Keith Nichol Slater

PLAYER: 1955-67

GAMES: 240: Swan Districts 167; Subiaco 52; WA 21

PREMIERSHIPS: Swan Districts 1961-63

HONOURS: Simpson Medal 1961; Swan Districts fairest and best 1956-57, 60; Captain five times; Swan Districts Team of the century.

Keith “Spud” Slater has had an amazing sporting career.  He represented Australia in Test Cricket, was a member of WA’s victorious football team in the 1961 Australian carnival in Brisbane and was one of the State’s leading baseballers.  But the 1961 grand final will always stand out – Swan Districts beat hot favourite East Perth by four goals for its first premiership.  It is still regarded as one of the greatest upsets in WAFL history after Swans had finished last with only two wins in the previous season.  A defining moment in captain-coach Haydn Bunton’s decorated career but Slater was the real hero, curbing Australia’s greatest ruck-man, Graham Farmer.  Slater went into the match with a broken rib and received pain-killing injections before the game and at half-time.  With the help of co-ruckman Cyril Litterick, he shut Farmer out of the game and won the Simpson Medal.  After losing to East Perth by 48 points in the second semi final, Slater came up with a plan to counter Farmer.  “We didn’t honestly think we could beat Farmer”, he said “All we could do was nullify him.  Cyril and I received tremendous help from Fred Castledine and Tony Nesbit and our plan worked.  We dominated the hit-outs.  Polly had a low-key day and East Perth lost their main source of supply.”