{xtypo_dropcap}R{/xtypo_dropcap}ival clubs breathed a sigh of relief on the retirement of Barry Cable, Greg Bennett, and Graham Jenzen, who contributed so greatly to Perth’s triple premierships in the sixties, but it was to be shortlived.

The emergence of others helped the club win two more flags a decade later.

The brilliance of Rob Wiley and Brian Cousins cannot be disputed, while John Doyle was no slouch. But  Chris Mitsopoulos was another outstanding rover,  although  hamstring problems complicated by  a curvature of the spine prevented him from going on to even greater things.{xtypo_quote_left}In 1975 Mitsopoulos was a standout in and under player, strong overhead, with a neat left foot, and opposition teams once again had a top class Demons on ball brigade to deal with.{/xtypo_quote_left}

Not only was Mitsopoulos a very good ballgetter, he was a sharpshooter when resting in a forward pocket, kicking 179 goals in his hundred and three league games. In 1975 he was third to team mate Murray Couper in the WAFL goalkicking list,  and in  1977 was one of four Perth players(the others were Murray Couper ,Peter Bosustow and Wiley)  who finished in the top ten with each kicking over 50 goals for the season.

From 1975 until 1978 Mitsopoulos and Wiley were regarded as the most outstanding roving combination in the State .In June 1977  they teamed as Western Australia’s roving duo pitted against Leigh Matthews, Kevin Bartlett and Gary Wilson in the match against Victoria at Subiaco Oval. Mitsopoulos kicked two of WA’s thirteen goals and was named second best player in his State debut behind the great ruckman Graham Moss. He followed that up with five goals in the victory over South Australia a month later.  

But injuries took their toll and curtailed a brief but brilliant career, and he never graced a WAFL ground after 1979.

While there is no doubting Chris Mitsopoulos’s ability as a footballer, there were many good judges who believed he could have made his mark  on the cricket field with equal effect.

Mitsopoulos played A grade cricket at South Perth as a youngster, and opened the batting with Bruce Laird. He set a club record while with the under sixteens, averaging 111, but decided to concentrate on the winter sport.

Playing fourths for Perth in 1970, he was selected as a reserve for the league side three times in 1971 after graduating from the thirds and reserves in the same season, before playing his first full game the following year, against West Perth and kicked two goals as co rover to Brian Cousins.  In 1972 he tied with Perth team mate Murray Couper for the Prendergast Medal as fairest and best in the WAFL seconds competition.

In 1975 Mitsopoulos was a standout in and under player, strong overhead, with a neat left foot, and opposition teams once again had a top class Demons on ball brigade to deal with. Part of the 1976 premiership, he dominated over the following two seasons,  was a key player in the 1977 flag,  and among Perth’s best in the rain-drenched 1978 loss to East Perth.

After injury forced his retirement in 1979, his knowledge of the game and speaking qualities were utilised by Channel Seven, and Chris joined Frank Sparrow, Marty McDonnell, Freddy Woods, Steve Marsh, Mick Cronin and the boys on World Of Football. He spent two years with Seven, twelve alongside Sparrow and Neil Garland at 6IX, and later worked at 6NR as special comments man.

Mitsopoulos is still involved with the football media broadcasting WAFL games with Dave Lindsay, Jack Crawshaw, and Brian Dawson on 91.3 Sportsfm.

He was a selector and team manager for Western Australia’s 1985 Teal Cup side. The team won the trophy, the first time it had been won by WA, and seven of their number became known as  the “Magnificent Seven,” after playing AFL football in later years.

Chris and Carole Mitsopoulos have a boy (Tristan) and three girls (Rebecca, Gabby, and Romina)plus three grandchildren . Tristan is a promising batsman at Perth Cricket Club, scoring fifties in two finals last season.  As Industrial Relations  Manager at Chevron’s forty three billion dollar Gorgon Project, Chris finds the Collier golf course an ideal place to relax from the stress of the job.

West Perth’s Les Fong was always a hard player to beat, says Mitsopoulos, and East Perth and later Subiaco rover Alex Hamilton also provided stiff opposition. “Mal Atwell was a tough bugger,” he said. “We had a bloke at Perth one day who had a crook shoulder, and he reckoned he was alright to play. Mal suddenly gave him an almighty bump, which smashed the door we were standing next to.”

The number of quality rovers produced in Western Australia has been immense. Cut down in his prime, but not before his abilities were displayed in two premiership wins and State football,  Chris Mitsopoulos can take his place among them.  Above the bar in the rovers lounge at Lathlain Park his photo stands alongside the other great rovers produced by the Perth Football Club, in particular, Barry Cable and Rob Wiley.