KEN SMITH FITTER THAN EVER - AT 84

By Peter Kennedy

Diminutive rover Ken Smith played 48 league games for Perth in the mid 1950s. But Ken, at 84, reckons he's fitter now than in his football days at the WACA ground.

And seeing is believing. When I visited his Balcatta home on a cold Saturday morning he took off his jacket and did 50 push ups in quick succession, and barely raised a sweat.

"I only wish I had been this fit back in the 50s - who knows how many games I would have played?" he said. "If 'Ernie' (league coach Ern Henfry) and Bob Miller (Seconds coach) could see me now they would be surprised."

Ken was Dick Walker's roving partner in the mid 1950s, although in the 1955 premiership year he had to give way to the brilliant Harry Meredith, a Melbourne medical graduate who gave the Redlegs a memorable season while an intern at Royal Perth Hospital.

He played every game in 1956. But despite beating eventual premiers East Perth three times in the qualifying round, Perth went down to East Fremantle by 33 points in the first semi final.

I had visited Ken to pick up a copy of a team photograph of the 1953 league side. What a star studded team! Two members of the AFL and WA Halls of Fame - Merv McIntosh and Ern Henfry - and four other members of the WA Hall of Fame - Keith Harper, Ron Tucker, Terry Moriarty and Dick Walker.

Plus players of the calibre of Doug Buckingham ("he could have been anything," said Ken), who died in a work accident only days after the team photo, Reg Zeuner, Jeff McGann, Bob Miller, Bert Wansbrough, Syd Shaw and Bob Bosustow - Peter's father.

Ken has a sharp memory. He recalled when young ruckman Graham Farmer trained with the club in 1952.  "He was tall skinny kid and I remember 'Big Mac' leaning on  him in some practice drills under coach George Bailey," he said. "We got quite friendly but he stopped coming down after a couple of weeks.

"The next time I saw him, 18 months later, he was wearing an East Perth guernsey and had started filling out." The rest is history.

Ken was a member of the 1955 Seconds (now Reserves) premiership team, coached by Bob Miller - Ian's father. He said the players then watched the league grand final until half time, concluding that the Redlegs, as the club was called then, were in a hopeless position against East Fremantle.

They headed for the nearby Victoria Hotel to start celebrating. But when they heard Bert Wansbrough had kicked four great goals in the third quarter and Perth was only two points down at the final change, they raced back to the ground to cheer the boys on to a stirring two point win.

Best opponents? "I reckon Steve Marsh and Jack Sheedy would top it - one was like a bullet (Marsh) and the other (Sheedy) was strong and aggressive. They are both good blokes."

Ken has great memories of the days at the WACA, but there was one story he wasn't keen for me to tell. He said he was a league reserve one afternoon, sitting on  the bench inside the fence next to coach Henfry.

Ken didn't think he'd get on to play so at half time he put his London Court cigarettes and matches in the pocket of the dressing gown which reserves wore to keep warm. Late in the game he decided to "light up".

"Ern didn't say anything, so I never knew exactly what he thought," Ken said. "But I got a fair idea when I was back in the Seconds for the next game. I never did it again."

PERTH LEAGUE TEAM - 1953

Back Row (l to r): George Atkinson, Doug Buckingham, Ron Tucker, Reg Zeuner, Keith Sturtridge, Bert Wansbrough.

Middle Row:  Ern Kirkby, Ken Bryan, Keith Harper, Bob Bosustow, Bob Miller, Syd Shaw, Laurie Howard, Des Hinton.

Front Row:  Ken Smith, Phil Foster, Merv McIntosh, Ern Henfry (capt-coach), Jeff McGann, Dick Walker.