Australian Football

Recruited from Braybrook, famous as a breeding ground that produced names such as Whitten, Hawkins, Bisset and Donald, Ray Walker joined Footscray in 1959 and made an immediate impact in the back pocket. He played every game in 1960 and was selected to play for the "Big V" against Tasmania that season. An eye injury prior to the '61 season saw him miss the first part of the year and it took him some time to regain form. By 1963 he was back to his best, playing in all but one match and twice representing Victoria. He was also part of the Dogs' premiership night-season team in that year.

Injury, form and work affected his ability to produce his best in 1964 and after a handful of games early in 1965, Walker elected for a change of scenery, taking on the role of captain-coach at Burnie. Success followed the next year when Burnie defeated Latrobe in the NWFU Grand Final. In 1969, Walker became captain-coach of NWFU rivals Penguin, before hanging up the boots at the end of 1970. He later became a successful commentator, firstly with Channel 9 in Launceston and then for many years with the ABC in Victoria.

Author - Andrew Gigacz