Mervyn George "Merv" Cowan (5 April 1925 – 22 May 2016) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who served as an administrator of the sport for five decades after his retirement from playing. After a 193-game playing career that included one

Western Australian National Football League The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from March to September, ...

(WANFL) premiership, Cowan moved into administration of the sport and was active within Western Australian football until beyond his 70th birthday. His contribution to the sport was recognised with his induction into the

West Australian Football Hall of Fame The West Australian Football Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognise and enshrine those who have made a significant contribution to Australian rules football in Western Australia. People eligible for inclusion are players, coaches, umpires, ...

in 2007.

Playing career

Cowan started his football career as a 17-year-old with South Fremantle in 1942. He played 24 games for the Bulldogs between 1942 and 1943, during which time the league operated as an under-ages competition due to most senior players being involved in Australia's effort in World War II. Cowan himself enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy in July 1943 at the age of eighteen and served a period of almost three years. After his return from the war, Cowan wanted to resume his career with South Fremantle; however, he was required to play with their arch rival

East Fremantle East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

as he had lived within their recruiting zone. Cowan spent ten years with Old Easts, including two seasons as captain in 1953 and 1954. He ended his playing career in 1957 as a member of East Fremantle's first premiership side since 1946. Cowan played in 21 of the team's 24 games in the 1957 season and started in the

back pocket In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team is assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location on the gro ...

position for the 16-point grand final against East Perth. Cowan played a total of 169 games for East Fremantle and received 11 Sandover Medal votes during his career.

Coaching career

Following his retirement as a player Cowan spent one year as coach of the Old Easts' reserves side. He subsequently was nominated to become a life member of the club. In later years ten of his teammates from the 1957 grand final team were also bestowed with the honour.

Recognition and legacy

Cowan was inducted into the

in March 2007 for his role as an administrator of the sport in Western Australia. In 2012 East Fremantle established its own

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

, naming Cowan as one of nine inaugural inductees to be conferred "Legend" status. Cowan's contribution to sport in Fremantle and Western Australia has been recognised in many ways, including an entrance gate at Subiaco Oval, a grandstand at

East Fremantle Oval East Fremantle Oval (known under a sponsorship agreement as New Choice Homes Park and nicknamed "Shark Park",) is an Australian rules football ground located in East Fremantle, Western Australia. The ground was opened in 1906, and underwent a la ...

and a park in the town of East Fremantle all being named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Merv 1925 births 2016 deaths Australian rules footballers from Western Australia East Fremantle Football Club players West Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees East Fremantle Football Club administrators Fremantle Football Club administrators South Fremantle Football Club players Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II