[1] He played twice at state level during the 1939 season, at the age of 17,[2] and then finished second to Haydn Bunton in the 1941 Sandover Medal.
He continued to fly back to Sydney weekly to turn out for the RAAF side as part of sanctioned training.
[8] When the war ended, he remained in Victoria, and Carlton requested a clearance from Perth to enable him to play for them.
It was a successful year, with Carlton defeating Essendon in a one-point thriller in the grand final.
He also coached the state team in six matches during the 1956 and 1957 seasons, including at the 1956 Australian National Football Carnival, held in Perth, with Western Australia placing second.