When seventeen year old Geraldton lad Angus Horwood was selected to play at full back with Claremont's league side in 1957  it kicked off a bizzare set of events, and laid the groundwork for his future career. Due to some extraordinary behind the scenes misunderstandings, the youngster was an absentee from the side that eventually took the field. Horwood had been playing under sixteens for Collegians in the Metropolitan Juniors before being recruited by the Tigers, and was selected at full back in their colts side. Named among the best players, the youngster trained the following week, but was inexplicably left out of the team for the next game. Naturally upset, he was told that he hadn't done the necessary paperwork. “I was shattered, not only about the non selection, but the manner in which it was handled, with the attitude I got on my query the final straw,”he said. Horwood didn't attend training, but nevertheless was named in the league side in the key defensive position the next Saturday. He was a non attendee.  “Horwood Fails To Appear” was the screaming headline over Ken Casellas's subsequent story in the Daily News.   It was an unfortunate start to the football career of a player of undeniable talent, a career that was never dull. Horwood was a character of the game, one who never took a backward step and stood up for himself at all times. It was a trait that was to land him in hot water in later years.  Losing interest in league football after the Claremont debacle, Angus resumed with Collegians, playing with the Amateur club for two seasons before returning to the farm at Geraldton and joining Brigades. Invited to try out with several league clubs, Horwood decided on East Perth. Any clearance worries from Claremont were absolved when the past came back to haunt them, the lack of paperwork that caused the players' exit from Claremont Oval four years previously resulting in them being unable to prove he was theirs.  Horwood finally made his league debut against Subiaco in round four of the 1961 season. “I was at full forward, on Frank Dean, and I remember it well,” he recalled. “I picked the ball up early in the game and ran full tilt towards the sticks, kicked from point blank, and watched it sail out of bounds.” Angus played in most positions in the first half of that year, before the travel by plane to and from Perth each weekend became too much, and he settled down to a rewarding four and a half seasons at Brigades. Although only playing for half a season in the GNFL, he was runner up in the goalkicking award, as well as representing the Association in their inaugural inter association match, losing by a point to Morawa-Perenjori.   1962 would have been galling for the sliding East Perth Football Club, with Horwood taking all before him in Geraldton. The six foot one and a half and thirteen/fourteen stone big man was in outstanding form. A good kick and strong mark, he also possessed surprising pace for a man of his bulk.  Angus won the Mobilgas Award for best player in the GNFL, with votes cast by the Geraldton Guardian's writers, as well as the Guardian Medal as best on ground in the grand final, in which he kicked two goals to help win a premiership for Brigades. He became Brigades first CC Clune Medal winner in 1964, after a countback from John Rowan(Mullewa), adding to the 6GE prize for best player in the League, in which votes were cast by radio broadcasters or officials of the opposing teams. Of course a fairest and best for Brigades the same year followed in due course.   Named in his club's best players forty one times in the period 1961-1965, he was second in the League  goalkicking list in 1961 and 1964, and third in 1963.    A fiery competitor, Horwood was often in strife with authorities. Suspended for five weeks for striking Malcolm Walley(Rovers), he was  fined five pounds for abusing umpire Stan Cross at a Protests and Disputes hearing, after being suspended for two weeks on a striking charge. His jousts with umpire Cross were legendary, once chasing him down Marine Terrace and forcing the hapless official to seek refuge on the roof of a parked car.  In 1965 an incident involving Ange Scaini led to a another four week holiday. After the 1965 season Horwood returned to Perth Oval, and played there for two seasons. In 1968, after being informed by the Royals he was too old at twenty seven, he applied for a clearance to Subiaco, the request finally being granted after three applications. A leg injury ended his career after three appearances in the maroon and gold.  His  WANFL career was brief. “I played more seasons than games,” he joked. That may be a slight exaggeration, thirty for East Perth and three at Subiaco, but his Geraldton achievements leave little doubt that the WANFL never saw the best of Angus Horwood. For a bloke who played just thirty odd games he is well remembered as a character of the game not only by East Perth fans but many football followers.