When legendary East Perth administrator Hec Strempel received a phone call from former Royals star Don Langdon in 1963 recommending he talk to a young bloke from Merredin, little did he realise that he would be recruiting a future President, Club General Manager, and Chairman of Selectors.  Jim Haines was not only to become an outstanding defender for the Royals, but his work and dedication for the club lasted many years longer than did his playing career, and his eventual life membership was well deserved.      A member of Merredin Towns senior team at eighteen, Jim Haines came under the notice of Langdon, who was captain coach of Shackleton at the time, when they played together with the Eastern Districts combined side. The shrewd Strempel wasted no time in getting young Haines to Perth Oval, and he lined up in the blue and black for East Perth thirds in 1964, under the watchful eye of Ray Pages-Oliver.  Kevin Murray arrived at the Royals in 1965, and, after spending the first half of the season summarising the playing stocks, he promoted several juniors at the half way mark. One of those was Haines. “Kevin said: “I'm gonna play you young guys in the league side for the rest of the season,” Jim recalled. Haines stepped out for his first league game at centre half back against Perth and was greeted by Graham Ramshaw. “ True to his word, Murray left me in the side, and it was a good education, with a few pretty good forwards giving me a workout,” Haines laughed. A strong mark, with good pace for a key backman, Haines's biggest asset was his strength, which served him well in the man on man clashes, as well as making him a hard customer in the packs. A resolute rather than spectacular player, he was to become a solid defender over four frustrating years for the Royals, who were grand finalists four times in a row in the years 1966,67,68, and 69, and runners up on each occasion.  In 1968, new coach Derek Chadwick exhibited a piece of coaching ingenuity by changing the tough, determined defender into an onballer. “My role became a ruckrover getting into the around the ground plays and using some muscle to back up the running players like Doncon and Chaddy,” Haines said. It was a great move, and one in which Jim excelled, with the Fairest and Best award a fitting reward for his efforts. In his first three years of league football, Jim Haines had experienced a good run, injury-wise, on the field, and both he and East Perth were looking forward to a long and fulfilling career from the new ruck rover. At the comparatively young age of 23 Haines couldn't wait for 1969 to arrive.  But the Gods who had denied the Royals on four grand final days turned their attention to Haines. The career of Haines went from the exhilaration of a fairest and best to the frustration of seasons ravaged by injury. Missing half of the 1969 season with a broken collarbone, he returned to the fray in 1970,  but managed to only play a handful of games before a recurring abductor muscle problem forced him back to the sidelines. In 1971, Haines received an offer from South Melbourne. “I was reticent at first, but “Polly” Farmer advised me to go. He was of the opinion that my style of play would suit VFL football.The deal also involved a good job,” he said. But the rotten luck with injury followed him to Melbourne. “I did a medial ligament in my first season, and fractured a leg in the second year,” he lamented. “I played about twenty games in two seasons.” The legendary Norm Smith was coaching South Melbourne at the time, and he left an impression on Haines. “Smith would call you all the names under the sun at training or during a game, but afterwards he couldn't buy you a beer quick enough,” he recalled.   The employment had worked out well, though, and in 1973 he was transferred to Adelaide. “I'd had enough, the injuries had got to me, so I was happy to walk away from football,”Jim said. Someone found out that I'd played a bit, so I ended up at Port Adelaide, under Fos Williams, and played the last half of the season with them.” Transferred back to Perth, Haines retired as a player, but a new football career, off field, began two years later when he was appointed General Manager of East Perth Football Club, before being elected to the committee, where he served for eight years as a committeeman, including four as President.  Jim was also chairman of selectors for “about ten years and four coaches”,  to quote the smiling Jimmy Haines. When we made the observation that he'd tried everything except bottle washing at Loton's, Haines revealed that he was offered the coaching job on one occasion but declined. Jim named a West Australian and a Victorian as his toughest opponents. “Freddy Lewis(East Fremantle) and the great Tasmanian Peter Hudson,”he said. “For the best I played with, Mal Brown and Bradley Smith.” Haines reminisced about his days at East Perth, recalling several incidents we can't relate for obvious reasons. But an anecdote from his days as General Manager at the Royals is worth sharing.  “It was a Pleasant Sunday Morning, and coach Ray Giblett had the brainwave of taking the boys for a run over the Swanbourne sandhills. He asked me to take them. Neither Ray nor I had any idea that Swanbourne was a nudist beach(remember Jim is telling the story!). It was a hot day, and I said “I'll run ahead and time you.” They started fifteen minutes behind me on the one and a half mile run. “Flea”(Gary Gillespie) and I jogged a mile and a half and suddenly hundreds of naked bodies appeared frolicking and playing ball,” “Flea and I were non plussed, and when the players  arrived at the happy scene they quickly adapted to the situation and joined in the fun, altering their clothing to fit the occasion. It was voted  the happiest Happy Sunday Morning  the club had ever organised!”    Jim Haines is still involved in the game, having been a member of the WA Amateur Football League's Tribunal. A former publican, he is enjoying a leisurely life these days, but  still likes to get to Royals games as often as possible, and always looks forward to past players reunions. His interests include a horse racing interest with West Coast Eagles secretary Trevor Nisbet, as well as spending time with  wife, Bev, with travel high on the agenda.  The playing career of Jim Haines was cruelly cut short when at it's peak, but his contributions to the East Perth Football Club both on and off the field are valued most highly by the club and it's supporters.