During Swan Districts years in the football wilderness prior to their first premiership there were many fine players in the black and white who never became part of a finals series, let alone a flag.Among them was rover Ray Browning, who burst onto the scene in 1957 and was a regular before suffering a shoulder injury in 1959.       When rovers Haydn Bunton and Billy Walker arrived at Swan Districts it was good news for the Swans and a step towards the 1961 flag, but not so great if you happened to be one of the incumbent onballers in the black and white.Browning, who had debuted in 1957 under Don Scott and played thirty eight games in succession before his injury setback, was one of those. “I’d shrugged the ailment off and was back in the side in 1959 and 60, but those two were bloody good players, weren’t they, and were champs for Swans,” Browning told Footygoss.A diminutive five foot seven with good pace and an accurate kick, Browning was recruited from the Swans Junior Council, where he won fairest and best medals in both the under fifteens and under nineteens. Son of well known Northam Federals player Tom Browning, he played with Parkerville Home, where he came under the wing of West Perth star Ray Schofield. “When I made my debut with Swans in 1957 Ray was the first to wish me well,” Ray said. “The second was centre half back Greg Cox, who added: “Anyone touches you, let me know.”“The game started badly for me when I had a shot on goal and kicked the ground.”     Browning’s exit from Swan Districts at the end of 1960 after forty eight games was to be the beginning of a twenty year career in coaching. He moved to Midland Sunday League club, becoming playing coach and played over a hundred and seventy games before being transferred in his bank employment to Bridgetown, where he was installed as captain coach of  Bridgetown Football Club.He related an incident in the Lower South West League that must hold pride of place as one of the funniest to happen on a football field.“I was giving my half time address at the Manjimup Tigers home ground, where the visitors rooms were around the back of the building,” he said. “All of a sudden the doors flew open and there was a loud shout: “They’ve started without you!” “Not having heard a siren or warning, there was a stampede onto the oval, just in time to see the goal ump waving a point.”“Without any opposition they’d only been able to kick a behind.”“And now they had to wait for us to kick it in!”     A return to Perth in 1971 saw an involvement with Claremont Football Club with Mal Brown. Ray served on the club committee from 1971 to 1974, and was chairman of selectors during that time. When Brown left for South Fremantle, Browning ventured into the media side of the game, doing  “around the grounds” for 6PR. In 1979 another transfer South landed him with the coaching job at Carey Park in the South West Football League, before moving north and taking on the mentoring position at Karratha Kats. During his stint there Browning coached the inaugural North Pilbara team to take part in a Wesfarmers State Football Carnival, where the side was successful in B Division. The following season they went one better, taking the A Division trophy, but under a different coach. A Westpac and Commercial Bank employee for thirty nine years, Ray is now retired and following his grandchildrens sports.He is married to Lyn, and has two sons and two daughters. Stephen played colts and reserves for Swan Districts, Mark coached juniors with success, and Donelle and Linda replicated their fathers sporting skill on the netball court.       Perth rover Don Dalton was Ray’s pick as hardest to beat.“Don was always tough in the juniors and a good player at league level. Back in my junior days I played against Tony Nesbit, and he was a great player.” Best ever seen? “Polly Farmer.”Ray Browning enjoyed only a relatively short league career, but his involvement in football lasted for almost forty years throughout the State. He still enjoys a yarn about the game and is an avid follower of Swan Districts.