Barry Stockden was identified at an early age as a Swan Districts player of the future.A prominent junior at De La Salle College, coached by Percy Johnson, the centreman was a regular in combined sides before continuing to impress at Aquinas College, where Ern Henfry was a mentor. The inevitable progression to Bassendean occurred in 1969, when the stylish left footer was a member of the league side after two reserves appearances, and stayed there for three seasons, used mainly on a half forward flank. After the exhilaration of their first three premierships, Swan Districts Football Club had gone through a lean period since losing the 1965 grand final to East Fremantle. It was a frustrating period at Bassendean, several coaches being prevailed on to arrest the slide, and many a promising player felt the brunt of the list changes as the new brooms moved in.Barry Stockden encountered this for the first time in 1973, when he fell out of favour with Jack Ensor, playing most of that year with the reserves.That was the start of the coaches merry-go-round for Stockden.“Dennis Cometti, who was at Maddington, rang me and asked if I’d join him there,” Barry recalled. “I thought it would be preferable to playing reserves, so that’s where I went.”In a reminder to all and sundry of his ability, Stockden dominated the centre for his new club, winning the South Suburban Association fairest and best and contributing largely to a premiership, the first of three in succession for the club. Buoyed by such a good year in 1974, Stockden went back to Bassendean the following season, but it turned out to be a major disappointment. A knee injury in a pre season match ended his year before it started, an operation in June consigning him to the sidelines. Back at Maddington in 1976, he took over where he’d left off, taking part in the third leg of a premiership hat trick. A phone call from the newly appointed John Todd saw him back at Swan Districts in 1977.After playing all of the first round, and the team having very little success, the coach wielded the axe and out went Stockden.  Then came another coach’s call.“Percy Johnson rang, asking me to play at South Fremantle,” Barry said. “I played the rest of the year there, on a half back flank, but by this time I’d just about had enough of the vagaries of league football.” Stockden played under Richard Colless and Philip Haughan  at South Perth for the following three years, winning a fairest and best and playing in two grand finals. An accountant, Barry Stockden is a keen golfer these days, often to be seen at Hamersley, and still follows the football. His sons, Paul, Brent and Glenn, are all keen sportsmen, Paul playing Teal Cup for Western Australia and league football with West Perth and Swan Districts, Brent at North Beach Amateurs, and Glen a cricketer at Subiaco-Floreat.East Perth’s Ken McAullay worried many a half forward, and Stockden was no exception, while Billy Walker was his choice as footballer, he had played with or against. Barry Stockden enjoyed some success in his first four years of league football. Outstanding at a lower level, he never really reached his full potential and was unable to establish himself as a permanent league player, but nevertheless was a talented footballer.