By Goya Dmytryshchak
Altona North’s Bill Brown has had one of the best days of his life – meeting Collingwood football legends just weeks after collapsing from a heart attack at his local Bunnings.
Mr Brown was “30 seconds from death” when workers used a defibrillator to save him last month.
He returned to the store to thank the staff, but had only had one regret – that his beloved Collingwood jacket had to be cut from his body by paramedics.
Mr Brown was invited to visit Collingwood’s headquarters where he not only chose a new jacket from the Magpie shop, but got to meet some of his favourite players, past and present, and watch a training session.
Mr Brown, 86, said he was treated “like a king”.
“I met Simon Prestigiacomo, who I remembered through 2010 because he was the chap who stepped down – he said he couldn’t play in a grand final; somebody took his place and now, his old No.35 is used by their first recruit every year that goes to Collingwood,” Mr Brown said.
“Then they took me to pick a coat out – they said, ‘Take your pick’ – and I picked out a nice lovely coat.
“I met two of my idols which I have idolised since I’ve been following Collingwood – Peter McKenna and Barry Price – along with some of the present-day players.
“It was just extraordinary. I’m that happy that I didn’t have to die to get to see it.
“To be quite candid, since the day I married my wife, and my children were born and my grandchildren were born, I’ve never had such a great day.”
Related: Altona North Pies fan saved after heart attack at Bunnings
