It was perhaps unfortunate for John Daniel that his eight years of league football co-incided with the careers of many of this State’s finest defenders, making selection at the next level extremely difficult. Ironically,many of his rivals were also team mates. Ken McAullay, Gary Malarkey, Brad Smith, Kevin Bryant, Ross Glendinning, and later Ian Miller  were an extremely talented group.“I did make the State squad in 1976,” Daniel recalled, “but Gary Malarkey was preferred, and you can’t argue with that.”John Daniel has no qualms about the lack of State opportunities, preferring to focus on the experience he had playing with such accomplished stars of the game. “The whole side during my time were a great group of blokes,” he said. “It was a privilege to play with them.”“It was also good for my game, because I was able to spend time in the forward line due to the abundance of key defenders we had.” Daniel was invariably thrust into the centre half forward position in final round games, and was always a good contributor in the big matches. It was as a forward that John initially came under the notice of the Royals. An outstanding junior at Coolbinia-Yokine, he was a regular club fairest and best winner as he progressed through the grades, but it was his performances with the State Schoolboys side in Hobart in 1967, culminating with All Australian selection, that impressed coach Ken Armstrong and stamped him as a ready made league footballer. After just one game in the colts in round one of 1970, the seventeen year old Daniel made his league debut without playing a seconds match. It was a big step from friends and relations at Coolbinia Reserve to eleven thousand four hundred and eighty eight at Perth Oval, but he did enough in a loss to Claremont to hold his place for the following week. It was a pass from former Coolbinia-Yokine team mate John Bandy that set him up for a goal with his first kick in league football. After several weeks as a forward, Daniel was tried at full back. “I think they thought I was soft,” he joked. The dependable marking and long kicking Daniel soon mastered the art of close checking, and revelled in the new role. South Fremantle star Joe McKay, who would debut in round one of 1974 at full forward on John, told us:  “John was a tough man, who would run through you if he could, although he had eyes for the ball.”  Daniel had his first taste of finals football in 1970, when the Royals were unlucky losers to Perth by four points in the preliminary final, and the following season lined up in his first grand final, which also resulted in defeat, this time at the hands of West Perth. It proved to be third time lucky for John in 1972. At centre half forward, he contributed one goal two amid some telling forward play in the second semi final to help sink Claremont, before lining up in attack again a fortnight later to help repeat the result over the same side and win the elusive flag. The 1974 and 75 seasons were arguably John’s best for East Perth. Coach Ray Giblett gave him a leadership role and the extra responsibility had a marked effect on his game.    Daniel played over a hundred consecutive games in the league side before a broken wrist sidelined him in 1976. His return to centre half forward for finals action helped the Royals into the grand final, but a rampaging Perth were too good in the big one.  East Perth were premiers again in an upset win over the Demons in 1978, but Daniel wasn’t part of it. After missing the entire 1977 season due to overseas travel, injury caused him to miss much of the latter part of the 1978 season. He played his first ever seconds game that year in the second semi final, which the Royals won, but that game turned out to be his last, when ruled unfit for the grand final.  He announced his retirement at the end of the season, after a hundred and fifty nine appearances in the blue and black.  Apart from a few games a year at Perth Oval and watching the West Coast matches, John Daniel has substituted other interests for football in recent years. He and wife Kath have a hobby vineyard producing a great drop at Susannah Brook Wines in Millendon. (Do yourself a favour and drop in for a taste and a yarn with John, but be warned from this writer’s experience: it’s a very moorish taste!) A teacher who progressed into the administration area of education, John has become involved with Uniting Care West Outreach Services in recent years. Uniting Care West  Outreach Services provide specialist pre-release support, re-entry and re-integration services to male prisoners, and help to develop relationships with clients that positively influence directions and choices along the pathway to re-integration. John and Kath have a boy and three girls. The Daniel sporting genes have been carried on by daughter Ellen, who represented the State in under fifteen netball.  West Perth goalsneak Phil Smith, South Fremantle’s Joe McKay, and Subiaco ace Austin Robertson rated highest on John’s list of opponents, while he couldn’t go past captain coach Malcolm Brown as best he played with.  John enjoyed his time under Polly Farmer as well, but added: “the pair were chalk and cheese, humour-wise.” “A lot of jokes would go over Pol’s head, such as the occasion he made the observation that training may be getting a bit flat, and did anyone have a suggestion.”  “This was immediately after a prolonged session of circle work,” John recalled. “I put the hand up and said: “can I make a suggestion?” to which Polly replied in the affirmative.” “When I said: “circlework,” the boys broke up, but Polly just stood there unimpressed.” He also had plenty of time for star wingman, Derek Chadwick, who, he said, changed personality on crossing that white line.  “Chaddy had a great sense of humour off the field, and was always the life of the party, but on the ground he was the essence of concentration, focussing on the job at hand.”  A life member of East Perth, John Daniel was a fine servant of the club and a premiership player who was perhaps unlucky not to have played for Western Australia. The boots may be long gone, but he and Kath are still kicking a goal with their wines at Susannah Brook.