KINK, Rene

Rene Kink was a talented but mercurial half-forward who came from Collingwood where he had played 154 games between 1973 and mid-1983. Prior to that he played with Ararat. He had made his League debut at only 16 years of age to great fanfare. His second game was as full-forward in a preliminary final when he replaced injured Collingwood champion Peter McKenna. At the time, he was the youngest player to play in a final.

He had great strength and kicked brilliantly with either foot, and his massive frame earned him the nickname "The Incredible Hulk". The downside was that, although he created great excitement, it was based more on promise, on what he might do, rather than on what he had done.

In 1980, Kink and other Collingwood players had a minor role in the movie The Club which centred on the Magpies.

He joined Essendon mid-season in 1983 and after making his debut in Round 18, played every game for the rest of the year, including the losing Grand Final team. This gave Kink the unique distinction of being the only man in League history to appear in five unsuccessful Grand Finals (including the 1977 replay).

His bad luck with Grand Finals continued when a serious knee injury that he suffered before the start of the 1984 season kept him out for the entire year, meaning he missed his chance to be part of Essendon's premiership win.

He returned in Round 2 in 1985 but struggled to establish a permanent place in that strong team and could only manage 11 games for the year and so missed out on anther premiership.

He was cleared to St Kilda in 1986, where he played seven games.

Kink later coached Newport in the Footscray District League in 1987 and then transferred to Camberwell in 1988.

He spent some time as a hairdresser and later became a fitness and boxing instructor.