Australian Football

Keith Harper was a veritable football prodigy boasting all the skills of the game. Playing mainly as either a centreman or winger, he gave tremendous service to the Perth Football Club over 229 league games, and was a Western Australian interstate representative on no fewer than 18 occasions, earning a Simpson Medal for his display against the VFL at Subiaco in 1954. A Perth fairest and best award recipient in 1951, 1953, 1957 and 1959 Harper also captained the club for six consecutive seasons from 1955 to 1960. The first of those years saw the Redlegs ‘bring home the bacon’ in the form of their first senior grade flag since 1907. Harper himself played a significant on-field role in the nerve-jangling two-point Grand Final win over East Fremantle by booting a couple of crucial goals from his wing.

Strong, quick and extraordinarily determined, Keith Harper earned one of football’s highest honours in 1956 with inclusion in the All Australian team chosen after that year’s Perth carnival. In 1999 he was chosen on a wing in Perth’s official ‘Team of the Century’. His younger brother, Roy, also enjoyed a distinguished career with the Redlegs.

Author - John Devaney