An anomaly of the Sandover Medal is that it does not always recognize a champion.  One of the standout examples of this was the failure of Perth and Richmond rover Robert Wiley to win one.The highly skilled Perth rover won a record eight Fairest and Best awards for the Demons.  In 1978 he won two media footballer of the year awards but not the big one.  His class is not in question, however, and in a State that has almost had a production line of brilliant rovers, he was one of the best. Coming from the Manning Junior Football Club , he was in good company from the start.  Brian Peake and Peter Spencer also hailed from Manning, both managing to later win the Sandover Medals that evaded Wiley.  He made his league debut for Perth in 1974 and his impact was immediate.  He was an outstanding rover from day one, with hard running, great overall skills, and accurate kicking being a feature of his game. He was a driving force behind Perth’s 1976 and 77 premierships, dominating Perth’s Fairest and Best awards in every season he played before being enticed to Richmond in 1979. After a hesitant beginning at Punt Road due to injury in his first year there, he quickly let the Vics get an appreciation of his class, culminating with a premiership in 1980, twice being selected for Victoria.After four years with the Tigers, Wiley returned to the Demons, where the 1976 and 77 Premierships were but a dim memory, with the club going through a rebuilding phase.  No doubt warmly welcomed by coach Ian Miller, he showed he had lost none of his former skills by adding 1984, 85, and 86 to the Perth Fairest and Best dates on his mantelpiece.   1986 saw him as a member of the victorious Western Australian State of Origin side, and also selected in the All Australian side. A year later Rob Wiley was a member of the inaugural West Coast side, chalking up 18 appearances with them. Wiley coached Perth in 1988 and 1989. He then returned to the Eagles, becoming a valued member of that club’s coaching staff in an association lasting nearly twenty years, which, on the tightrope of AFL coaching, is another achievement.He has lately turned to the experts chair in the broadcasting arena and his knowledge of the game is there for all to hear.Robert Wiley….a lifetime in football.