The chairman of selectors, Don Bradman, explained it to him as a policy of the Imperial Cricket Conference to exclude bowlers with doubtful actions.
Slater was a star footballer for Swan Districts and Subiaco and played in the 1961 WANFL grand final with Swans against East Perth and his display in containing "Polly" Farmer won him the Simpson Medal in a huge upset victory.
[7] In Slater's first season the Maroons made only their fourth open-age finals appearance since 1936, but were unexpectedly defeated by the equally unsuccessful Claremont in a rainy first semi-final.
The following two seasons proved very disappointing, with the Maroons winning only eight games in 1965 and six (plus one draw) in 1966, when they lost their last nine matches.
This led to questioning of Slater's coaching methods, notably his taking the Maroons on a trip to Singapore during the 1964/1965 off-season, and his contract was not renewed for 1967.