Western Australian football has seen many fathers and sons become stars in their own right and their own era. East Fremantle’s Barney and Jack Sheedy, South Fremantle’s “Corp” and Graham Reilly, East Perth’s Val and Frank Sparrow, the Armstrongs from Perth,and  Brian and Ben Cousins are just a few examples. But it would be hard to find a better performed father and son than the two Don Marinko’s, who wore the Cardinal colours with distinction over two decades. Just for good measure, throw in another of Don senior’s progeny, Ray Marinko, and you have a trio that would be hard to beat anywhere. Ray Marinko was a top class half back/half forward, and his performance in the 1960 grand final was a significent factor in the Cardinals premiership. Ray played 160 games for West Perth and 24 with East PerthDon senior was one of the top ruckmen in the State in the twenties and thirties and one of the best of all time to play for West Perth. Hailing from Boulder City, he played 234 games for the Cardinals between 1926 and 1940, captained them to two premierships, and was selected in the club’s official “Team of the Century”.  His son, Don jnr, inherited his football ability, but not being of quite the same build, became one of the State’s leading centremen in a period when Western Australia was blessed with a plethora of star centremen. Don Marinko jnr, was an accomplished player who ticked all the boxes when it came to midfield requirements, and was team oriented. Tough,and hard at it, he excelled when the ball hit the ground, and his disposal was a feature of his game. When talking to the many good centremen of the time, his name invariably surfaces as hardest to beat. Don Marinko played his early football with Mt Hawthorn Metropolitan Juniors. After training with West Perth in the pre season of 1952, he decided to try out with South Fremantle, and played in a scratch match with them. As he was a West Perth player by virtue of residing in their zone, then South coach Clive Lewington advised the young Marinko to go back to Leederville. “ They’ll never clear you,” he said. “You’ll be out of the game for a long time if you don’t,” was Lewington’s advice. So Marinko kicked off his league career on a half forward flank for West Perth. “Playing alongside Sandover Medallist Fred Buttsworth was a definite highlight of my football days,” he recalled. “Fred was an out and out champion of the game, and for a young bloke to play alongside him was inspirational. His pre match advice and the way he’d back you during the game was a perfect start for a young player.”  After only a season and a half, Marinko was selected for the 1953 Interstate Carnival in Adelaide, where he played on a half forward flank and a wing. West Perth coach Peter O’Donoghue moved him into the centre the following year, and he became one of the top centreman in the league, a regular State representative, and a consistent performer. One of the best players to play with West Perth, it was a travesty that he never won a fairest and best for the club. “I polled pretty well, and was runner up a few times, but there were a few good players running around for us then,” was his wry comment. In 1959, Don Marinko was captain coach of the Cardinals before being replaced in 1960 by Arthur Olliver, who led the club to a premiership that year, with Marinko in the middle. In 1961 a dispute with the club led Marinko to move to East Perth, where he was to play only the one season, ironically culminating in the fairest and best award that had eluded him over his eight years at West Perth. The following season, Marinko was installed as captain of East Perth, a position he was unable to fill. In a pre season practice game against Perth, while playing on Pat Dalton, he suffered a broken knee, which eventually forced his retirement. It was a sad ending for a star player, but perhaps fitting that it was against a rising star in Dalton, who was to win a Sandover Medal in 1970. Don stayed with East Perth as an off field assistant to playing coach Kevin Murray, and served time on the selection committee.Those he considered as hardest opponents is an insight into the class of centremen who played on each other week after week in those days, making it a tough day at the office on a Saturday afternoon. “Ray Sorrell, John Todd, Tommy Everett, Kevin Clune and Ken Armstrong,” was Don’s quick response. “And there were probably a few more I forgot,” he added. Naturally, Buttsworth was in his list of great players he played with. “You could name about twenty, but Ray Schofield, “Popsy” Heal, and Len Harman were brilliant,” he said.Don is still a great footy fan, but has the usual criticisms of the game today. “Too much handball, I can’t work out how so many blokes are by themselves, the holding the ball rule is a bad blue.  But it is a lot faster these days, that’s for sure”.  Like most of his era, he rues the demise of the drop kick. These days Don is enjoying life in the garden, having an occasional punt and a cold ale. The legacies of his football career, including the knee, have slowed the champ down somewhat, but he still looks pretty fit.Don Marinko played in arguably the best era of WANFL football, and he was a star in an era of stars.