After a slow start to his league career, Norm Uncle found a niche at full back, but it was a Mal Brown-inspired move to the other end of the ground that brought him instant success, as the WANFL's leading goalkicker in his first season as a spearhead, and in doing so became the first Claremont player to achieve the feat since Robin Farmer in 1943. An outstanding junior with Albany Railways, Uncle came under the notice of four league clubs with a fairest and best in the colts competition at the age of fourteen, playing with the seniors at fifteen. A versatile player, he had covered most positions on the ground at that early stage of his career, at six foot one and a half and eighty seven kgs big enough to fill a key position and fast and agile enough to  play anywhere else. Quick off the mark, he was an accurate kick, with good ground skills.   A year previous to the advent of zoning, Uncle was the target of East Perth, West Perth, Subiaco, and Claremont, but it was the Tigers who eventually won his signature. It wasn't to be an instant league career for Norm, however, as he struggled to come to grips with the different standard and environment. He debuted in 1972, as a reserve not getting a run, and went on to be part of the side on nine occasions that year, with six of them warming the bench.  After another two injury-plagued seasons, coach Verdun Howell gave him his opportunity at full back, a position he made his own in 1975, but it was Claremont's 1976 mentor, Malcolm Brown, who saw a goalkicker in Uncle, and dispatched him to the opposite end. The move brought immediate results, with  the rookie full forward kicking ninety one goals to become the WANFL's leading goalkicker. His efforts were rewarded the following year when picked in the State squad, only to be twenty first man in the final selection. Uncle continued to kick goals in 1978, with a bag of eight against Swan Districts, but a tendon injury forced him to miss eleven weeks.  After again leading Claremont's goalkicking in 1979, Uncle surprised the Tigers by moving to South Fremantle, where, despite the Bulldogs having a strong list, he played seven games, mainly in defence.  At the age of twenty seven, after a hundred and one games of league football, Norm Uncle turned his back on league football in 1981, and went to Sunday League club, Osborne Park, who were coached by Gerard McNeill, playing in two losing grand finals, both against Wanneroo.  A plumber, work then took Uncle north to Newman in 1985, where he completed his football career with Newman Saints. Norm Uncle regarded South Fremantle and Melbourne full back, Wayne Delmenico as his toughest opponent, while giving former Collingwood and Claremont centreman, Barry Price, his vote as best he'd played with.  Knowing that Norm played under Brownie, we couldn't resist asking for another Brownie story, and he duly obliged. It was another Benny Vigona/Brownie yarn. “Benny had burnt in the first half, booting five, and headed straight into the showers at half time. On Brownie's enquiry as to what he was doing in there, Bennie replied: “I've done my bit.”  “Knowing Bennie, he may only have been winding Mal up, but we'll never know.”   Still busy as a plumber, Norm has a boy and two girls, and coaches women's softball, while enjoying softball and golf in his spare time.   After spending most of his early football in a variety of roles, it was as a goalkicker that Norm Uncle made his mark, and the boy from Albany should be satisfied with his career. It's a fair comment that Uncle's promise as a junior was not completely realised in later years, but ninety one goals in a season against the full backs of the late seventies showed the ability he possessed.