Phil Haughan emerged onto the WANFL stage in 1964 as a potential star.    East Perth were well aware of the abilities of the young bloke running around for Bedford in their junior competition, and signed him as a sixteen year old. Obviously considering him too young and light for league football at that stage of his development, he spent the season of 64 with the reserves, taking out the fairest and best award.  He was a wiry, gangly youth at his league debut with East Perth in 1965 at the age of seventeen, and looked a definite player of the future. A good ball handler , an agile player with height to match it with the talls,and a brilliant mark, he was used mainly as a ruck rover and half forward. The 1966 preliminary final provided a view of Haughan’s talents, when he kicked eight goals to help the Royals to a forty two point victory over arch rivals, West Perth.   The grand final loss to Perth a week later was the start of a heartbreaking run of four grand finals in a row without yielding a flag. “We had a team of champions but obviously weren’t a champion team”, Phil told us when we spoke with him. And that was a fair comment.  Bob Whalley, Kevin Murray, Derek Chadwick, Mal Brown, Keith Doncon, Bob Graham, Syd Jackson, and Brad Smith were among their number in those years, but the holy grail was just out of reach. Mind you, Perth had a pretty good side running around at the time. Ironically, a year before the Royals found premiership success, Phil Haughan went to Adelaide to line up with the struggling Central Districts side. It was at a time when money was starting to come into football, and Centrals were starving for success, never having been in a finals campaign in their short existence. They had previously recruited several West Australians, notably Tom Grljusich(South Fremantle) and Tony Casserley(East Fremantle), and Phil saw it not only as a financial opportunity but a challenge to leave the comfort zone of a team full of stars, as East Perth were.East Perth didn’t see things his way, however, and refused Phil a clearance.  A wrangle developed between the two clubs, and as a result it wasn’t until round four that the transfer was granted and he was able to take the field for the Central Districts Football Club.  It was a revelation for Haughan. “ I had stepped out of a situation where I was just a part of a good side into one where I had to take the responsibilities of a senior player and show some leadership,” he said.    Phil went on to win the club’s fairest and best award that year, and was equal runner up to  the great Russell Ebert for the Margarey Medal, as Centrals had their first taste of finals football. Those three games he missed may well have cost him a Margarey.Staying for a further two years at Centrals, Haughan amassed 62 matches at the South Australian club before returning to the Royals in 1975. It was to be a frustrating year for Phil.  A cruciate ligament injury in the opening round saw him on the sidelines for thirteen weeks.  Playing reserves in his return match, he booted fifteen goals, which saw the forward back in league ranks the following week.  East Perth made the four, but were beaten in the first semi final by South Fremantle.Then, out of the blue, another interstate opportunity came Phil Haughan’s way.  His former East Perth team mate Syd Jackson, now with Carlton, recommended him for the vacant coaching job at Launceston in Tasmania, and another challenge was accepted. “ I felt it was something I could do, and was confident of my ability to do it”, Phil explained. “At East Perth I had played under Jack Sheedy,Kevin Murray, Ray Giblett, Derek Chadwick, and Mal Brown,  and each had their own approach and style.” It was to be the start of a successful coaching career for Haughan. He took to coaching like a duck to water.  Launceston, who had finished second last the previous season, won the premiership, Haughan was selected for Tasmania, kicking five goals on debut, and was judged Tasmania’s best player in the interstate matches.Phil Haughan came home for the second time in 1978,with retirement on his mind. However, it was Swans coach John Todd who persuaded him to play seven  games at Bassendean before  knee trouble forced him out of league football.  Now armed with an impressive coaching resume’, there was still plenty left in the football world for  the thirty year old.  He took over the reigns at South Perth, who were a bottom four side at the time, and guided them to runners up, followed by a premiership with Innaloo Amateurs. Phil named Perth centre half back Bob Shields as his toughest opponent. “ I played on some absolutely brilliant and tough defenders, such as Fred Castledine(Swans), Brian France(West Perth),  and Norm Rogers(East Fremantle), but I was fortunate that they were reaching the end of their careers and were slowing up, so I was able on occasions to outrun them, but Bob was the same age as me, only faster and better ,” was Phil’s modest appraisal. He had accolades for teammate at the Royals,Brad Smith, as the best he played with in his time in league football. Phil was also able to provide us with another Brownie tale.“It was the Royals Ball, and Brownie didn’t have a date,” he said. “I had organized for John Wynne’s sister to be his partner.  Unfortunately, sometimes well intentioned plans can go astray, and after arrangements had been made, Brownie had to go and break John Wynne’s jaw in a game the week before the big night. Of course, Mal had no idea it was John’s sister he was picking up for the ball, so when he rocked up at the Wynne residence, who answered the door but the heavily bandaged John Wynne(who has never been known to take a backward step.)”The resulting conversation is not for publication.These days Phil Haughan is semi retired. A former real estate agent, he is enjoying life with a few business interests and plenty of golf, spiced up with a bit of travel.  From his debut as a sixteen year old  in the East Perth reserves, the boy from Bedford’s  career became a varied one,  a leading player in three States, with a coaching record to match.  He should be proud of the journey.