Joe Hickey is a former Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er who played with Fitzroy

Fitzroy Football Club

The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...

 in the Victorian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (VFL).

Hickey was a key forward, recruited to Fitzroy from Shepparton

Shepparton Football Club

The Shepparton Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the Goulburn Valley Football League. The team, known as the "Bears", , are based in Shepparton and play their home games at the Deakin Reserve, the premier football ground in the town. They share the ground with the Shepparton...

. He made 13 appearances for Fitzroy in 1952, including their preliminary final loss to Collingwood

Collingwood Football Club

The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

. In 1953 he was Fitzroy's leading goal-kicker with 40 goals. This included an eight goal haul against North Melbourne

North Melbourne Football Club

The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...

 at Brunswick Street Oval

Brunswick Street Oval

The Brunswick Street Oval, currently known as WT Peterson Community Oval, also known as the Fitzroy Cricket Ground is a cricket and Australian rules football ground located in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North, Victoria...

.

In 1954, following the death of his father in a road accident, Hickey decided to work at his Invergordon farm full-time.