Gregory John Brehaut

Player: 1965 – 75 Games: 183 – Perth 157; Woodville (SANFL) 10; WA 16

Coached: East Perth 1983, 84, 85, 86

Premierships: Perth 1966, 67, 68

Honours: All Australian Selection 1969

In the days before national football and the AFL, the benchmark for West Australian players was the interstate arena…and that is where Greg Brehaut was always at his best.

Sure, he has that had-trick of premierships with Perth in the mid-60’s when he was an integral contributor on a wing, but it was playing for Western Australia that Brehaut excelled. It seemed the higher-quality opponent he faced – and there were a plethora of outstanding Victorian wingmen in his era – the better he performed.

Virtually an automatic choice in Perth’s Team of the Century announced as part of the club’s 100 year celebrations in 1999, Brehaut had graduated to Lathlain Park (or EFTel Oval as it has been renamed under a sponsorship agreement) from the local juniors.

Courageous and physically demanding, Brehaut had an immaculate left-foot drop kick in an era when that style was just starting to slip out of favour.

His coach of the day in Mal Atwell described Brehaut as an intelligent footballer who went where the ball was and showed no fear in getting it.  An automatic member of the club’s Team of the Century, he had a tough mental approach that was complemented by all the skills.

After an illustrious career with Perth, Brehaut tried his luck in South Australia as captain-coach of Woodville, but returned home after just the one season and finished his career with one more year at Perth.

In the early 1980’s Brehaut’s former Premiership coach Atwell had returned to the Royals as president…. And that led to the champion wingman turning his talents to coaching.

He was at the helm of the royals for four seasons, but only tasted finals once in an era when East Perth’s playing stocks were a little shy in the quality department.

After his coaching stint, he returned to his football home and served on the Board of Directors before suddenly passing away while jogging on the beach in 1993.