CHRIS KEUNEN PLAYER COLUMN – ROUND 23

A WEST Perth premiership player will be writing a column for the club's website every week of the 2014 WAFL season. This week's edition is Chris Keunen's latest offering.

WELL we have now reached the final match of the season for the league side. It is a big game for our football club with two of the club's stalwarts retiring and my 150th league game for the West Perth Football Club.

I feel very privileged to be able to play 150 games for this club. There was a period where I didn’t think I would play 50 let alone become a life member. Life membership is a huge honour to be given and one that I see as being the greatest accolade anyone involved in any club can be awarded. 

While you never play sport to get these types of honours it is a great way to be recognised for the effort and time you have put in to help the team and club succeed. I look forward to joining this illustrious club.

Achieving this milestone hasn’t been easy and no one can make these achievements without help. I must say a huge thank you to my wife Anna, who has been a huge support for me. She moved across the country for me to play footy and she is just a big a part of this day as I am. Without her I probably wouldn’t have even made it to Perth those nine years ago.

Also, to my parents who have supported my sporting endeavours since I was Steve Potente’s height. I know they are proud of what I have accomplished and owe them lots for all their help and encouragement.

Lathlain Park seems to be the place for me to play a milestone, it is where I played my 100th WAFL league game and hopefully this week we can replicate the result we had that day, from memory, it was a six goal win over Perth.

This week also sees Dan Hunt and Anthony Tsalikis hang up their boots at the West Perth Football Club. These two players have been a major part of the footy club. I have been lucky enough to play plenty of footy with these guys. 

Slick has been our best forward for many years. His iconic hook kicking style has had plenty of ups and downs in accuracy but when he was needed to kick a vital goal it hasn’t failed us (just ask Peel earlier this season). His ability to take contested marks in packs or sit on the shoulders of his opponent make him a tough player for opposition sides to match up on and his speed helps him find plenty of space. Hopefully he can kick at least one goal this week, if not a bag, to lift him to the third highest goal kicker in West Perth history.

I know it will always hurt for him but the one thing missing from our premiership side was Slick. He deserved that medal and had worked hard for it not only last season but all the ones leading up to it. He was clearly as much a part of that win as the 22 who were out there. I’m sure he will be jet setting around the world, he does make a few million a year, but hopefully we see him around the club next season supporting the boys.

Dan Hunt will leave a huge hole in our defence. I believe he will go very close to winning the Breckler Medal this year. Dan has been one of the most consistent players I have played with, he very rarely gets beaten and the difference between his good games and his bad games is minimal. His super fist has thwarted plenty of forwards thinking they were in a marking position and over the last few years he has begun to take more contested marks to then clear the defence in a more attacking style.

Dan is one block that I would never want to play on, I'm very glad he was on my side. His short temper, thus the nickname Fuse, will be missed on the ground although I am sure a number of umpires won’t miss the spray that he dishes out when he isn’t happy with a decision. Dan has had plenty of setbacks in his career through injury (I think he has done one full pre-season in my nine seasons) and has always been able to produce his best footy. 

It has been great to share my time at West Perth with these two guys and I know they will be around the club supporting the team. I wish them all the best with their lives outside of football.

I hope that plenty of West Perth supporters get down to Lathlain Park to say thank you to these guys for their contribution to the club. I know everyone who runs out on to the field on Saturday will be doing everything to send them off on a winning note, hopefully a big win and bag of goals from Slick and maybe even see Dan sneak one.

Oh and I wouldn’t mind remembering my 150th game having a good win.