When Frank Copeman made the trip to Bassendean to try out with Swan Districts in 1962 he had mixed feelings. “It was on the instigation of Billy Walker, another Narembeen boy, that I came down to the big smoke, and I was well aware of the class of cattle Swans had,” he recalled when we chatted with him over tea and scones on the farm.

And class was the operative word. Names like Bunton, Bagley, Slater, Turnbull, Castledine, Nesbit, Maynard, Gorman, and of course Walker rolled off the tongue, and they were but a few of the great players at the disposal of mastercoach Bunton at the time. The Swan Valley was still in euphoria after the perennial battling club's first ever premiership the previous season in a fairytale last to first reversal, and to walk into Bassendean Oval looking for a game was akin to a fiddler trying out with the Rolling Stones. 

To add to the degree of difficulty, the Swan Districts training staff soon discovered that Copeman had been unknowingly suffering from a wrist injury incurred the previous year at Narembeen, which required attention before there could be any consideration of a game.

That he was able to force his way into the Swans league side and share in an exciting era for the club was an achievement for Frank, and a vindication of Walker's judgement.

Frank Copeman's football days began at Northam High School, where he played with the school side, before returning to the farm and lining up with the Narembeen seniors at the age of fifteen. Starting on a wing, he progressed to the centre, and was runner up for the club fairest and best award the following season. Swan Districts had a healthy respect for Narembeen talent, having already snared not only Walker, but others such as Brian Currie and Roy Arthur from the area in previous years, so they wasted no time in luring the young Copeman to Bassendean. 

Making his debut for the Swans in 1962 on a wing, Copeman was an instant fit,  and was part of consecutive premierships over the following two years. A  lightly framed player at just under six foot and weighing eleven and a half stone, Copeman was a tougher proposition than his appearance suggested. He was a noted in and under player, had pace to burn, and was a reliable mark. A good team player, his handballs set up many an attacking move, and he was to become an integral part of the side.

In 1963, Frank enjoyed a sterling season. On the short list for the WA side in only his second year, an ankle injury dashed any chance of State honours. But his dashing displays on a wing were a bonus for a Swans team already loaded with talent, and he seemed set for a long career in the black and white.

1965 was a year of mixed feelings for Frank. Starting in the centre, he played the last few games of the season at centre half forward. “Playing in the centre, with Peter Manning on one wing and Tom Stannage on the other, was a highlight of my career,”he said. “They were brilliant players, and it was a privilege playing alongside them.” Losing the grand final to East Fremantle was a disappointment. “I was at centre half forward, playing on Norm Rogers, and he gave me a touchup.” 

After winning the Sports Review “Best Utility Man of the Year” award, Frank Copeman turned his back on league football, after playing fifty one games.  

“It hadn't been easy, travelling to Perth each week,” he said. “It cost us money to employ people to do the work, and it was inevitable that I would have to go back. But I don't regret the time I spent with Swan Districts. It was a terrific experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.” 

Copeman resumed his career at Narembeen in both a playing and coaching capacity for the next eight years, winning a Jock Coleman Medal as best player in the inter league Carnival in 1966, while representing the  Eastern Districts League, and was part of a Narembeen premiership in 1969. Retiring at the end of the 1972 season, a lucrative coaching offer from Kondinin saw him play out an encore season. 

A premiership with Kondinin in 1973 was to be a fitting end to a sixteen year career for Frank Copeman.

There proved to be life after football for Frank, however, and he transferred his sporting talents to the bowling green, where he is still a leading player at  Narembeen Bowling Club, and is also to be seen at the local golf club trying to master the course. He enjoys travelling with wife Helen these days, and spends as much time as possible with their three sons, who are “good bush footballers,” according to Dad.

He reckons the hardest players to beat were Syd Jackson and Derek Chadwick(East Perth), as well as Greg Brehaut(Perth), and Wally Martin(Subiaco), “but there were plenty more,” he added, while going for Perth's Barry Cable as the best he'd seen. Best Teammate? “Ken Bagley and Billy Walker,”he said.

“Billy Walker is the toughest bloke I have ever come across,” Frank said. “On footy trips, no one ever scuffled with Billy. Don't let his size fool you, he could upend the biggest, roughest bloke you could find.”

Frank Copeman enjoyed only a brief time at the top.He was a two time premiership player in one of Swan Districts best ever sides, and was a key contributor to their success in a legendary period for the club.