WAFL: Milestone man Heal reflects on WAFL journey

From Peel Thunder, to Baldivis, to 150 games at Subiaco.

In a competition as demanding as the WAFL, milestones play a role in spurring players on to keep going.

The situation was no different for Aaron Heal, who’s set to play game 150 for the Lions against Swan Districts this weekend.

“I was on the edge last year whether I was going to come back or not, with a wife and kids making it difficult to get the time needed at this level,” Heal told Subiacofc.com.au.

“It means a huge amount, I’ve been part of the club for 10 years now.

“It holds a very special place for me.”

Aaron Heal’s journey to the milestone has been one of the more interesting tales in the WAFL.

Having played his junior football for Baldivis, he came through the Peel Thunder ranks in 2010 and 2011, playing four League matches.

At 19, he went back to Baldivis to line up for the Brumbies, where a mate, who had a connection to then-League coach Jarrad Schofield, also played.

After a couple of years in the amateur system, Heal got the call.

“Schoey gave me a call and asked if I wanted to come down and basically try out for the next year,” he said.

“They (Subiaco) weren’t too flash in 2013, I thought maybe I was a chance to get a game.”

It proved a successful move for Heal, coinciding with the Lions bouncing back up the ladder.

The defender managed eight League matches in his first season at Subiaco, making his club debut against Claremont at the showgrounds in round 10 of 2014.

Although he didn’t play in the club’s Premiership that year, he wasn’t made to wait long for success.

The 2015 flag against West Perth remains a memory that will stay with him.

“Being the first one (premiership), that’ll always be pretty special to me,” Heal said.

However, there is another period of time on the football field that will be memorable.

“The undefeated year in 2018, that was very enjoyable as well,” he said.

“One of my good friends Ben Newton was down at the club then as well, so it was nice to win one with him.”

However, closer towards the back end of his career, Heal found it difficult to balance his football with his work and life commitments.

His wife and kids are what he values most in his life, but they will make the moment on Sunday even more special.

“They become the first priority in just about all aspects of life,” Heal said.

“That was why I had to start cutting back a little bit of time.

“It means a lot that they’ll be there on the weekend.”

Another group of people he’s thankful for are his parents, who were always supportive of his football.

“I used to live in Secret Harbour, about an hour from the club,” Heal said.

“Occasionally I’d get a lift home with Shaun Hildebrandt who lived up that way, or Dad would hang around after work in the city.

“He’d watch us train, sit up in the stands, and then take me home at 7:30/8:00 at night.”

Across his career, Heal has been tasked with shutting down some of the competition’s best forwards, and has done so admirably.

His toughest opponent across the journey was Shane Yarran, who he lined up on in the 2017 Grand Final loss to Peel.

But what kept him coming back each year was the people at the club who make it a special place.

“Everyone was incredibly welcoming when I first got there,” Heal said.

“It’s all about creating that environment that people want to be in.

“The drive to succeed is driven through all the players, not just a select few.”