Ronald James ALEXANDER

PLAYER:  1971-85

GAMES:  322 – East Perth 98 (1971-75); Fitzroy 133 (1976-81); East Fremantle 76 (1982-85); WA 13; Victoria 2

PREMIERSHIPS: East Perth, 1972; East Fremantle 1985

HONOURS: Fairest and best East Perth 1975, Fitzroy 1981; Simpson Medal 1974

WA V Victoria; captain East Perth 1975, Fitzroy 1979-80;

East Fremantle 1982-86, West Coast 1987; Australian coach of the Year 1986; President VFL Players’ Association and WA Football Coaches’ Association; member AFL Carter Committee into football development

A typical example of a boy who played for his local WAFL team, Ron Alexander grew up in Highgate, always barracked for East Perth and was 20 when he played his first league game for the Royals.  The next year, the emerging ruckman was a member of the East Perth premiership side coached by Mal Brown.  Won the 1974 Simpson Medal after a great display against Victoria at the MCG where he caught the eye of the talent scouts.  He took over the captaincy of Fitzroy in 1979 and the Roys made the finals.  An inspirational skipper who always protected smaller team mates, he played his best footy at Fitzroy.  He was equal seventh in the Brownlow Medal in 1976, equal 11^th in 1978, and in 1981, won Fitzroy’s fairest and best by nine votes from Bernie Quinlan, the Brownlow winner.  In 1982 Alexander returned to Perth as Captain-coach of East Fremantle, leading the Sharks to victory over Subiaco in the 1985 grand final.  Subiaco turned the tables the following year but Alexander was named Australian Coach of the Year.  First coach of West Coast but, incredibly, lost the job after one year despite the Eagles winning 11 out of 22 games and just missing a spot in the finals.