Bob Whalley had a burning ambition to play league football, was a Perth supporter (“I was always Bert Wansbrough in my backyard footy matches,”) gained selection with Subiaco, became bound to West Perth, but ended up at Perth Oval, where he became a highly valued member of the league side for six years.Spending his junior football years at boarding school in Albany, Whalley played as a forward with distinction, receiving some excellent grooming from Railways coach Don Mair and schoolmaster Hal Symons, who had made a name for himself in basketball circles. “There wasn’t any work in Hopetoun, so I went to Perth and got a job at Dunlops in Murray Street,” Bob said.  Deciding that Lathlain was a bit far away, he decided to try out at Subiaco, after some persuasion from workmate Neville Taylor, who was a prominent player with the Maroons. “I trained with the colts in 1962 and was all set to play in the first game of the year when I filled out the form and they noticed my North Perth address,” he recalled. “I was told I couldn’t pay with them because I resided in West Perth’s zone.”    As the season had already begun, Whalley went to play at Sunday League club Inglewood with a few mates, and found himself in the seconds. A few games into the season, coach Allan James tried him at centre half back in a move that paid immediate dividends. After one appearance in the new role he was promoted to the seniors, and finished within a few votes of former East Perth player, Bevan Byrne, in the fairest and best count. The  nuggety, tight checking redhead was a courageous player who never gave in, a style that wasn’t far removed from that of  Inglewood coach, former Royals star Ned Bull, who couldn’t get to East Perth recruitment maestro Hec Strempel quick enough.  “Not a worry,” was Strempel’s response to Whalley’s concern about the West Perth ties. “We can get around that.”  The deft East Perth administrator did the necessary paperwork to solve the problem, and Bob became a Royal, making an immediate impression in round one of the 1963 season, ironically against Subiaco. On a half back flank opposed to Peter Amaranti, he won a trophy for his performance. He was one of a number of first year players for East Perth in that game, the side finishing the year strongly after a slow beginning. They won ten of their last eleven games and snuck into the four.   In what was to set a cruel pattern for Whalley’s league career, a broken finger in the last of the qualifying games ruled him out for the first semi final against eventual premiers, Swan Districts, with likely opponent Craig Noble booting five goals for the victors.  In 1965 the arrival of Kevin Murray had an impact on Whalley’s career. “Kevin was a great coach,” Bob said. “He encouraged and supported his players and was a definite boost to my game.” When East Perth went on a mid season tour to the Eastern States, the absence of Mal Atwell on State duties saw Whalley line up at centre half back at Canberra on an eighteen year old Alex Jesaulenko.  “Jezza  was their best player,” Bob recalled.Murray was State coach the following season, and with Whalley in dashing form on a half back flank, his name was mentioned in the media as a possible selection for the Hobart Carnival. “I wasn’t in the squad, but Murray told me I was being looked at,” he recalled. In the last two weeks before the final team selection he held his opponents to two possessions each, including squad member Peter Dougan, and was named in the side.When Western Australia took the field for the first game of the carnival, against the VFA, Whalley was in a back pocket, alongside Subiaco’s Brian Sarre. It was a unique occasion for Albany Railways Football Club, as the pair played at the Great Southern club during their careers. East Perth also provided Western Australia with half  it’s defence in that match, with Murray and Atwell also in the backline. Derek Chadwick, Mal Brown, and Keith Doncon completed the Royals contingent taking part. Part of a one hundred and thirty three point winning margin, Whalley’s joy was shortlived when a broken collarbone ended his carnival and virtually the season. “I had just about got through my return match in the reserves when I got a bump side on, which jarred the break. The Swans bloke I was playing on went crook at his team mate about it,” he recalled.   Whalley was to miss another finals match, this time the grand final, which East Perth lost to Perth. He was back in form in 1967, and East Perth qualified for another September finals campaign. “West Australian Newspapers were out in force at our final training night before the semi final,” Bob recalled. “They took a photo of our side, then five minutes later “Dobbie” Graham jumped on my ankle, breaking it. That was another finals opportunity down the drain.”  The Royals were beaten grand finalists, once again at the hands of Perth.   After a continuing run of injuries, including a groin, finger, and heel, another broken collarbone in the second last game of 1968 against East Fremantle was the final straw, and you guessed it, another missed grand final. Whalley never played in a finals match for East Perth, and, although completing a pre season in 1969, commitments at Hopetoun saw him retire from league football after sixty seven games.Taking over the Hopetoun Hotel, Bob put on a guernsey for Southerners in the Ravensthorpe Association, and coached the combined side to victory over the Esperance Association. He returned to old stamping grounds at Albany later, going into business and coaching his old side Railways, winning two Association fairest and best awards and three Kleeman Medals as best for the Association.  Whalley has since been a tremendous servant of football in Albany and in particular Railways Football Club, with a forty year association including serving on the committee, vice president, sponsor, and patron, and his work has been recognised with life membership of the club. He was also a prime mover in the establishment of the Rainbow Coast Raiders Basketball team which competed in the State Basketball League from 1989 to 1999. Son Rob was a member of the side and represented Western Australia in junior basketball.A Caltex distributor on his return to Albany, Bob now runs two service stations and convenience stores in the town, and played Super Rules for nine years after retiring from football. He is looking forward to taking things easy, but is still a busy man.  Daughter Cindy now lives in Melbourne, while Bob is enjoying life with long term partner Lorraine Scott. “Laurie Watson, Lorne Cook, Peter Metropolis( a speedster), and Tom Stannage,” he said, when asked about tough opponents.“Watson was a tough customer from East Fremantle. I recall one day driving him in to the ground every chance I got, and after every mauling he bounced back up. I reckoned I’d done all right onTom Stannage one day against Swans, keeping him to five kicks, but four of them were goals and the other one landed on Eric Gorman’s chest.”Bob was lucky enough to play with some great players at East Perth, including Square Kilmurray, Derek Chadwick, Dobbie Graham, Mark O’Donoghue, Brad Smith, Tony Bellos,  Mal Brown, Syd Jackson, Murray, and Doncon.The tough redhead from Hopetoun was a hard as nails defender for East Perth over a six year career and his legacy continued with Albany Railways. He is still a highly respected man at both clubs as well as the Albany community.