East Perth have been blessed with many fine rovers over the years, but none have given them longer and more consistent service than Hans Verstegen. Verstegen played two hundred and four league games for two hundred and twenty four goals with the Royals between 1967 and 78, winning an FD Book Medal as fairest and best in his first season, was runner up on several other occasions, and his inspirational performance in the 1972 grand final was a huge factor in a premiership win over Claremont.  “Dutchie,” Verstegen, as he was nicknamed due to his Dutch origins, was a dashing and highly effective onballer who was a dogged player around the packs, an opportunist around the goals, with reliability a trademark.  Hans Verstegen was always under notice as a junior, gaining selection in the State Schoolboys while at Armadale High School, and appeared with the East Perth fourths as a fourteen year old, playing one game to bind him to the club. A product of the Kenwick juniors, he had transferred to Meltham-Maylands following the move of his family to Bayswater.  One of Hans's influences while at Kenwick was brickcarter George Gibbs, who coached the side and sometimes transported his charges to the games in his truck. Hans later married George's niece, Rhonda.  Another influence was Maddington footballer, Dave Jennings, who played several games with East Perth.   Dave didn't set the world alight as a player at Perth Oval, but his input into pointing the young Verstegen towards the Royals put him forever in the club's debt.  Verstegen hit the ground running at Lotons. Playing with the colts as a sixteen year old in 1966, he was in a three way tie for the Jack Clarke Medal with Errol Hammond(Subiaco) and South Fremantle rover Gordon Bancroft. Hammond and Bancroft were winners on a countback, but the rule was later amended to award medals to all three. It was towards the end of that season that East Perth coach Kevin Murray wanted to try Hans in the league side, but after a protest from his father, who was worried about the boys' light build against the older opposition, Verstegen's league debut was delayed till the following year. The youngster soon found that there were pitfalls abounding in the football world. On a club trip to Adelaide, Hans had a bit too much of the singing syrup, “and carried on like an idiot.”(in his own words). After fronting the East Perth Committee, he found a mentor in Malcolm Brown, whose guidance at that time proved to be invaluable, along with the astute  advice of coach and long serving identity Jack Clayton. But the tyro couldn't be held back for too long, and so it was that the seventeen year old made his league debut in round four of 1967, in what was to be a significent day for the East Perth Football Club, when Hans Verstegen was accompanied in his first game by another debutant, Ken McAullay. Hans was allotted the number of the recently retired Karl Bearman, and the blue and black 23 guernsey became even more synonymous with classy little men. Verstegen more than lived up to the expectations of Murray when he won the FD Book Medal as fairest and best in his first season, despite missing the first three games, and expectations were high for 1968, after being runners up for the flag for the second year in a row.   But it wasn't to be. A cartilege injury in a practice game against Perth put paid to the majority of the season, but Verstegen's return to the league side in the last of the home and away games reminded the Royals of what they'd been missing all year. A six goal effort against South Fremantle in his first game back with the reserves saw him in the side for the finals, but a flag eluded them, with Perth recording it's third straight premiership, each one over East Perth.  In 1969, Verstegen was part of East Perth's fourth grand final loss in succession, this time to West Perth. Early in his career, Hans was easily identified by his spectacular sideburns.  After a few hints to remove them fell on deaf ears, Brown and Geraldton tough man, Angus Horwood, decided to take matters into their own hands.  “They tied me to a concrete pillar at Perth Oval and performed the haircut,” he laughed. A trip to Singapore and Hong Kong before a game against Subiaco in India in late 1969 was one of Hans's football highlights.    After failing to qualify in 1970, East Perth returned to Subiaco on grand final day in 1971, only to go down to the Cardinals once again.   It was in 1972 that Hans Verstegen produced one of his best performances to guide East Perth to a long awaited and much deserved premiership over Claremont, 9.17 to 8.8. An injury to co rover Brett Armanasco early in proceedings left Verstegen to carry the load, and his dominance was a major factor in the Royals win. Widely tipped as the Simpson Medallist, he wasn't disappointed when his co debutant of five years before, McAullay , was named the winner. “It was a just and deserved award for a great player,” Hans said.     For McAullay it was the icing on the cake in an unforgettable year, having starred in Western Australia's Sheffield Shield win over Victoria, winning a Tassie Medal in the Australian Football Carnival, and receiving a second Simpson as  WA's best in the game against Victoria.   Even though there were a handful of brilliant rovers around at the time, it is somewhat remarkable that Hans Verstegen was never selected to play for Western Australia at senior level. “I was named in a side selected by the guys on the Channel Seven World of Football, ahead of Rob Wiley, who had been going through a poor patch of form,” he said. “That was on the Sunday before the game, it was a long weekend, and Rob grabbed seven goals on the Monday holiday, so that was the end of my hopes.” In 1974, Verstegen was appointed captain of East Perth Football Club. “Ray Giblett, who was coach at the time, was behind it,” he said. “The following year, Ron Alexander took over the role, as part of a deal to stay, after receiving an offer from Fitzroy. I became vice captain, and had no qualms with the move.”  Alexander joined the Victorian club in 1976.  In the mid seventies, Hans moved to Kwinana, where, with the permission of Brown, he coached Medina and trained by himself , with the proviso that his form didn't suffer. Eventually finding the travel too much, he applied for a clearance to South Fremantle, a request that was refused.    When Barry Cable was appointed captain coach of East Perth in 1978, there were a few with concerns for their futures at the club.  “Cabes was a champion rover, so there  was only one vacancy left, and there were a few of us there, including myself, Alex Hamilton, Larry Kickett, and Wayne Otway,” Hans explained. Losing several weeks pre season due to a back injury, Verstegen found himself in the “possibles” side that took on the “probables” each Thursday night. A member of the league squad of twenty five, he was unable to crack a game in the twenty two on Saturdays. On approaching Cable as to his future at the club, he was told that he was in the mix, and may replace John Hayes, who was struggling for form, depending on “Irish”'s performance in the coming match.  After a lean time for three quarters, Hayes put in a burster of a last term the following week, and Verstegen, who had been under pressure from Thornlie coach, Trevor Sprigg, to sign with them , decided the writing was on the wall.  There was much jubilation at the Thornlie club after the deal was done, but the next day Verstegen received a call from Malcolm Brown, who was now at South Fremantle, with an offer to play with the Bulldogs.  “I have had misgivings about it, but there was so much happening at Thornlie the previous night, I couldn't turn around and go back on an undertaking,” he said. Verstegen played under Sprigg for two years, before taking on the coaching role himself at Thornlie, and went on to make ninety nine appearances with the South Suburban club. In later years he played some Masters football, as well as helping out at Thornlie in various coaching roles.   Hans has worked for the Western Australian Government for over forty years, the majority of them with the Department of Agriculture and Food. These days he enjoys kayaking with his son, travelling to Asian getaways with Rhonda, and plays golf with Quinns Rock Golf Club.  Preferring not to separate opponents or team mates, he did have a word of thanks for ruckmen Eddie Pitter, Bradley Smith, and Ian McCulloch.  “Eddie made me look a better player than I was,” he said. “We combined pretty well.”  “It was a pleasure to play with the East Perth Football Club, and the memories are priceless,” he reminisced. “I was lucky enough to play with so many out and out stars of the game, including four Sandover Medallists.”  Hans Verstegen was outstanding for East Perth in the late sixties and seventies, with his consistency and longevity a feature. He enjoys much respect at East Perth Football Club and Royals supporters for the way he played the game, and is a favourite son.             23