Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Saturday 26 August 1950, page 12


FOOTBALLER'S WIFE NAMES THE

PLAYERS WE HAVE HAD

By Pivot

South Perth's Mrs. D. Thomas— the wife of 1929 Sandover Medallist Billy Thomas — has won a free trip to Melbourne as first prize in a State-wide champion footballer quest. Mrs. Thomas named correctly the first six of seven play-ers acclaimed by public vote as the best seen in League

football here. Voted the greatest ever was former East Perth and State champion George (Staunch) Owens, of Railway-pde., Mt. Lawley. He beat Phil Matson by 846 points. Mrs. Thomas said today that she was undecided whe-ther to take the free trip, and a week's holiday in Melbourne to see the Victorian grand final on September 23. She can have the value of the trip in cash. Sponsored by Caris Brothers and run in conjunction with their radio show, the competi-tion was open to people of all ages and both sexes. They had to list the seven players they believed to have been the greatest seen in WA League football.

Top-ranked Points were allotted to each name — seven for the first, six for second, down to one for seventh. The top-ranked player was the one who secured the most points and the quest winner the person whose list of seven gained the most points out of a possible 28. Results: 1, G. Owens (EP), 8084 points; 2, P. Matson (S and EP), 7238; 3, C. (Bub) Jarvis (EF), 6692; 4, J. (Snowy) Hamilton (S) 6314; 5. H. Bunton (S), 5745; 6, W.

(Nipper) Truscott (EF), 4701; 7, S. (Pops) Heal (WP), 3946; 8, G. Moloney (C), 3668; 9, F. Jenkins (SF), 3570; 10, G. Doig (EF), 3229. The following 22 players (in finishing order) also polled more than 2000 points: J. Leo-nard, L. Duffy, J. Guhl, S. Marsh, S. Clarke, E. Fleming, J. Sheedy, H. (Bonny) Camp-bell, M, McIntosh, A. Thur-good, T. Outridge, L. McCle-ments, W. Hebbard, G. Krepp, R. Tucker, J. Conway, D. J. Cronin, J. Gosnell, R. Scho-field, F. Buttsworth, W. (Dig-ger) Thomas (the elder), and J. Dolan. Seventh

Mrs. Thomas, of 18 Collins-St., South Perth, scored 27 points. She named former East Perth winger J. Guhl. instead of- S. Heal, in seventh place. Guhl actually finished 13th— 214 points behind Heal. West Perth and State cap-tain-coach, Heal, was the only present-day player to win a place in the top seven. Mrs. Thomas said that she had followed East Perth since 1926 when she left Geraldton to many Mr. Thomas. Staunch Owens was one of the first League players she met. Prominent in the affairs of

the South Perth community centre, Mr. Thomas is also patron of the South Perth MJFA team for which his son Don (19) plays. Mr. Thomas, who helped his wife make her selection, was roving when Staunch Owens was rucking for East Perth. They boarded together before they were married.