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Source WPFC Website

The West Perth Football Club was saddened to hear the news over the Christmas break of the loss of 1969 Premiership player Brian Sampson and former Captain Coach Peter O’Donohue.

Brian passed away on the 16th of December 2012 in his native Melbourne. He will be best remembered for his able ruck work and his skillful forward play. Brian had played 100 games and won two Premierships with Essendon in 1962 and 1965 before arriving at West Perth in 1967.

He made his League debut in the first game of the season on the 8th of April 1967. It was a winning debut against Claremont. He went on to play 50 games booting 29 goals between 1967 and 1969 before returning to Victoria. Brian played one state game for WA in 1968.

Peter was appointed Captain Coach for the 1953 and 1954 seasons. He was a former Captain of Hawthorn Football Club and came to West Perth as a replacement for Stan ‘Pops’ Heal who had just been elected to parliament.

Peter coached some great footballers at West Perth including Buttsworth, Don Marinko Jnr, Wally Price, Ray Schofield, Ray Scott and Eddie Wylde. Peter’s side won a record 18 games in 1953 (eventually losing the Grand Final to South Fremantle) and 15 in 1954 (eventually losing the Preliminary Final to South Fremantle).

Peter played 31 games kicking 21 goals before retiring from football and returning to Victoria.

West Perth remembers the great memories of a bygone era and extends our condolences to both the Sampson and O’Donohue families.

1969 Premiership team. pretty sure Brian is rear row centre but corrrect me if I am wrong

Have you got the list of names in that photo Cardy? Looks like Bill Valli front row left and the obvious ones are Polly Farmer front row centre and Bill Dempsey to his left.

Since moving to Melbourne I have gotten to know Peter's brother Mel very well.

Peter enjoyed his time at Leederville so Mel says. He will be happy to hear of the tribute.

Yeh doesnt is shit you when then have teams and no names
Can recognize a few but here is the entire 1969 Premiership side. Some real WPFC Legends in this lot.

BACKS
Tony Dragun David Dyson Neil Evans
Half Backs:
Barry McAuliffe Greg Astury John Hill
Centres:
Bryan Pleitner Mel Whinnen Alan Watling
Half Forwards:
Keith Miller John Wynne Stephen Smeath
Forwards:
Norm Knell Laurie Richards Craige Baker
Ruck :
Graham Farmer, Bill Dempsey, Bill Valli
Reserves:
John Nykyforak, Brian Sampson

Captain Coach Graham Farmer.

1969 West Perth 21 21 147 East Perth 10 14 74

Source It A Grand Old Flag - Brian Atkinson

More on Brian Sampson.. Source
pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/87904/20080821-09...t_perth_%281%29.html







Tall and lean, with great reach, Brian Sampson had a knack for getting in front at aerial contests, and when he did he was virtually impossible to beat. Unfortunately, his career was repeatedly undermined by injury, but it still contained a fair number of memorable moments.

Sampson's first serious injury hitch, a potentially career threatening knee problem, arose while he was playing for Essendon Thirds in 1958. He made an unexpectedly swift and full recovery, however, and in 1959 was promoted to the seniors, where he played so well that he kept his place in the side for the finals. The Bombers ultimately reached the grand final against Melbourne, and for a quarter and a half Sampson was just about the best player on view. However, he fell awkwardly after taking a mark and badly wrenched his back, forcing him to withdraw from a match which, until then, had been evenly poised, but which the Demons would ultimately run away with by 37 points.

Sampson returned to action in 1960 but before long he had injured his knee once again and was sidelined for most of the year. After that he struggled for consistency for a time, and when Essendon played off for the premiership against Carlton in 1962 he only scraped into the side as 19th man. Nevertheless, at least he got to participate in premiership celebrations on this occasion as the Dons won with ease.

The undoubted highlight of Sampson's career came in 1965 when he was one of Essendon's best players throughout a finals series that culminated in a 14.21 (105) to 9.16 (70) grand final defeat of St Kilda. The early departure from the fray of the Saints' senior ruckman Alan Morrow left the way clear for Sampson to stamp his authority on the game, and he produced a best afield performance.

Injury woes resurfaced in 1966 when he missed much of the season with shoulder problems and in 1967 he decided to embrace a new set of challenges when he sought, and was granted, a clearance to West Perth. Sampson spent three seasons with the Cardinals, with the last of his 50 senior games coming in the 1969 grand final defeat of East Perth, when he was 20th man. In 1968 he had represented Western Australia against his home state at the MCG. His Essendon career had comprised precisely 100 VFL games and 45 goals.

Great list there Cardy.
From memory I think Polly came off the ground in the last quarter and Brian Sampson got a run.
A most worthy list of West Perth Premiership Players.

Peter O'Donohue WPFC




An extremely versatile footballer, Peter O'Donohue was a key member of Hawthorn sides in 109 VFL games from 1942 to 1943 and between 1946 to 1952. Probably best suited to a defensive role, he could also do a more than serviceable job across centre when required. In 1953 he was appointed captain coach of West Perth, and steered his side to a grand final encounter with South Fremantle in his first season. Playing at full back, O'Donohue was one of the few Cardinals players to do justice to himself in a 59 point reversal. He remained in the west in 1954 but was only able to get his team as far as the preliminary final this time. In 1955, he headed back east, where he continued his coaching career with various clubs, including Deniliquin (Murray Football League) and Northcote (VFA). He returned to Hawthorn as non-playing coach in 1966, but the side managed just 5 wins from 18 games to finish a disappointing 9th.

SOURCE Full points Footy archives
pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/87904/20080821-09...erth,%20Northcote%29

This is the list of players acording to "It's a Grand Old Flag" by Brian Atkinson.
Back Row (Left to right): M Leeder, R. Carroll, R Croxford, J Wynne, B Sampson, J Renowden, N Knell, B Pleitner, G Astbury.
Middle row: V Veryard, D Dyson, J Hill, b Mc Auliffe, R Margaria, L Richards, K Miller, G Endersby, A Dragun,
Front row: W Valli, C Baker, A Watling, M Whinnen (A/Coach), G Farmer (Captan Coach), W Dempsey (Vice Captain), J Nykyforak, S Smeath, P Panegyre.

MW371 wrote: This is the list of players acording to "It's a Grand Old Flag" by Brian Atkinson.
Back Row (Left to right): M Leeder, R. Carroll, R Croxford, J Wynne, B Sampson, J Renowden, N Knell, B Pleitner, G Astbury.
Middle row: V Veryard, D Dyson, J Hill, b Mc Auliffe, R Margaria, L Richards, K Miller, G Endersby, A Dragun,
Front row: W Valli, C Baker, A Watling, M Whinnen (A/Coach), G Farmer (Captan Coach), W Dempsey (Vice Captain), J Nykyforak, S Smeath, P Panegyre.

Thanks mate got my team from the same book didnt realise there was a captioned pic.

A bit more on the game from Full Points Footy including the previous game

WPFC V EPFC 1969 Finals

With Perth and East Perth also producing exhilarating brands of football, crowds flocked to WANFL grounds in unprecedented numbers (see footnote 23). In June, a record attendance for a qualifying round match away from Subiaco Oval, 26,670, turned up to see West Perth, thanks to a last term which yielded 5 goals to nil, overcome ladder leaders East Perth 16.15 (111) to 12.11 (83), with future Norwood champion John Wynne clinching a place in the Western Australian state squad for the forthcoming Adelaide Carnival with a dynamic, best on ground performance for the victors.

After securing 2nd spot on the ladder going into the finals, albeit only on percentage ahead of Perth, West Perth put in a ruthless performance against flag favourites East Perth in front of a record 2nd semi final crowd of 35,740. Cardinals captain-coach ‘Polly’ Farmer showed he harboured no sentimental feelings towards his old club as he comprehensively flattened Royals All Australian rover Keith Doncon, while John Wynne swiftly followed suit by dishing out similar treatment to Hans Verstegen. West Perth raced to a substantial early lead before coasting to victory by 26 points, 12.11 (83) to 7.15 (57).

For the grand final re-match between the sides, a record crowd of 51,385 crammed into Subiaco Oval, keenly anticipating further fireworks, only to be treated instead to a performance of untouchable virtuosity by the Cardinals, who did virtually as they pleased in racking up a 21.21 (147) to 10.14 (74) win. West Perth's final goal of the match exemplified both their superiority, and their Farmer-inspired style of play. Picking up the ball just ahead of left centre wing, Cardinals half forward flanker Stephen Smeath raced off towards goal. Despite looking as though he had only just learnt how to bounce the ball, he managed to do so successfully three times before cutting sharply in field and snapping truly across his body from twenty metres out directly in front. It was reminiscent of Ray Gabelich's famous solo run and goal for Collingwood in the 1964 VFL grand final against Melbourne, except that it was executed at roughly three times the pace.

Note 23

WANFL Attendance Figures 1964 to 1969:
Year Rounds Aggregate Weekly Average
1964 21 775,992 36,952
1965 21 720,440 34,307
1966 21 740,048 35,240
1967 21 776,790 36,990
1968 21 752,473 35,832
1969 21 781,208 37,200

Just to make it a bit easier to ID players have resubmitted pic with names
From Its A Grand Old Flag by Brian Atkinson (still available at the WFPC and a must have for any WP True fan) Thanks MW371




This is the list of players acording to "It's a Grand Old Flag" by Brian Atkinson.
Back Row (Left to right): M Leeder, R. Carroll, R Croxford, J Wynne, B Sampson, J Renowden, N Knell, B Pleitner, G Astbury.
Middle row: V Veryard, D Dyson, J Hill, b Mc Auliffe, R Margaria, L Richards, K Miller, G Endersby, A Dragun,
Front row: W Valli, C Baker, A Watling, M Whinnen (A/Coach), G Farmer (Captan Coach), W Dempsey (Vice Captain), J Nykyforak, S Smeath, P Panegyre.