{xtypo_dropcap}I{/xtypo_dropcap}n the latter stages of the 1957 season, a nineteen year old Kevin Merifield, who until then had been playing with the Subiaco reserves, ran onto Subiaco Oval and lined up at centre half forward against South Fremantle and State player Cliff Hillier.  He was an awkward customer initially, quickly acquiring the nickname “legs” because of the ungainliness of his arms and legs when flying for a mark. “My legs went everywhere,” he joked.

But with maturity he blossomed, and the name of Kevin Merifield became one of the most respected  ever to wear the Maroon colours, not only as a player, but also an administrator who played an important part in laying the foundations for the success the club is now experiencing.

Merifield soon found his niche in defence for Subiaco, first on a half back flank, then at centre half back. It was coach Charlie Tyson who defied the critics of Merifield’s kicking by trying him at full forward in 1959. The move was an inspirational one, with bags of eight, six, and five in his first three outings as goalsneak. Subiaco looked the goods at the business end of that season, and made their first grand final appearance since 1935 by sinking Perth with a sixteen goal eight point third quarter(still a finals record) and a 129 point winning margin, followed by an impressive thirty four point preliminary final victory over East Fremantle. 

The dominant and star studded East Perth of the late fifties were a bit too good a week later, though, and that was to be the closest Merifield would get to a league flag as a player.   Kevin also made his State debut in 1959, on a half back flank, the first of four he played for Western Australia, both as a forward and defender.

Kevin Merifield was an astute reader of the game, as well as a towering mark, which made him the ideal centre half back. He played in most positions on the ground over a twelve year career, in which he made 213 appearances for Subiaco, captaining the club in 1963 and 65 topping the Maroons goalkicking in 1966. He retired after the 1968 season. 

An unusual twist in the tail of the Merifield sporting career was his choice of “life after league football”

“I was talked into playing rugby with Nedlands C grade on my condition that I didn’t have to train,” he laughed. Whatever the whys and the wherefores, it did bring him the premiership success that eluded him at Australian Rules. “ We won two flags and were runners up twice in the four years I was there.” he proudly says. 

A modest man, he recalls the deeds of team mates more than his own.

“There were many I could talk about, but the two that stick in my mind were the Ron Triplett goal and the courage of Denis Barron. Triplett picked the ball up one day right out on the centre wing at Subiaco and laid into a dropkick.  I was at full forward and it sailed high over my head and cleared the goal line by ten metres,” he told us. “And there was no wind either.  It would have been at least 80 yards in the old language.”

“Dinny Barron was a fearsome character, and never pulled out of a contest, but the head on clash between him and John Watts one day was awesome,”he went on. “And they both dusted themselves and went on playing as if nothing had happened.”

Merifield was a committee member of the Subiaco Football Club a year before he stopped playing. He became President in 1979, and, with his committee, set about the job of turning the club around.

“ Subiaco at that time were the laughing stock of the League,” he said. “There were even moves by the football heirachy to kick the club out of the competition. Wanneroo were a strong Sunday League outfit, and there was a push to for them to replace Subiaco.”

The “Save Subi Campaign” was kicked off to raise funds, and an agreement was made with the many creditors to pay fifty cents in the dollar over a period of two years to overcome  the serious debts that had accumulated. Along with the efforts of succeeding committees, the seeds were sown that have seen Subiaco become the power club they now are.

Kevin Merifield is a man who enjoys reminiscing about the lighter side of the game, and it was certainly enjoyable to hear his anecdotes.

In 1967 the hot gospeller and football motivator, Alan Killigrew was brought over from Victoria to take over as coach. “At that time, I was fast approaching the end of my career, and this fire and brimstone stuff was a bit over the top for a bloke of my vintage, so when the orders came out for twenty laps of Subiaco Oval, I jumped the fence round the back, hid under the seats in the twilight after the first couple, joining in later after lap eighteen. Killigrew was not a young man, and he walked with a stoop, so all was fine.”

“Someone picked up on this, so Basil Fuller(then club secretary) bought Killigrew a bloody Lambretta to follow us around. It was like he was rounding up sheep, and the baa baa catch cry soon caught on.”

It was the pre season of 1968, when Merifield was tossing up retirement, that an even more dedicated fitness regime arrived under the auspices of Haydn Bunton.

Pre season Sunday mornings the Subiaco league list would be seen running around Perry Lakes, up Reabold Hill, to City Beach, and back. Kevin said when he arrived at the peak of the hill, “that’s about enough for me,” then vanished into the scrub to head for his newly completed home in Floreat and straight into the swimming pool, as the rest kept going. Soon after at City Beach the call went up:”Where’s Legs?” and it was Ross Gosden, Reg Hampson, Austin Robertson and a couple of others who found him relaxing in the pool.

Merifield marvels at the constitution of Big Bob Johnson. Johnson moved to Subiaco in 1967, after a stint as captain coach of East Fremantle. “He’d turn up on matchday looking like something the cat had dragged in, lie down on the rubdown table, half asleep, guzzle down some concoction containing sustogen among other things, then go out and kill the opposition,” he recalled. 

Bob Johnson was also a would be organiser, and there was an occasion that a fellow Subiaco member owned a house which was due to be demolished.

“Right”, said Bob. “I’ll organise a Demolition Party.”

“So it was on a Saturday night after a game, there was Big Bob, resplendent in a dinner suit, outside the doomed residence, charging ten bucks to get in. He’d organised a keg with no ice or glasses.  It didn’t take many warm beverages to affect the condition of the assembled partygoers, and then out came the axes, sledge hammers and anything else that could be found with walls going down everywhere It’s a wonder no one lost body parts that night,” Kevin laughed. 

He had a couple for our Brownie collection as well.

“ One day Brownie took all his reserves players off the ground in protest at the umpiring,” Kevin related. “ He said to me:”What’ll they do, will I get fined, suspended?”  “Buggered if I know,” I replied. At the time, as President of Subiaco, I was on the WA Football Commission board, who had to decide whether there should be a penalty for what was a serious offence under the rules. When the matter came up. I moved a fine of $500 be invoked on Mal, and this was later increased by a vote to $1000.”

“After the meeting, as was the custom, the directors enjoyed a few refreshments. Suddenly, in barged Brownie,dressed in red footy shorts and t shirt, and he proceeded to corral all present with much abuse and finger pointing. He had obviously learnt his fate. Reaching me, he paused, and stopped. “You, you  %^&**.  You said it would be alright.”

Malcolm was coach of the Western Australian team when Merifield, Lorne Cook, and Ken McAullay were State selectors. They had to decide who would sit in the coaches box with Brownie. “ I don’t want anyone in here who gets emotional,”said Mal, and he proceeded to opt for Kevin as chairman of selectors to sit alongside him.   The ball was tapped out of the centre, at the start of the game with a free kick being awarded to the Vics. Brownie jumped out of his seat, let a few choice expletives out, and screamed on the phone at the unfortunate McAullay: “Get out there and ask that *^&&^&^^^ umpire what the %^%^& he’s doing!” a full one second into the game.

Asked for the hardest player to beat, Merifield said,” Freddy Lewis (East Fremantle) always gave me a tough time. But John Todd, “Polly” Farmer, and Barry Cable were out and out champions and the best players of my era”. For the best he played alongside, he said:”Laurie Kettlewell by a country mile, Kett. could beat anyone on his day and that was usually when playing on a big name player.”

Kevin is a dedicated surfer, and it has been a fifty four year sport for him so far. He also enjoys a game of tennis, and usually gets away once a year with wife Margaret for an overseas trip. Living at Yallingup in the South of the State these days, it’s a long way to go to watch a game, but he does make the trip occasionally.  

Kevin Merifield was made a life member  in 1968(after reaching 200 games), and became a Club Legend in 2006 under a WANFL initiative introduced in 2000, both of which were  honours he is extremely proud of.  But the transformation of the Subiaco Football Club that has seen it become the incredibly strong organisation it is today both on and off the field has given him by far the most satisfaction.