Albert “Nails” Western jnr played a hundred and two games with South Fremantle in the club’s golden years, including three premierships, and made a big impression in later years when he coached Northam Unions, who eventually merged with Towns to become Northam Railways.“Marvellous coach,” was Graham Edwards’s comment of the man, but Edwards had more than coaching expertise to thank Western for.After winning Unions fairest and best award in 1962 at the age of seventeen, the young ruckman was besieged by offers from seven of the eight league clubs. “I had always followed Alby’s old team, from the days that secretary Joe Maffina would supply us with tickets to the game, and we’d train it to Fremantle on the Saturday, jump back on the train to Perth station, then wander up to have dinner at The Strand restaurant in Barrack Street, before making the return trip home,” Graham recalled.“It must have been difficult for Alby to advise against his heart, but he did. At the time South had Fred Seinor, Keith and Graeme Smith, Colin Beard and Ivan Glucina, and he reckoned I’d be better off at Northam than playing reserves at Fremantle.”“Nails” identified Perth as a club who could use a ruckman, with Tommy Davis and George Spalding nearing retirement. It turned out to be good advice. Edwards went on to play in three successive premierships in a one hundred and eighteen game career with the Demons Northam Unions didn’t share their coach’s sentiments, however, and after using up his six special permit matches, in which he made two league appearances, Graham found himself without a clearance.The country club dug their heels in and made an unheard of demand for five hundred pounds for their man.It was at the time of the standoff between Geelong and Claremont over Denis Marshall, and Perth resident joker Syd Simeon commented to Edwards: “Doesn’t look like you’re rated, mate, three thou for Marshall and five hundred for you.”  Graham couldn’t believe the hype, and his father, a long standing Unions member and former secretary of the club, was irate.Edwards had a tough initiation when he finally made his league debut in round five of the 1964 season, running into West Perth’s giant, Brian Foley, but did enough during the year to be selected for the preliminary final against Claremont, which was as tense a game as you could get for your first finals appearance. Claremont snuck in by seven points and survived again a week later to take the premiership, but it was a good experience for the young Edwards. “It was surreal out there in front of just under thirty thousand people,” he said. “I felt like an imposter who didn’t belong.”A mobile high marking follower, Graham Edwards became part of a formidable big man quartet, with Pat Astone, Spalding, and Davis providing plenty of tuition. He also proved to be a handy full forward when required, and when Mal Atwell took the side over in 1966 became a required component of the side. Edwards was a member of the 1966,67, and 68 premiership combinations, playing as a ruckman in a team regarded as one of the best to have played in the WAFL competition, with a plethora of stars, in front of galleries of forty thousand-plus spectators in each grand final. After bowing out in the first semi final in 1969, the loss of Barry Cable the following year was a big blow, but the Demons went into the grand final against South Fremantle as favourites. “That was one we really wanted to win,” Graham said. “With no Cable, it was an opportunity for the rest of the side to show we could do it without him.”   It wasn’t to be, however, and Perth went down by forty three points. It was during the 1970 season that Edwards booted a bag of eleven goals one at Bassendean Oval, illustrating his value around the ground. He kicked a total of ninety one majors during his league career. A knee injury at the age of twenty six marked the end of Graham’s football career. “I did my AC in 1971, necessitating the removal of a cartilage,” he said. “The club wanted to send me to Melbourne to get a bandage similar to the one West Perth backman Peter Steward was wearing, but I was in the throes of looking at other interests so decided to quit.”In  1984 and 85 Edwards sat on the Perth Football Club Board as a director. “That was the hardest thing I ever did,” he said. “I had been successful in business myself, but it’s a different kettle of fish trying to adopt personal business principles to a football club environment. You’re dealing with passionate members, so it needs a lot of subtlety when changing practices or processes.” Graham was disappointed that a move by some at the club to purchase  the Carlisle Hotel with the aim of creating a money stream went unheeded. “How handy would it have been today?”Edwards had more than a passing interest in the hotel industry. He has owned or part owned the Koondoola Tavern, Coolbellup Tavern, Whitfords Tavern, and the Old Bailey at Joondalup, as well as two restaurants, the Villa Bianchi Café in Scarborough and the Blue Duck at Cottesloe. His flirtation with the car industry as salesman in his early days at Perth didn’t last long.“I was working as a cadet salesman at Lynas Motors when my boss Cliff Houghton, also president of Perth Football Club, got me to pick him up in Osborne Park in a courtesy car. As he jumped in the drivers seat, he told me to open up the boot and jump in. With my suit on I disagreed with the directive and that was the end of my career in the motor trade.”These days Graham has a property at Muchea, running twelve hundred head of cattle and a supermarket at Donnybrook to keep him occupied. “The Whale,” Brian Roberts was the hardest ruckman to counter, not only because of his huge frame but more than a little ability, while Cable, Astone, and Graeme Jenzen were three outstanding team mates in a side chockfull of good players.     Graham Edwards enjoyed a fine career with Perth as a key member of  three premiership combinations. A hard competitor, his century of games were notable for consistency and team orientation. Alby Western pulled the right rein.