An outstanding midfielder with a touch of class, John Bridgwood was one of many fine footballers playing in the WANFL in the early seventies. Greg Brehaut, George Young, Peter Manning, Peter Metropolis,  Ross Millson, and Alan Watling were among the competition's outstanding wingmen at the time, but Bridgwood was to the fore in June, 1971, when he lined up alongside John Burns of East Perth and Young as the West Australian centreline in the clash with South Australia at Adelaide Oval.   Bridgewood was a speedy customer who played 124 games with Claremont between 1969 and 1977, almost exclusively on the wing.   Son of former Tiger Maurie Bridgwood, who made 169 appearances with the club, John's main focus as a teenager was athletics, as State Schoolboys hurdle champion for two years in a row at the ages of sixteen and seventeen, respectively. In 1968 he won the fairest and best award  Aquinas College's first eighteen, but was more intent on joining brother Maurice with the University football team than following his father's footsteps at Claremont.  At the age of seventeen, Bridgwood decided to play football at University with brother Maurice. Invited to pre season at Claremont, he thought a run in the fourths would top him up for the Amateurs, but after playing four times in the fourths and being named best on each occasion, with promotion to the thirds bringing two more b.o.g's, he found himself lining up in the league side against Perth, alongside captain coach Denis Marshall. “It was a bit daunting,” John recalled. “ But an elbow in the throat from either Mal Atwell or Bob Shields brought me down to earth. I couldn't speak for two weeks.” League football held another setback for the young Bridgwood. “I used to be a pretty good dropkick, and loved the stab pass as a junior,” he said. “From day one in the Claremont colours the droppie was out, and I had to learn to drop punt, which I'd never done before.” After seven games in 1969, Bridgwood became a regular in the league side the following season , and was runner up to Bruce Duperouzel for the Ben Cook medal as Claremont's fairest and best in 1971, as well as gaining State selection.   In 1972, John was an integral part of the Tigers side that went through the season with only three losses, and were raging favourites to take the premiership, but lost both the second semi final and the grand final to East Perth, who they had beaten by forty six points in round sixteen.    Injuries, including an achilles, dogged Bridgwood over the next few years, and he retired from the game at the end of the 1977 season, at the age of twenty six. “I was frustrated spending time on the sidelines, but I'd had enough anyway,” he said. “I really wanted to do some fishing.” Looking forward to injury free time after football, it wasn't to be the end of the acquaintance with the hospital system. He has since had two kidney transplants. A firefighter for twenty nine years, John Bridgwood has plenty of time to go fishing with his mates these days, and loves getting away to Dirk Hartog Island.  Subiaco's George Young was his choice as hardest to beat. “I was playing on George one day, when a blue erupted on the other side of the ground,” he related. “It was one-in all-in as far as I was concerned, but as I took off, George yelled out to me: “Hey, Bridgie, get yourself back here, I aint getting involved in that, and I'll look a bit stupid here by meself.”        Best team mate for John was Denis Marshall. John Bridgwood was a stylish wingman, one of the best of his era.  “I was always someone who played the game for enjoyment and the companionship of the blokes I played with,” he said. “I realised too late that I should have put more into the game when I had the opportunity.”  Many players he played on would be glad he didn't do that.