In 1962 a disillusioned Ray Lawrence came to the conclusion that he had no future as a league footballer and went to Geraldton.
After three seasons at Perth for a total of two appearances on the bench for the league side, he decided to give up on the dream and play for the money.
It had been a bumpy ride at the Demons for the youngster.
A product of the Highgate club, Lawrence won the Phil Matson trophy for fairest and best in the under sixteens as a centreman, where the opposition included Graeme John, later to play with East Perth and South Melbourne. Playing in the East Perth district but residing in Perth’s zone, he was tied to Perth, so went there and played in the reserves as a seventeen year old in 1958.
The following season he was on the bench two weeks in a row for the league side, before dropping back to the reserves. He subsequently lost form, and approached thirds coach Jack Ensor for advice. “You are still eligible for thirds, come and play with me,” was the reply. The thirds won premierships in 1960 and 61, the latter with Lawrence as captain.
Playing at Geraldton Brigades in 1962, Ray was coached by former Perth player, Barry Dalton, who talked him into giving it another go at Perth the following year.
Back in the Demons reserves side in 1963, Lawrence won the Prendergast Medal for fairest and best in the WAFL reserves competition as a back pocket player. Selected in the league side for the preliminary final that season against Swan Districts, he made the most of what was his first full league game, impressing coach Ern Henfry. Perth had only themselves to blame for their loss and a premiership chance by booting ten goals twenty five( six twenty after half time), while Swans scored fourteen nine.
But Lawrence had exhibited his worth and grabbed the opportunity.
In 1964 he was stationed at half back by Henfry and remained there for another hundred and eleven matches. By the end of that year he had become a key member of the side, and was third in fairest and best voting, with the best yet to come, three consecutive premierships in 1966,67,and 68.
A cool, steady defender, the six foot and eleven and a half stone Lawrence was adept at reading the play, and was like a marshall in a star studded back line for Perth.
He recalls a rare occasion when he was relegated to the reserves during the 1968 season.
“It was played at Geraldton, and on the plane Graham Jenzen(who had been in the reserves the previous week) advised us to have an early night,” he recalled. “I got to bed at five a.m. and Graham was in the cot early. I played like a drongo and Jenno kicked eight goals. The irony was that a week later I was in the league side and he was in the ressies.”
Lawrence was twenty seven when he retired at the end of a successful 1968 season.
“I had been offered a job in the media, and I could see a few new stars on the horizon at Perth, such as John Quartermaine, so thought it was good for the club for me to go when they were on top and had younger ready made replacements,” he recalled.
He does have a few regrets about that decision.
“The loss in the 1970 grand final was one I didn’t enjoy,” he grimaced.
Lawrence was a regular on radio from 1969 to 1989, when son John made his league debut with East Fremantle, and Ray was at each of his one hundred and one games, including the big one in 1992, when he emulated his father by being part of a premiership side. Ray Lawrence upset some at his old club by becoming an East Fremantle member in 1988.
In the meantime, Lawrence had blossomed as a coach.
He was at the helm with Victoria Park when they won a South Suburban League flag in 1969, and were runners up in 1970. Coaching Kelmscott from 1972 to 75, he showed he had learned something from watching people like Ensor, Armstrong, Henfry, and Atwell, by taking a side that hadn’t won a game the previous season to a grand final in his third year, beaten by Dennis Cometti’s Maddington. Giving it away to concentrate on juniors, it was an SOS from Kelmscott that saw Lawrence return to the coaches box midway through the 1982 season, when Ray Boyanich quit. Once again he lifted the side, taking them to a grand final the following year.
A chance meeting with Perth president, George Spalding, at that grand final was to lead to the return of Ray Lawrence to Perth Football Club in 1984, as coach of the colts side. Finishing in fifth spot, the appointment of Mal Brown as league coach for the 1985 season was the catalyst for Lawrence to call it a day.
He regarded Subiaco’s Reg Hampson as a hard man to beat, and held a high regard for Barry Cable, Greg Brehaut, and Ray Mills as well as many others in the dominant Perth combination of the late sixties. He also had a special mention for the toughness of Ian Rothnie, and another player who had finished his career at the time Ray began his—Roy Harper.
Like Dick Whittington, who became a triple Lord Mayor, Ray Lawrence turned back after leaving the WAFL scene to become a triple premiership player and member of arguably one of the best ever club sides this State has seen. He had the ability as a coach to take over and lift sides, and it’s a pity he never received an opportunity to mentor at a higher level. A life member at Perth, he was a solid and steady defender.
