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It took an ultimatum from new coach Haydn Bunton in 1968 to turn Robbie Young’s career around. “Bunton wanted to make a statement on  his arrival at a battling club,” Robbie recalled. “He caused considerable angst with his axing of respected, resilient, but aging players Kevin Merifield, Ross Gosden, Reg Hampson, Trevor Williams, and a young Peter Gow, who in my opinion was cruelly treated, in an effort to make a statement.”“He called it culling.”“I was also in his sights.”“Bunts told me: “You are a non-committed player. Big talent but don’t seem to give a shit. With that attitude you too can f@#% off. Or you can give it a crack. It’s your decision.”“I stayed.”Robbie Young also remembers his first game of league football well.“It was at Subiaco Oval against East Fremantle in round two of the 1964 season,” he said.“I was greeted by Michael Regan and he scared the shit out of me. He was built like a brick shithouse, and he ambled up to me and said: “I hear you’ve been going alright in the thirds.” Pushing his nose against mine, he rasped: “Touch the ball and I’ll killya.”“The incident didn’t go unnoticed, and as we changed positions at quarter time(there was no quarter time break in those days) Reg Hampson grabbed hold of Regan and told him in no uncertain terms that if he touched me he’d have Dinny Barron to deal with.”In the words of former Subiaco player Kevin Merifield:  “Dinny Barron was a fearsome character.”Elder brother of George, who was a legend with both Subiaco and St Kilda and a century maker for Western Australia at cricket, Robbie Young developed into a fine player in his own right. He played seventy eight games with Subiaco(the same as George) over eight years, with travel interfering with it, and injury ending it.A product of the Wembley juniors, where he counted Cam Blakemore, Colin Hill, Peter Metropolis, and Graham Heal among his team mates, Young was christened “Roo Dog” by his mates because of his skinny frame. His parents were keen Perth supporters, and when Rob played thirds for Subiaco on Sundays the family would watch the Demons on a Saturday. After Bunton’s ultimatum Young became part of a Subiaco combination that responded to the new coach’s sweep of the broom to make the first semi final, only to unluckily lose by three points. In the 1969 season he ran into Lorne Cook in a game against Claremont. “Lorne was pretty quick, and so was I,” he said. “He got a couple of feet in front a couple of times and went for the high ball. On both occasions I accidently made contact with his head in my attempt at spoiling. “Roo Dog, hit me again and you’re gone,” he snarled. Bugger me if it didn’t happen again immediately afterward, and true to his word, Lorne took a hook at me. I swayed back but copped it in the chest.”“As I went down umpire Ray Whitfield asked: “Robbie, are you alright?” “Reg Hampson said: “FFS stay down, moan, and groan.”“Cook ended up missing a couple of weeks, which cost the poor bugger a place in the Australian Carnival side that went to Adelaide.”  Extremely hard to match over ten metres and possessing immaculate ball handling skills, Young was selected in the State squad the following season, but a serious knee injury in another losing first semi final, this time against Perth, had a devastating effect on his career. “It was an arterial cruciate,” Rob said. “Orthopedic Surgeon Bill Gilmour told me it would take ages to recover, and I’d never have the same strength.”Out of the game, Young went overseas for eighteen months, and on returning trained with Wembley Amateurs. After a twelve month absence from the game, he got a call from Claremont coach Denis Marshall. “We’re on a recruiting drive, already signed Darryl Griffiths and Colin Tully, how about you?”“There was an amount of cash mentioned, so I joined the Claremont boys in a few scratch matches,” Rob told us. “We travelled to Carey Park in Bunbury for a pre season game against West Perth, where I was played at centre half forward opposed to Peter Steward, and kicked three goals.”Young went to Bunton and explained the situation. “Clearance should be OK,” said the coach, but the committee flatly refused. That triggered a furore among the playing group, with George Young standing down in protest at the decision. Seemingly victimised for his loyalty,the talented George Young became the scapegoat, and hovered between league and seconds over the following two seasons.The State selectors showed how petulant the action was by selecting George in the Western Australian team for the 1972 Perth Carnival, in which he was one of the standout players, and was named in the All Australian team.After finally being cleared to play with the Tigers, Robbie Young played well with his new club until a recurrence of the knee injury put paid to his league playing days. “When the doctor came onto the ground and checked the knee out, he said: “When did you do this?” Rob said. “After I told him he replied: “ You shouldn’t be playing.”    Retiring from the game, he later joined Merifield, Gosden, and Terry Williams, plus Claremont player John Fairbrass at of all places Nedlands Rugby Union Club, where they played with the fourth grade side. He recalled an anecdote about one of his last games at Claremont, when the Tigers were getting hammered by the Cardinals. “I was playing in a back pocket on Bill Dempsey. Bill turned to me and said: “Howyagoin Roodog?” “Stuffed,” I said. “You’ve hardly had a kick today, haven’t ya” said Bill, then he suggested we wax. “Next time I’ll get in front and take possession, then it’s your turn.” “Anyway, it’s my turn, and the pill’s coming toward me, then rolls on it’s side  and I can’t pick the bloody thing up. “Pick the f^&^&( thing up,” yells Bill. And as it bounced merrily out of bounds I said: “Time to give it away.”.    These days social tennis is about the most exertion that Young engages in. He has two boys(Tony and Peter) and two girls(Nicole and Elizabeth.) Elizabeth carried on the Young sporting genes by making the State Netball team. East Perth star Ken McAullay and Perth’s Bob Shields were his nominations as hardest to beat, while he reckoned Reg Hampson was the most talented player he played with. Robbie recalls the party he attended with some team mates in 1967.“It was at a house in Rokeby Road,” he recalled. “Bob Johnson was in good form, and making a play for this woman in attendance. Someone commented that Bob ought to watch himself because her boyfriend was a commando with the SAS. Sure enough, the bloke arrived. Next thing there was a thumping noise and there was six foot seven Johnson flat out on the floor.”“Tuesday at training. No Bob. Then about an hour later he turned up. He’d been out to Channel Seven in Tuart Hill to get make up on to hide the evidence. Which was fine until the weather turned and we got some moisture and the make up came off.”  Rob spent some of his working life at West Australian Newspapers, before joining Kerry Stokes at K.M.Stokes & Co in 1967, and when Stokes went into partnership with Kevin Merifield, Young was part of the new business.  In 1981 he formed a real estate partnership with a long time business associate.  In November 2002, with Richard Schwenke joining Robbie, the real estate company Schwenke Young & Co was established. Schwenke Young & Co specialises in auctioneering, selling, developing and managing properties in the Western suburbs of Perth and concentrate in the following areas of City Beach, Floreat, Wembley, Floreat Waters, Wembley Downs, Woodlands, Churchlands, Scarborough and Karrinyup. City Beach and adjacent areas are only 10 km from the City and boast the best beaches in Western Australia. The areas are well serviced by schools, transport, shopping centres and easy access to Fremantle and the northern suburbs of Perth. Robbie would welcome any footy fan for a coffee and a yarn about the game. He loves a chat,  can spin a good yarn, and is a great bloke to talk to.   Haydn Bunton knew it. Denis Marshall knew it. Robbie Young was a big talent. His ball skills were equal to brother George’s, but it would be fair to say he never made the most of what he had, and when he did begin to realize his potential  it was injury that cruelly cut him down. But Young himself is happy with the career he had, playing with some great players and the lasting friendships that were formed.  

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