Australian Football

Strong overhead, and abundantly skilled, Bert Gook was equally effective as a centreman or full forward. He played 148 league games for Perth between 1933 and 1940, kicking 512 goals. He topped the Redlegs’ goal kicking list every year between 1934 and 1939, and twice booted in excess of 100 goals for the season. His tally of 102 goals in 1939 was good enough to top the WANFL goal kicking list, while his haul of 16 in a match against West Perth at Leederville that same year remains a club record. 

In his final league season, playing mainly as a centreman, Gook showed what an accomplished all round footballer he was by taking out Perth’s fairest and best award. Gook represented Western Australia in seven interstate matches in which he kicked a total of 20 goals. In 1999, Bert Gook was allocated the coveted full forward position in Perth’s official ‘Team of the Century’.

Author - John Devaney