Richie Haddow was a fast wingman for West Perth who was a fine exponent of the dropkick, whether stab passing or kicking on the run into the forward line, in the sixties.  A State Champion hundred metre sprinter as a junior, he was also an excellent athlete  in all age groups.His football ability shone out in under age competition with CBC Leederville, where he played with those of the calibre of the  Margaria boys, his performances leading to a sports scholarship to Aquinas College. The West Perth Football Club was alerted to the talents of the young Haddow, and secretary Les Day was a constant suitor. But the college wouldn’t have a bar of it, and the Cardinals were forced to play a waiting game. In 1960, the eighteen year old went to Leederville Oval, and, after six appearances in the seconds , was selected to debut against South Fremantle, opposed to State player John Colgan. “Don Marinko was a great ally, giving me plenty of encouragement pre game,” Haddow told Footygoss. “At the first bounce he got the ball and fired out a handball in my direction. I grabbed it and got my kick in, but had no idea where it went.” After six good games, the newcomer felt he’d found his feet at league level, with a good display on another State player, Barry Metcalfe, of Claremont. “The bubble burst the following week against East Fremantle,” he wryly recalled. “I was at the bottom of a scrimmage when one of the Regan boys sat on my back. My ankle copped the weight and the break resulted in my being out until the last home and away game.” Haddow was part of a reserves premiership that season but missed out on the league triumph, with the club achieving a double.   On the eve of a game between West Perth and Swan Districts in early 1961 a local newspaper preview mentioned Haddow as a young player who had shown talent. “Obviously Fred Castledine had read the paper,” said Richie. “I had hold of the ball as he made a ferocious rush at me, shouting: “Watch out, college boy, here I come.” I managed a delicate sidestep and avoided the murderous charge.”   Some outstanding performances in 1962 saw Haddow come under notice. Some critics, including Wally Foreman, had named him in their State teams, and just prior to the West Perth side running out onto Leederville Oval for the clash with East Fremantle, coach Arthur Olliver pulled him aside and told him that he was under the watchful eye of a certain State selector. “ Whether that had an effect on my game I have no idea, but Daryl Cormack gave me a bath that day and a week later he was named in the State side,” he recalled.Fourth in the 1962 club fairest and best voting, Haddow continued in the same vein the following season, but the condition now known as Osteopubis struck in 1964, and it was to be a long, slow process to recuperate.  A thigh injury a year later compounded the problem. It was late 1965 that he was finally able to shake it off with a courageous performance in a losing preliminary final against East Fremantle.The summer of 65 saw Richie Haddow take stock of his situation.“Recently married,  I had been teaching in primary schools to enable me to stay in Perth for football, but wanted to move into Physical Education, which meant a country posting, and having just been through a torrid two years with injury, turning twenty three, I thought: “Bugger it, a few bob in the country where I can also advance my teaching career while I am capable of good footy might be the way to go.”   A lucrative offer from Geraldton  Rovers was the decider, and he and wife Jenny headed to the Coral Coast.  It was to be a wise move, as Haddow’s achievements with Rovers over the following two years laid the foundation for the coaching path he was to follow in later years. Guiding his side to two grand finals, premiership success frustratingly eluding them, he was nevertheless consistently among the best players, and performed well in the big games in the middle. “I always considered myself a centreman,” he said. “But with Don Marinko being followed at West Perth by Mel Whinnen, it was never an option there.”Rovers beat top of the table Mullewa in the 1966 second semi final, but the result was reversed on the big day, a year in which Richie won a club fairest and best. Northampton were premiers in 1967. When Haddow returned to West Perth in 1968 he found himself out of the league squad. A best on ground against South Fremantle in the opening seconds game of the year saw him as nineteenth man for the league side in round two, but he was to spend most of that season in the twos, where he won the fairest and best. “I could see I was pigeon holed somewhere so thought I’d look around,” he said. A captain coaching job at North Mt Barker followed in 1969, and once again two grand finals, but this time that elusive flag arrived. “In 1969 we lost to North Albany, coached by Brownlow Medallist Gordon Collis, but we had our revenge the next year,” Richie smiled. Back in Perth in 1971, Haddow’s playing career ended after one game with Sunday League club, Inglewood-Bayswater, a recurrence of his osteopubis enough to force him from the playing arena.  Two years later a conversation with WANFL vice president  Jim Davies began a whole new involvement in football for Richie Haddow.Appointed the first coaching co-ordinator  in the league’s history, he had responsibility for the organisation and training of all local junior and amateur coaches, a position he held for three years, before working in conjunction with the Department of Sport and Recreation, where he and Tony Ewing were course organisers, with many people prominent in that field, such as David Parkin, Ross Smith,  and Ken Armstrong, signed for lectures.He was later asked to make a return to West Perth as reserves coach, but walked into some off field politics that were better avoided, so left after one season. It was then that Haddow accepted an approach from the Subiaco Football Club to oversee the development of the “Lion’s Pride” programme, a position that was to evolve into a groundbreaking involvement with coach Brian Douge. “It was the first “line coach” setup in this State,” Richie explained. “The forerunner of the norm in AFL football today, it involved  specialist coaching for all different field positions.” One of his backline pupils was John Dimmer, who obviously learnt well. Another coaching stint at Osborne Park in the Sunday League was to be Haddow’s final fling in a quarter of a century association with senior football.  Richie Haddow has had a lifelong interest in junior football development in schools.  He continued his work at John 23rd College, where he was sports co-ordinator coaching school teams, and deputy principal, until his retirement.  The late and great Greg Brehaut was Richie’s nomination as hardest to beat, while Don Marinko has pride of place as best he played with.  “He took me under his wing.” And the West Perth half back line also cracks a mention.  “Ray Marinko, Brian France, and Col Hebbard were too good as clearing defenders, they never really needed a centreline.  Their running clearances went straight to the forwards.”Today Richie Haddow still teaches part time at Mater Dei College in Edgewater. He maintains fitness with morning runs to the beach, complimented with a daily swim and work out. He is a self confessed sports fanatic and member of the West Coast Eagles.  He and Jenny have a boy and a girl, and enjoy travelling, which is something they are looking forward to doing a bit more of in the future.Richie Haddow played ninety three games with West Perth,  but arguably his greatest contribution to the game was one that escaped the attention of the general football public. His work with juniors, both as coaching co-ordinator with the WANFL and the Department of Sport and Recreation and as a teacher in various schools and colleges, was the icing on the cake of a fine contribution to football in Western Australia.