Ken Armstrong (Australian footballer)

Kenneth William "Ken" Armstrong (27 January 1936 – 5 November 2009) was an Australian rules football player, coach and commentator.

Ken Armstrong
Personal information
Full name Kenneth William Armstrong
Date of birth (1936-01-27)27 January 1936
Date of death 5 November 2009(2009-11-05) (aged 73)
Position(s) Centre
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1955–1963 Perth 170 (41)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
1959 Western Australia 1 (2)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
Western Australia 1977–78 6 (3–3–0)
Perth 1974–79, 1991–93 201 (106–95–0)
Subiaco 1980–82 62 (12–50–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1993.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 1959.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1982.
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Playing career

Armstrong made his Western Australian National Football League (WANFL) league debut for Perth Football Club in 1955. The same year he played in a premiership-winning team. He played until 1963 when he was transferred for work to Mount Barker.[1][2][3][4]

Coaching career

In three stints in the WANFL (later WAFL) Armstrong coached 265 league games. After coaching Mount Barker with some success in the late 1960s, he returned to Perth where he was a fitness trainer for the WANFL umpires in 1969 and 1970. Rejoining Perth Football Club the following year, he led the Perth reserves team to three successive grand finals, winning premierships in 1971 and 1973.[1][2]

After being appointed league coach in 1974 he made an immediate impact, making the grand final in 1974. This was followed up by winning the 1976 and 1977 WANFL grand finals. After losing the 1978 grand final, and seeing Perth fall to the lower reaches of the WANFL ladder where they have remained to this day, Armstrong briefly became director of football at Perth, but one game into the 1980 season when Peter Burton resigned[5] left to join WAFL chopping block Subiaco.[6]

Armstrong coached three season with the Lions, but won only twelve of sixty-two games: indeed in his last season amidst popular cries of "pity poor Subi",[7] the Lions were on target for a winless season before beating East Fremantle in their seventeenth match. Armstrong, who had never been reported either as a player or coach, was also reported in his third last match for misconduct towards field umpire John Morris after he criticised a decision, but was exonerated.[8] After this disastrous season which had seen calls for a mid-season sacking, Armstrong was not offered another contract by the Lions[9] and left to work as a commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).[1][2][10]

Almost a decade after leaving coaching, Armstrong returned to Perth to coach during the 1991 season. He retired from coaching after the 1993 season.[1][2][10]

Personal life

Armstrong died in November 2009, aged 73, after a short illness. His son, Gary Armstrong, also played and coached in the WAFL, while a grandson, Steven Armstrong, spent seven seasons in the Australian Football League (AFL).[10]

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References
  1. "Legend laid to rest". West Australian Football Commission. 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. "Ken Armstrong: Star Player, Revolutionary Coach, Respected Commentator". FootyGoss. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  3. "Every League Premiership Player in Page Finals System Era - 1931 - 2009". West Australian Football Commission. p. 1. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  4. "Ken Armstrong - Player Bio". Australian Football. The Slattery Media Group. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  5. Christian, Geoff; 'Burton Gets the Axe'; The West Australian; 11 April 1980, p. 64
  6. Christian, Geoff; 'Subiaco Appoint Armstrong as Coach'; The West Australian, 14 April 1980, p. 72
  7. See Spillman, Ken; Diehards - the Story of the Subiaco Football Club 1946-2000; ISBN 0-9578185-0-5
  8. 'Armstrong Cleared'; The West Australian, 10 August 1982, p. 72
  9. Christian, Geoff; 'Subiaco Say No to Armstrong'; The West Australian, 30 August 1982, p. 76
  10. "Demons mourn passing of coaching great". The West Australian. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
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