Born in Leicester in England,[1] Wayne Blackwell played his early football in Western Australia and he was a centreman in Claremont's 1981 premiership team.
After 112 WANFL games, some as vice-captain, he crossed to Carlton where he was used mostly on the wing and was a member of the side which lost the 1986 VFL Grand Final.
Returning to his home state in 1995, Blackwell was signed for 1996 by struggling WAFL club Perth - in financial strife and facing potential merger with East Perth or relocation to the Gosnells region[3] - as a successor to former teammate David Glascott.
As of 2013, however, Blackwell remains the last coach to take Perth to a season with more wins than losses or to a finals appearance.
Although Blackwell took the Sharks to a Grand Final, after the season he announced that business interests would prevent him coaching a senior WAFL team again.