It was the astuteness of Perth coach Ern Henfry that gave Mal Winsor the opportunity to be part of a premiership.A prodigy as a full forward at an early age, Winsor had been at Perth for five seasons without cementing a spot in the league side when Henfry sent him to defence early in the 1964 season. He played every game that season and became a key part of the 1966 flag under Mal Atwell.Mal Winsor was playing senior football at South Suburban club Cannington, kicking double figure tallies, when a visit from Perth committeeman Jack O’Dea resulted in him training at the WACA ground the same season. He spent 1959 in the thirds as a centre half forward, kicking over sixty goals, before being promoted to the reserves, playing with them on the opening day of the Lathlain Park Oval. Winsor’s career at Perth began disastrously, and it took some years for him to recover fully. A snapped cruciate ligament in the first intra club game at Inglewood Oval in 1960 resulted in the removal of a cartilage, which meant a season on the sidelines and three years hard work. Six league games in 1962 and a similar amount the following year followed by none in 1963 saw his career at the crossroads. The just under six foot forward became a solid defender and a regular for the next three seasons. A more than competitive high jumper and runner during his school years, Winsor was able to use his good leap and marking ability to combat taller opponents. Most full backs of the day had trouble with East Fremantle full forward Big Bob Johnson, but Mal’s spring was used to good effect on most occasions. “He got hold of me in the 1964 second semi final,” Winsor admitted.  Johnson kicked eight of Old East’s goals that day in a forty three point win. It was a different story two seasons later, when Perth won the first of a hat trick of flags under Mal Atwell, defeating East Perth by sixteen points, but the fickleness of fate was to strike Mal Winsor once again. A knee injury put him out of action for the first five games of the 1967 season, with the result that he spent the following season in the reserves, playing in the winning grand final side. He retired at the end of 1968, after ninety one games, and spent a year umpiring in the Hills Association. A boilermaker-welder by trade, Mal studied engineering at Curtin University and worked with Readymix in later years, before becoming a builder. Retired these days, he enjoys a game of golf, and regularly partners Atwell in the swimming pool. Wife Patricia is a daughter of Perth long serving committeeman and life member Gordon Winter, and her sister married Perth player Bill Towers. The Winsors have two daughters, Sharon and Gail, who are both netball players, and a grandson, Mitchell Smith, was a member of the South Fremantle Development Squad. He found Austin Robertson hardest to beat,”he was quick,” although he reckoned team mate Tommy Davis’s elbow “didn’t discern between friend and foe”, and Barry Cable was the best he played with. Injury hampered Mal Winsor’s career as a forward, and he rejuvenated it as a defender. That he became a premiership player is testament to his persistence and determination to succeed in league football, and was a member of arguably one of the Demons best ever sides.