Australian Football

Bob Shields was an extremely athletic footballer who was a key factor in Perth’s Grand Final victories over East Perth in 1966-7-8 in that, playing at centre half back, he tended to have the measure of Royals’ champion Mal Brown. A fine and sometimes acrobatic aerialist, he was highly skilled and pacy, but also epitomised the toughness and resilience characteristic of teams coached by Mal Atwell. If he had a weakness, it was that his kicking could sometimes be slipshod, but in almost all other respects he was virtually the consummate team player. 

After starring at centre half back in Perth’s hat-trick of premiership wins between 1966 and 1968, Shields played on a half forward flank in the losing Grand Final of 1970 against South Fremantle, and as a ruck-rover in the Grand Final loss to East Fremantle four years later. Between 1965 and 1974 he played a total of 187 senior games for the Demons, and kicked 58 goals. He represented Western Australia seven times. Bob Shields was chosen on a half back flank in Perth’s official ‘Team of the Twentieth Century’.

Author - John Devaney