When Ern Henfry quit an illustrious career in Victoria to return to Perth in 1953 it forced a highly promising centreman, Ken Bryan, onto a wing.Although standing just five foot nine and a half, Bryan had been an effective midfielder for the Demons since his debut two years earlier, but had no choice but to give way to the highly credentialed Henfry. But it did give the side a classy centre line, with State captain Keith Harper on the other side. A pacy player who possessed a long and accurate kick, Bryan was a product of the Subiaco Metropolitan Juniors, and won the Caris Medal as best and fairest in the competition in 1950. Playing in a Subiaco competition, and barracking for West Perth, he was able to play anywhere because he resided in a non aligned area. Dad Hughie, a committeeman at Perth, had the final say and Ken ended up at the WACA ground. Bryan went straight into the Perth side for round one of 1951, and was a regular member of the team virtually throughout a one hundred and fifty four game career, initially in the centre, then on a wing. “I made one appearance in a back pocket,” he said. And he showed on that occasion that he could have made a career in defence, blanketing East Fremantle pair Ray “Trizzie” Lawrence and Ray “Oscar” Howard in a best on ground display. He was a consistently high poller in club fairest and best awards, and was a member of the 1955 premiership side, when opposed to East Fremantle’s Ray French.It was in 1957 that he flirted with a move to West Perth. “I went to school with coach Frank Sparrow at Thomas Street School,” he recalled. “Trevor and Ray Schofield, Keith London, Laurie McNamara, Ike Whittaker, and Ray Scott were also old schoolmates and I almost went to Leederville.”The twenty seven year old Bryan retired from league football at the end of that year. “I was playing alright, but I wanted to buy a house, and to draw from the players provident account you had to be retired, so I retired.” He captain- coached Postals in the Sunday League in 1958 and 59. “That was interesting, because a club rule was that you had to play a certain number of postal people, and some of them were pretty ordinary footballers,” he said. It was a better experience at Wagin Rovers, where he played at centre half back, and won a fairest and best. Bryan also took charge of the Upper Great Southern combined side, winning two carnivals. Bryan regarded West Perth’s Brian Falconer as a tough and strong competitor, and was an admirer of the skills of Ken Armstrong. Ken Bryan was a consistent competitor for Perth in the sixties, one third of a centreline that was rarely beaten.