Ken Van Heekeren (died August 2022) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played as a five-eighth and centre in the 1950s.[1] He made 60 appearances for the Eastern Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) competition between 1953 and 1958.[2]

Ken Van Heekeren
Personal information
DiedAugust 2022
Playing information
PositionFive-eighth, centre, halfback, wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1953–58 Eastern Suburbs 60 18 0 0 54
Source: [1]

Career

edit

As an Eastern Suburbs junior, Van Heekeren played for Woollahra Waratahs. On 4 April 1953, he made his first-grade NSWRFL debut, scoring a try in a 23–10 defeat to Parramatta at Cumberland Oval. During the 1953 season, he was the club's joint-top try scorer with eight tries, along with Morrie Kermond and Col Donohoe. Van Heekeren's 1954 season was ended by injury after dislocating his shoulder.[3] He did not play first-grade competition until the 1957 season, after returning from a two-year stint in Wollongong.[4]

The 1958 season was Van Heekeren's last as Eastern Suburbs player. That year, he made 16 appearances, scoring one try in the last game of the regular season, a 38–7 win over Parramatta at Sydney Sports Ground.[1]

Van Heekeren died in August 2022.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Ken Van Heekeren". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Ken Van Heekeren". AFL Tables. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter V". The Roar. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Vale Ken Van Heekeran". Sydney Roosters. 28 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.