Gerry Bahen achieved the rare feat of playing league football in the VFL before debuting in his home State.Playing his under age football at Aquinas College, Bahen played nine reserves games at South Fremantle in 1949 before his job took him to Melbourne, where he joined the Mentone club in the Federal League. The following season an approach from North Melbourne saw him line up with the Kangaroos on eight occasions, before returning to Western Australia in 1952.Bahen had football in his blood, his father Clem being one of Western Australia’s leading players of the Twenties, playing a hundred and fifty eight games with Subiaco between 1917 and 1928. “There is no greater stylist in the game,” read a tribute to Clem Bahen from author Ken Spillman in his book “Diehards 1896 to 1945.” A wingman and half forward flanker, Clem had electrifying pace and spectacular leaping ability, and played ten games for Western Australia.  Gerry was bigger and taller than his Dad, and at six foot and thirteen stone was well suited for a key defensive position. His reliable marking and long clearing kicks were a feature of his game.In 1952 Bahen lined up on a half back flank in the grand final, alongside Colin Hickman and Des Reed as the Bulldogs recovered from a five goal deficit at half time to prevail over West Perth at the final siren. The following year he was not only among the side’s best, but part of surely one of the club’s best ever defensive lines, with Frank Treasure and Cliff Hillier in support, and the club won it’s second flag in a row with a fifty nine point win over the same club,  then  won convincingly over Footscray.    The trifecta was completed in 1954, and it was also a big year for Bahen. “We had a wonderful team,” he reminisced. “It was amazing, good players seemed to drop out of the trees for us.”  He finished fourth in that year’s Sandover Medal voting, being the highest scoring South player, and represented Western Australia against Victoria, playing at centre half back on North Melbourne player, John Brady. The Bahen family had run the P&O Hotel in Fremantle for many years, and Gerry and his wife Adrian had inherited that responsibility during the latter stages of his football career. At the close of the 1955 season, at the age of twenty six, and after eighty games, Bahen decided to quit the game in favour of his family and business commitments.  He has since maintained his close association with South Fremantle Football Club, serving as a committeeman, vice president, and bar manager. He is a patron of the club, and organizes the annual “Gerry Bahen Classic,” an athletic event. These days Gerry is under more pressure from his grandchildren than he ever was from a pesky half forward, and enjoys Friday nights at the club. He and Adrian are regular visitors to Bali. While unable to separate any of the opposition half forwards, he maintained that Steve Marsh was the best he played with. “Marshy reckoned I never had enough mongrel,” he laughed. “He always threatened to give me a backhander as I ran onto the ground to stir me up.”Gerry Bahen was good enough to be a part of the South Fremantle combination of the early fifties, and that alone stamps him as a good player. A life member, he is a popular figure at the Bulldogs, and continues to involve himself with the club.