so well that he gained selection in the main practice game the following week. That was quite the elevation.

In the end he didn’t quite make it onto the senior list, but was part of the Club’s ‘supplementary list’. He strung together a series of encouraging performances in the early reserves games, and a few weeks later the selectors included him in the squad when the Club played a promotional match at Hamilton as part of its commitment to the country zone recently ‘allocated’ to the Pies under the League’s controversial country zoning scheme (which heavily disadvantaged us over most other clubs).

So well did Ron play in that game that the selectors decided he was ready for the biggest step of all, and he was named in the seniors against Melbourne in Round 8. He kicked two goals on debut, and repeated the dose the following week against South Melbourne.

In the end he played nine games in that debut season, kicking seven goals and winning the Jack Grey Trophy for Best Local Recruit. The Club described him as “a clever half forward flanker and a sound mark … a speedy and determined forward”. Former teammates recall a talented player who was fast, strong and a long kick. Like all good half-forward flankers of the time, he loved a goal.

Unfortunately his career never quite took off as many had hoped it would after that promising debut season. He managed only three senior games in 1969, though he averaged more than two goals a game across 15 reserves matches that year. He played seven more reserves games in the first half of 1970 before departing mid-season and heading to Tongala. He later played with VFA club Preston and also with Wagga before he moved to the Gold Coast to live.

A teacher by profession and blessed with a lively and engaging personality, Ron travelled widely (he even spent time as an entertainment manager on cruise ships!) and also taught overseas. One of his daughters would later describe him as a kind of gypsy. But he never forgot the Magpie connections forged during his brief stint at the top level, and stayed in touch with his former teammates.

Half-forward flankers of the 1960s typically liked to roam far and wide. In Ron Moylan’s case, that was true both on the field and off.

- Michael Roberts