Never give up

by LES EVERETT

WHEN the word got around that Kerry Coates had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) his old sporting team mates were quick to act.

old easts 74

East Fremantle 1974 premiership players were among those who gathered to help out a team mate last week: Front: Glen Durnthaler, Kerry Coates, David Hollins, Tony Buhagiar, Neal Robinson, John Grljusich and Ron Bentley. Middle: Rex Townsend, Les Holt, Laurie Watson, Gary Gibellini and Eddie Donnes. Back: Allan Prosser, Noel Avery, Bob Becu. Photo by Les Everett.

Last Sunday at East Fremantle Football Club Coates was the centre of attention at a function held to pay tribute to his sporting feats and to raise money for the fight ahead.

There's no getting away from the fact that MND is a horrible condition. Stark information provided by the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Australia tells us that MND is fatal. It gradually paralyses the body while the mind remains healthy. There is no known cause, no cure and no remission.

On Sunday Coates was toasted and, as is the Australian sporting tradition, unmercifully roasted - his every fault, foible and idiosyncrasy magnified.

What emerged was the story of a truly remarkable sporting career particularly in football and cricket.

He had, one speaker said, a bowling action that looked a bit like a wounded seagull trying to take flight.

Coates may not have been a pretty bowler but he was effective. He took 364 wickets for the Carlisle based Windsor Cricket Club and 583 for CBC where he played in 12 premiership teams during a 331 game career. He also played with success at South Perth.

Coates is even better known for his football exploits and the scope of his career is just as broad.

He played 85 league games for East Fremantle and was a member of the 1974 premiership team coached by John Todd.

In 1996 he took the Sharks colts to a grand final - Simon Black, Josh Carr and Jon Hay were among the youngsters who played under him that year.

Coates was most recently in the spotlight when he coached CBC to the A-grade amateur premiership in 2000. He's also made an impact at the Willetton and Applecross football clubs though his efforts to toughen up the Hawks almost resulted in most of the playing group ending up at the bottom of the Swan River.

What surprised many at the gathering, including some of his team mates, was the fact that Coates grew up in Tasmania where he established quite a sporting reputation before coming to WA. He was a noted footballer with Deloraine and also excelled in cricket, tennis, swimming and even diving in the Apple Isle.

The motto of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Australia is never give up and perhaps Sunday's host Ken Judge, who played both cricket and football with Coates, summed it up best when he said: "Kerry's a tough bastard and he'll be doing his best to still be standing at eight o'clock tonight. But he'll probably be feeling a bit crook tomorrow."

A donation was made to the MNDAA after the function. If you'd like more information about MND go to www.mndaust.asn.au or call 1800 777 175.

From the Fremantle Rooster.

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