The three post war decades were frustrating to say the least for aspiring centremen at West Perth. John Loughridge(1945-50), Don Marinko(1952-60), and Mel Whinnen(1960-77), three of the best ever at their trade, were all stars of their generation, and had a mortgage on the position.But for one young recruit it was a blessing in disguise, and led to a ten year career as one of the best back pocket players to wear the blue and red. Then again, Frank Margaria’s entry into league football was anything but conventional. “My grandfather was a trainer with the West Perth seconds, and when I hurt my back at work he got me down there for twelve months training with the players,” he recalled “Halfway through the 1956 season they were short, so I filled in for a couple of games.  The following year the Thirds competition began, so I played with them.”Margaria had the rare distinction of being runner up for both the WAFL seconds and thirds fairest and best awards in that season, after playing half the year with each.     Marinko, a selector at West Perth, had a box seat view of Margaria’s capabilities in an intraclub scratch match in 1958 when the pair were direct opponents  and instigated his inclusion as a back pocket player for the season opener against East Perth at Leederville.  A fine display in a two point win cemented his spot, and was the first of eighty uninterrupted games he would play before an injury-enforced absence from the West Perth line-up. “That was friendly fire,” he recalled. “I got in Ray Lucev’s way one day and my shoulder copped the full force.”The experimentation of Margaria in defence was a resounding success, and his form was rewarded with selection in the State side the following season, lining up on triple Margarey Medallist, Lindsay Head. WA were 47 point winners in that game, with Frank’s West Perth team mate Brian Foley kicking five goals. It was a significant achievement for Margaria, who was the first back pocket specialist to be picked in a WA side since 1953, when another West Perth player, Wally Price, filled the position. At that time, two full backs usually played in the State’s last line of defence. He went on to represent Western Australia four times. A close checking backman, Margaria starred in his side’s thirty two point win over East Perth in the 1960 grand final, in which a youngster named Mel Whinnen was nineteenth man. It was a great day for the Margarias with Frank and brother Ray in the league side and another brother, Fred, part of the victorious seconds team. Ray Margaria, a dashing half back, played 45 games with the Cardinals, and wingman Fred made half a dozen appearances. “Wingmen were almost as plentiful at Leederville in those days as centremen,” Frank remarked.   At that time the market gardeners of Osborne Park and Balcatta were fervent West Perth supporters, and many of the club’s players came from there.  There were many nicknames and insults bandied about by fans of rival clubs, such as “garlic munchers” and other racial terms. Frank recalled one game at Fremantle Oval, when Ray Marinko was copping shouts of “dago” and “sprog” from South Fremantle supporters. Grabbing immediate opponent Tony Parentich’s arm, he raised it in the air, saying “what about this bloke?”It was an injury suffered late in the 1967 season in a game at Merredin that ended Margaria’s football career.  “I was thirty and thought it was time to make a quid,so I figured that was enough,” he said.  Frank was in the building industry for most of his working life, the freeway having taken over the old market garden.His son Jarrad’s football career led to an involvement as coach of Marist followed by Westminster under eighteens. “We didn’t win a game the first season, but improved in the second one, the only one we lost was the grand final,” he recalled. Billy Walker was the player Frank Margaria had most strife with. “he was a strong, tough bugger,” and he nominated Don and Ray Marinko, Brian Foley, Don Williams, Ken Ashdown, Eddie Wylde, Mel Whinnen, and Ross Kelly as best he’d played with. Except for one. “Brian France, a great backman.” He told the story of the day that France, a bank manager, disappeared from the ground at half time. “It was when the banks opened on Saturday mornings, and he’d come straight to the game from work,” Frank said. “At half time he suddenly remembered he’d left the safe open, and shot out of the change rooms.”“We never saw him again until Sunday.”There were also a couple of policemen in the West Perth side.“For a joke one of them handcuffed me to the rubdown table about three quarters of an hour before the game,” Margaria said. “When they went to unlock the things nothing happened and I was stuck to the table. There was an urgent emergency call put through to  Leederville Police Station.”West Perth have not only been blessed with top centremen and wingmen, but also back pocket specialists. Wally Price, Ross Gibbs, Leon O’Dwyer, and George Michalzyck spring to mind. Frank Margaria was up there with the best of them.