Father and son Peter and Paul Gow both retired from league football far too early due to differences with their respective clubs. Peter Gow played nineteen league games with Subiaco between 1964 and 65, while Paul wore the black and white guernsey of Swan Districts seventy eight times at senior level.   Paul Gow had the unique honour of being drafted by two AFL clubs. First choice for Footscray at number eight in the 1990 draft, he played seven games with the Bulldogs before returning home and was promptly picked up by West Coast in a trade for pick 38.  “I wasn’t happy in Melbourne, my girl friend was in Perth, I didn’t have a job, so I informed the club that I wanted to be traded,” he said. In his last game in the Bulldog colours he made acquaintances with Peter Sumich, who didn’t endear himself to his future clubmate by booting thirteen goals on him in a night game at Subiaco Oval. That was to be Paul’s last AFL appearance, with the task of breaking into an established and very efficient West Coast combination at that time too difficult, and he was eventually delisted.It was an unfortunately disappointing experience at the highest level by the youngster. But Paul Gow was a very accomplished player. A ruckman in his junior days at Darlington and Guildford Grammar School, he represented Western Australia in Teal Cup competition in 1986, and was selected for Swan Districts as a follower for a league game in 1986, when he was eighteen. A rolled ankle on the eve of the match prevented him from taking his place in the side.. Rucking again in the Kresta Cup pre season competition the following season, a knee injury caused him to once again postpone his league debut, and on resuming, coach John Todd sent him into the backline, with the theory that running in a straight line from defence would be less strain on the mending knee. His first assignment in league football was on Brian Peake in a match against East Fremantle. Gow revelled in the switch, and became a key part of the Swan Districts defence in a year they made the four, but were fifty six point losers to East Fremantle in the first semi final. The following two seasons were interspersed by some good form and time off with injuries. Such was his obvious potential, he fielded approaches from several AFL clubs, and was in the mix for a berth with the West Coast under age squad, but another rolled ankle at a critical time forced him out of calculations.   A comparatively injury free season in 1990 was a blessing for Paul Gow, as Swans surged to a premiership win over Claremont, and Gow’s effort on the taller Peter Mann was no small factor in the grand final win. Picked in the State squad, a thigh concern saw him lose his place to Marty Atkins, who went on to win a Simpson Medal. Paul played one game with the Eagles, a pre season match against the Adelaide Crows. Injury continued to dog Gow, with a broken arm in 1993. and a falling out with Swan Districts saw him leave the club in early 1994. Paul played a few games with Margaret River before spending two seasons at Mukinbudin, where he helped the club win a premiership. Peter Gow was a member of the 1959 State Schoolboys side, along with Graham Ramshaw and Terry Opie(Perth), Colin Williams, Robert Hawkes and Gordon Rodger(Subiaco), Graham Shortte(South Fremantle), Geoff McMurray(Swan Districts), Colin Cutler and Robert Stanley (East Perth) and Peter Panegyres(West Perth).Unlike the high leaping six foot two Paul, Peter was a five foot nine midfielder. He was a very stylish player who was suited to the centre, rover, or half forward flank, a position in which he spent most of his nineteen league games after debuting in 1964 as an eighteen year old. Two years of National Service interrupted a promising football career, and on his return to civilian life he resumed employment as a bank officer.Gow’s return to Subiaco in 1968 coincided with the appointment of Haydn Bunton as coach. The hard nosed master coach was determined to change the attitude at the club, and when Peter was sent East for two weeks by his employer, Bunton immediately branded the absence as “lack of commitment,” and told him he wasn’t wanted. When Gow asked for a clearance to another league club the request was flatly refused, thereby unfairly ending a league career. Bunton’s ruler put the red line through the names of several other players at the club, and there was a period of turmoil at Subiaco.Gow returned to Wembley Amateurs in the A Grade Amateur competition, and helped them to a premiership, before retiring from the game.The pinnacle of Peter’s brief career was to play for a NSW State side in a game against Queensland in 1966. These days the Gows are happily ensconced in the deep South. Paul completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, and both are far removed from the football scene.Paul rates Dougie Hawkins and Tony Liberatore, along with Swans star Phil Narkle, as best he played with, while laughingly says he has to put “Summa” in as hardest opponent. Different types of players, Peter and Paul Gow also strode different paths. In Peter’s day there was no AFL to aspire to, but his forced retirement wouldn’t have been allowed to happen today on the grounds of fair opportunity, whereas a club cannot deny a player the opportunity to play league football. There is now an appeal system in place, which, had it been part of the system in the sixties, would have enabled a promising career to continue.Peter harbours no regrets, while Paul is happy to have been part of a memorable flag at Swans.