Swan Districts legend and former Australian Test Cricket Keith Slater dies aged 89

Former Test cricketer and Swan Districts legend Keith Slater has died after a long illness aged 89.

Slater was an all-rounder in more ways than one, bowling both off-spin and medium-pace. He was also useful with the bat averaging 21 including a match-saving century against Queensland when he opened. He played 74 first-class matches for WA.

Slater became the first West Australian to play in an Ashes Test when he earned his baggy green in the third Test at Sydney in 1958-1959.

He took the wickets of Peter May and Ted Dexter but never played Test cricket again because of concern over his bowling action. Chairman of selectors Don Bradman showed Slater a video of his action to illustrate the problem.

He was later called for throwing while playing against New South Wales.

On the football field, the star ruckman helped Swan Districts to the 1961 flag helping overcome East Perth legend Graham “Polly” Farmer to secure the team’s first premiership and earning him the Simpson Medal.

The Swans completed a hat-trick of flags while he also helped WA to win the national carnival in Brisbane later that season. He played for WA 21 times.

He became captain-coach of Subiaco in the 1964 season in a shock move but would return to the Swans after three seasons before retiring at the end of the 1967 season.

He kicked 199 goals in 166 games for the Swans and was named in their Team of the Century.

In between his football and cricket commitments, he was also an A-grade baseball player for the Swan Districts Angels.

In 2020 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia “for significant service to cricket, Australian rules football, and baseball, in Western Australia.”

Off the field, he was co-founder of Slater-Gartrell Sports and served on the board of the West Australian Institute of Sports for several years and was for many years the voice of WA footy and cricket across radio and televison.