Don Dixon is remembered as a sound, resolute defender who participated in four South Fremantle premierships between 1950 and 1954, and played a hundred and thirty four games for the Bulldogs.   “I was  in five premiership photos,” he recalled, “ but didn't actually play in the 1948 grand final, although I appeared in the photo.” Don was the second of three generations of the Dixon family to wear the red and white, with father Norm making ninety eight appearances for the club between 1922 and 1934 as an outstanding back pocket specialist, while son Don jnr was forced from the field through injury after fifteen games.  It was Norm who was inadvertantly responsible for Don snr moving to defence.  “I was a centreman throughout my junior football at South Fremantle Cobbers and the ex Scholars competition, winning an Association fairest and best and playing in combined sides,” he said. “When I went to South, I wasn't going to get a berth in the centre, with Clive Lewington in the mix, so, after alternating between half forward flank and wing, I was tried as a replacement for Percy Renfrey in the back pocket. Someone must have reckoned that Dad's prowess in the position might rub off onto me.” Rub off it certainly did, and Don Dixon was to enjoy a football experience to treasure. “I was privileged to play with a team of champions,” he said. “Apart from the Lewingtons, Marsh's, Naylor's, Treasure's, Reilly's and the rest, I played alongside three brilliant full backs in Ernie Graham, who kicked to the centre every time, Bob Mason, who crumbed out to me with precision, and Ray “Lizard” Richards, the wild man, who was always a worry to team mates and opposition alike if you got in his way.” Chatting with the evergreen Don Dixon was an experience for us. The man exemplifies the love for the game and respect for team mates and opponents alike that is a common thread that runs through those of his era  regardless of which club they played for. His enthusiasm and humour was a feature.   Don arrived at Fremantle Oval as a nineteen year old in 1948, and was immediately in calculations for the league side, which in itself was an achievement considering the strength the reigning premiers boasted. But the club had a high regard for the pacy Dixon. At five foot nine, he was a stockily built player, with a nice leap and safe pair of hands.   He debuted in a Derby on a half forward flank opposed to State star, Don Gabrielson, but was initially used mainly as a bench player until a pulled thigh muscle forced him out, resulting in disappointment on grand final day, being an onlooker as  South won their second flag in a row.    Cementing himself into the side in 1949 as a half forward and wingman, Dixon was one of the best in a first semi final win over East Fremantle, but the side crashed in the preliminary final, losing by a record fifty three points to Perth. It was in the summer of that year that South Fremantle held their Jubilee celebrations, highlighted by the Grif John Sprint at Garden Island, with kids from Parkerville Children's Home as special guests among a huge crowd.  The Grif John Sprint, with a purse of twenty pounds donated by the great man, was won by Dixon, from Des Kelly and Otto Santich.  “Mr John announced at the presentation that the next year it would be a hundred pounds, so I set myself to win it again, but the plans went awry.” he recalled wryly.  “I missed the ferry.” That was a lot of money in those days. “I earnt a hundred and ten pounds for the whole football season in 1949,” he said.  Dixon was part of South Fremantle's 1950 premiership, was named in a “probables v possibles” State trial that year, and was duly notified to report to Subiaco Oval for the match. Don, however, was on his honeymoon in Albany, and was neither able or willing to front for the game. “They must have taken a dim view, because I wasn't asked again.” he said.  With wife Dot, Don embarked on a working holiday to the Eastern States the following season, and missed a year of football. On his return in 1952, he found that the centre spot had been thrown open following the retirement of  Lewington. Any ideas he may have entertained of grabbing the position were dashed when newcomer Tony Parentich was preferred in the opening game of the season, and began the year in blistering fashion, earning State squad selection after a handful of appearances. It was then that Dixon was given the defensive role, and he never looked back.  Flags in 52,53, and 54 followed,along with selection in four second State sides.   In the 1954 grand final, Dixon was moved into his old spot in the centre, and would surely have had some satisfaction with a strong contribution to his side's mauling of old rivals East Fremantle in a record breaking 21.14 to 9.8 win. It was the highest grand final score at the time, as well as the highest winning margin.   At the end of the 1957 season, at the age of twenty nine and favouring a crook knee, Dixon was down in the dumps with the realisation his football career was drawing to a close. A first grade snooker player, he went to Bunbury to represent the Fremantle Club in a shootout with the Bunbury Commercial Club, where he was approached by the secretary of Bunbury Football Club with a coaching offer, which, after some consideration, he accepted, thus bringing a memorable league career to a close.  Moving to the South West city, Don went crabbing on the estuary with a lamp in one arm and a net in the other knee deep in water three days a week in an attempt to get his knee right.  “ The first five games, I struggled,” he remembered. “I'd have to get lifted out of bed Monday mornings after Sunday's game to get to work Monday. But the knee came good. I was selected for a combined Western Country side that played Eastern Country, and we won the premiership, beating South Bunbury.” Tables were turned the following season, however, when Bunbury lost to South Bunbury. A premiership and a runner up in two years was looking good on Don's resume. His world was about to turn on it's head, however. 1952 Carlton fairest and best and 1947 premiership player, Ollie Grieve, rolled into town. The full back was immediately snapped up by South Bunbury, who suddenly found themselves with two coaches. Hoping to reach a solution with Don stepping down as coach and staying on as captain, they were beaten to the punch by the local press.     “I was strolling along the street one day, when, blaring out at me from the newspaper billboard at the front of the newsagency in big bold capital letters was:  “DIXON SACKED!!”, Don said.  “Shattered, I slouched my way home,  where the phone was jumping off the wall.  The Bunbury president was apologetic. “We just couldn't knock him back,” was the President's comment. “We'd like you to stay on as captain.” Dixon rejected the conciliatory offer, and prepared for life after football. But fate works in mysterious ways, and, in this case, it was a tragedy to a former team mate that opened another door. Former South Fremantle rover, Colin Boot, coach of Boyanup- Capel-Dardanup, was washed overboard from a crayboat, and disappeared, presumed drowned.  The mourning club asked the unattached Dixon to take the reigns, which he did for three years. “It was a hard time,” he recalled. “The players were mainly dairy farmers and market gardeners who couldn't train until seven pm so we'd be out there from seven pm onwards on training nights. They had a hesitant approach to their football, and we were no match for the good sides.” At thirty five, Dixon had had enough of the game, when another ex team mate at South, Eric Eriksson, coach of Donnybrook, called , asking if he'd give him a hand. “How much were you getting at Capel?” asked Eriksson. Inflating the figures a bit, Dixon answered: “three hundred pounds and fruit and veges.” Attending training at Donnybrook next day, he received an offer of five hundred pounds.  Arriving home from training, the phone rang. It was Boyanup-Capel-Dardanup, who had already heard of Don's presence at Donnybrook training.  Don advised that he'd be applying for a clearance, but the boys at Capel countered the five hundred pounds and threw in fruit and vegies. So Dixon spent a further two years with the struggling club under former Goldfields coach Buzza Guy, before finally calling it quits at the age of thirty seven.  Eventually returning to Fremantle, Dixon served as secretary of South Fremantle Past Players Association. These days he is still no slouch on the pool table, and has been introduced to bowls at the Spearwood Bowling Club.  Asked who his toughest opponent was, Don had no hesitation. “Ray Richards.” Which we considered a strange choice, considering the star full back was a South player. “Ray was the hardest bloke to play against, even though he was on my side,” he laughed. “He would run through a pack, leaving all in his way in a mess, regardless of what jumper they happened to be wearing. One day I was in the back pocket at the hospital end, where the boundary slopes, and the line is about two feet off the asphalt of the bicycle track. “Lizard” took the mark, went off balance, and I grabbed him before he ended up on the asphalt. He stuck the elbows out and I copped the full brunt of the backswing. “Sorry, Don,” he said. I said: “next time you can have the concrete.”  One opposition player Don mentioned was West Perth rover, Trevor Schofield. “Trevor was a bloke who'd get under my skin,” he said. “He was a niggler.” No way could you persuade the man to put one name forward as best he played with. “How could you throw any one of those players at South up as better than the others?”  Don and Dot Dixon have two boys and two girls, with Don junior showing promise at South to become the third Dixon to represent South Fremantle before some heavy knocks caused severe migraines, forcing him out of football after fifteen games. There are hopes for Rodney Dixon's son, Matthew, who is showing promise in underage competition at Peel Thunder, but is adamant that his aim is to carry on the Dixon tradition with South.   As with all league clubs, South Fremantle Football Club remembers and pays homage to their stars of yesteryear, but none are more revered at the Port than those who represented the club in the “Golden Years.” Don Dixon is one of those, a great back pocket player in a champion team full of champions.