Australian Football

Country boy Keith Doncon joined East Perth from Scotch College and made his WANFL debut in 1963. He impressed, but in 1964, feeling homesick, he decided to return to his home in the country, and played no football for the year. Wooed back to the city by the Royals in 1965, he continued where he had left off, proving himself a physically tough and pacy rover of the highest order. Despite his somewhat diminutive (174cm, 71.5kg) physique, he was strong overhead, and kicked many goals from marks taken while resting in a forward pocket.

Along with the likes of Barry Cable and Bill Walker, Doncon gave Western Australia arguably the most potent roving division in interstate football during the 1960s, a fact emphasised by his All Australian selection following the 1966 Hobart carnival. In 1970, aged just 25, Keith Doncon was compelled to retire after he was injured in a farm accident; he had played 75 league and six state games, and kicked 136 goals for East Perth, and 13 for Western Australia. The disproportionately significant impact he made during his brief career was recognised in 2006 with selection in his club’s official ‘Team of the Century 1945 to 2005’.

Author - John Devaney