Charlie Henry TYSON

Player: 1948 - 1960

Games: 262 - South Fremantle 152; Subiaco 93; WA 17

Premierships: South Fremantle 1948, 50, 52, 53, 54

Honours: Simpson Medal 1954 Grand Final; South Fremantle Fairest and Best 1954;

Daily News Footballer-of-the Year Award 1956

The arrival of Charlie Tyson at Fremantle Oval coincided with the start of the club's Golden years of premierships and while he missed the 1947 Grand Final dose of glory, he was there for the next five.

Tyson was deemed to be a 'follower' or an on-baller in today's jargon and with the Bulldogs boasting champion rovers in Steve Marsh and Harry Carbon, he was often left to his own devices on a half-forward flank.

A classical will-'o-wisp player dubbed the Scarlet Pimpernel, Tyson was exceptionally quick and elusively deceptive. He would often appear from nowhere to provide a lead in open space and strong hands and accurate feet finished the job off.

In a powerful era of players only four featured in all six premierships, with Tyson missing the first as he made his way to league ranks. It was his versatility that appealed and while he was often listed on a half-back flank, it was across half-forward that he was most dangerous. Slightly short for a ruckman, he adopted the role of a 'mobile ruck player', which he mixed with great elusiveness.

The 1954 season was to climax the premiership era and Tyson was at his peak, winning the Simpson Medal in the Grand Final win over arch-rivals East Fremantle and adding the Walker Medal for the club's Fairest and Best.

In 1956 he accepted the playing-coach role with Subiaco in a move that would lift the club from obscurity. After finishing last for the previous three seasons, Tyson lifted them up one spot with six wins in his first year, seven in the second season and finished one game outside the top four with 10 victories in 1958.

Tyson's on-field influence was blending a team of experienced campaigners with youthful talent and with the reserves winning the 1958 premiership, the depth was excellent. However, after five wins from eight games, Subiaco stumbled and by mid-season, as they embarked on a trip to the Eastern States, their finals hopes were in jeopardy.

Tyson showed great restraint in not verbally attacking the players in their demise, keen to let the tour eventuate without ill-feeling. A teetotaler and non-smoker, he tolerated the players' enjoyment on the trip, which was punctuated with liberal amounts of over-imbibing. Those relaxed tactics paid off and it was a rejuvenated side that returned and snatched fourth place.

The first semi-final was Subiaco's first taste of finals football….and they made pigs of themselves! They kicked a record 16.8 to one point in the third quarter as they trounced Perth and then downed East Fremantle to meet East Perth in the grand final.

Unfortunately, the glory run ended there, but Tyson had shown with his clever and skilful football on the field and his quiet, subtle tactics off it that he was something of a master coach.