East Fremantle defender Don Gabrielson had an outstanding career for the blue and whites, playing in two premierships, including 1946, when the side was undefeated, and represented his State four times.   But his biggest contribution to Western Australian football was his work with juniors, a cavalcade of players benefiting from his coaching skills and knowledge of the game. Between 1958 and 1976 Gabrielson coached six premiership sides in junior football, as well as mentoring the Fremantle Districts combined side that won an inter club premiership. Many of his protégés went on to become stars in their own right, playing in the WAFL and VFL. Star East Fremantle and Essendon rover Tony Buhagiar was generous in his praise of Gabrielson. “I owe my football career to Don,”he said. “My parents had no idea about footy. I would go down to the oval and kick the ball around with my brothers. One day Don called us over. “Who do you guys play for?” he asked. On hearing the reply “no one” he told us “you’re playing for us next week.” He came to our house and talked to our parents. When I played my first game I just picked the ball up and kept running, I just had no idea. He taught me the rules and was the biggest influence on my career.” “We always kept a close association.” Noel Avery(132 league games), Rex Townsend(120), and Roger Crouch(78) are just three of those whose careers were influenced by Gabrielson. “Don made a lasting impression on me,” said Avery.  “He was an excellent coach, and had a big influence on my approach to the game,” was Townsend’s tribute, while Crouch told us: “Don was a great coach of juniors, and a man respected by all.” Playing his junior football at Fremantle Boys High School, Gabrielson showed his talents early when with Fremantle Ex Scholars as an eighteen year old in 1938. Although taking the field in only five games for the club, he lost the fairest and best award for the season by one vote. An East Fremantle supporter, Don trained at Moss Street, but South Fremantle, in whose zone he lived, understandably were most reluctant to grant a clearance. A deal was finally done, involving the transfer of three East players for Gabrielson and Charlie Strang, and Don lined up in the blue and white for the first derby of the 1938 season. It wasn’t long before the skills of the new recruit received attention further afield, and Essendon made him an offer to move to Windy Hill, but Gabrielson elected to stay with Easts. In his first season he kicked the winning goal(one of just fourteen he accumulated in his career) to draw the grand final against Claremont, but to no avail, as the Tigers won the replay the following week.    Called up for military service in 1941, he resumed his football career in 1945, when East took the flag by beating South in the grand final, and repeated the feat the following year against West Perth. A knee injury caused Don’s retirement from the playing arena in 1951, but opened the door to an illustrious career in coaching, and his efforts for the game in both the East Fremantle area and West Australian football in general since then have been priceless. Don Gabrielson was also an accomplished cricketer. A left arm opening swing bowler, solid left hand batsman and very agile fieldsman, he scored a number of centuries for East Fremantle Cricket Club. A prolific wicket taker and a top cricketer in the Fremantle and Districts Mercantile Cricket Association  in the 1940’s/50’s/60's, he was named in the Club’s “Team of the Century” in 2004. He was a life member of East Fremantle Football Club, East Fremantle Under Twelve Football Club, East Fremantle Cricket Club, Fremantle Workers Club, and the Waterside Workers Federation.Born with a rare blood group that contained a negative factor Don was on call for many years  to donate blood on an “as and when” required basis. Over time, he donated in excess of  a hundred pints of blood to the Red Cross Blood Bank and was duly honoured with a medal to acknowledge the effort. On one occasion the blood bank called at 3.00am in the morning to obtain blood as an emergency for an accident that had occurred. As time went by he found out that he actually knew the recipient who was a family friend.He and wife Phyllis enjoyed a sixty eight year marriage partnership, which produced three children, Lyn, Ross, and Max. A keen gardener, he was famous around Fremantle for his chrysanthemums and poppies, which were unfortunately unable to be displayed in the house due to Phyllis’s allergies. He was also a keen fisherman.In 2008, Don Gabrielson received a rare honour with a plaque in the “Walk of Fame” in Fremantle.  Don Gabrielson was not only a star player and coach of juniors, he was an ornament to the game. His passing  was mourned by all connected with football in Western Australia, not to mention countless players whose careers he helped shape.  He will not be forgotten.