West Australian Football League
Encyclopedia
The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football
league based in Perth
, Western Australia
. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League
(AFL). The league currently consists of nine teams, which play each other in a 24-round season usually lasting from March to September, with the top four teams playing off in a finals series
, culminating in a Grand Final
. The league also runs reserves
and colts (under-18) competitions.
The WAFL was founded in 1885 as the West Australian Football Association (WAFA), and has undergone a variety of name changes since then, re-adopting its current name in 2001. For most of its existence, the league was considered one of the tradition "big three", along with the Victorian Football League
(VFL) and South Australian National Football League
(SANFL). However, since the introduction of two Western Australia-based clubs into the VFL (later renamed the Australian Football League) – the West Coast Eagles
in 1987 and the Fremantle Football Club
in 1995 – the popularity of the league has decreased to the point where it is considered a feeder competition to the AFL.
Although payments are made to players, it is generally considered semi-professional. A salary cap
of A$
200,000 per club is in place. The league is currently affiliated with the two Western Australia-based AFL clubs. Players who are not selected to play with their respective AFL clubs instead play for allocated clubs in the WAFL. The competition is governed by the West Australian Football Commission
, and based at Subiaco Oval
.
competition and has a salary cap
in place.
In 2009 the salary cap rose to $200,000 after being fixed at $160,000 plus $15,000 in service payments for each club since 2003.
, 91.3 Sport FM, Radio Fremantle 107.9FM and 990 Information Radio.
clubs, the WAFL has the third highest attendance of any Australian rules football league.
A crowd of 21,287 attended the 2006 WAFL Grand Final between Subiaco and South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval
. The all-time attendance record is 52,781 in 1979 for East Fremantle v South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval
.
Patrons at the WAFL pay at the gates.
The following are the most recent attendance figures.
/Fremantle
region of Western Australia dates back to 1881. Back then though rugby union
was the dominant football code, with only one senior club, "Unions", playing Australian Rules.
In 1883 a second club, "Swans", emerged, but Australian Rules' growth remained much subdued compared to that of Victoria
and South Australia
.
However in those days many young men of Perth's wealthier families were educated in Adelaide
, the capital of South Australia
.
On returning home from there they naturally wished to play the sport they'd grown up with and no doubt exerted some influence on their less affluent peers as to such. Coincidentally, the press at the time reported there was a growing dissatisfaction with rugby as a spectacle.
During the 1880s, the discoveries of gold, firstly in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Murchison regions, led to a dramatic increase in WA's population, including many players and supporters of Australian Rules from the eastern colonies.
In 1885 one of the leading rugby clubs, Fremantle, decided to change to Australian Rules. It was quickly joined by three other clubs – "Rovers", "Victorians", and a team of schoolboys from Perth High. The schoolboy side lasted just two matches, but the three other sides went on to contest what in retrospect was viewed as the first ever official Western Australian Football Association (WAFA) premiership, won by Rovers. And virtually overnight Australian Rules football became the dominant code for the spectator as well.
However progress of Australian rules in Western Australia still lagged behind the big football cities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Geelong and is evidenced by the unstable nature of the clubs that participated in the early years.
In 1886 a new club Fremantle-based club Unions joined.
In 1887 Fremantle left the WAFA and the "West Australian Football Club" joined but they would only play two seasons before they disappeared.
In 1890 Unions would rename themselves Fremantle as those involved in the game saw the need to identify themselves with the region they were located in.
1891 saw two new clubs arrive, Centrals and East Perth, but they would be gone after one and two seasons respectively.
1898 saw the entry of East Fremantle to the league.
1899 would be the last season Fremantle would take part. Despite Unions/Fremantle being the most dominant club in the WAFA up to this point winning the competition 10 times in its 13 years of existence, problems with debt saw the club disappear and some people involved with the old entity formed South Fremantle Football Club
in its place. Despite the fact that many involved with Fremantle moved onto South Fremantle the new club is not seen as a continuation of the old and did not lay claim to its proud records to that date.
1899 was also the last time Rovers would take part. The move to regionalisation which saw Unions take on the old Fremantle's name and colours made it difficult for this club that didn't represent a particular area to attract players. They folded and were immediately replaced by Perth Football Club
who were promoted from the Perth First Rate Association.
The Goldfields competition (later known as the Goldfields Football League
) was hence comparable in status and standard to the Perth competition for many years. (This was shown by the fact that it had a separate seat on the Australian National Football Council until 1919.)
The higher standard of play that followed helped to increase the game's popularity and increased the professionalism of the WAFA which in turn saw a more stable look come to the league which to this point saw teams frequently coming and going, not to mention problems with frequent crowd violence.
By 1901, the WAFA had grown to have six teams. Up to this point, five sides at most had been in the competition, and this number had invariably changed from year to year, as clubs came and went. And by 1906 there were eight teams: West Perth
, East Perth
, East Fremantle
, South Fremantle
, North Fremantle
, Subiaco
, Perth
and Midland Junction
.
Recent arrivals East Fremantle became the dominant force in the league winning 11 premierships from 1900 to 1918.
In 1908 the WAFA was renamed the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
The West Australian State Premiership
was awarded to the winner of a contest played between the GNFL premiers and the WAFL premiers. The contest was played intermittently between 1903 and 1924 and the winning team accorded the title Champions of Western Australia.
Unlike many other sporting competitions, the WAFL didn't go into recess during World War I, although two teams — North Fremantle and Midland Junction — were "casualties" of the war, competing for the last time in 1915 and 1917 respectively.
In 1921, the WAFL followed the idea of the SANFL
's Magarey Medal
and introduced the Sandover Medal
, for the fairest and best player over a season, as voted by the field umpires. The medal has been awarded annually ever since.
Claremont/Cottesloe
entered the league in 1926, bringing the number of teams back to seven. They would rename the club to simply Claremont a few years later.
In 1932, the WAFL was renamed the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL) – the "national" concept in the name being adopted by the SANFL and other leagues a few years earlier.
Swan Districts
entered the league in 1934. The eight competing sides at this point still remain today and are often referred to as the "traditional eight clubs" as opposed to Peel who would join much later on.
Because of World War Two, the league only ran an "under age" competition between 1942–44. However, the three premierships won during this time are given equal status to any other, in official records (East Perth however don't give their 1944 premiership win equal status). All clubs competed, with the exception of Swan Districts who could not form a team in 1942, although they were back in 1943. The Sandover Medal was also presented each year.
Western Australian football was particularly strong during the years immediately following World War Two. The state side enjoyed unparalleled success, downing Victoria in each of the first three post war meetings as well as enjoying the better of their encounters with South Australia.
South Fremantle were without dispute one of the strongest teams in Australia during much of the period 1947 to 1954, not only winning 6 premierships but also defeating many touring sides from Victoria and South Australia.
From 1956 to 1961 it would be East Perth's turn to dominate the WAFL with them featuring in all 6 Grand Finals of this period and coming out with 3 victories. Their team featured Graham Farmer
who would leave at the end of the '61 season and carve out a reputation in the VFL as one of the game's greatest ever players.
The 1960s saw crowds get bigger and bigger, as WAFL football captured the hearts and minds of the WA public like never before, and in the 1970s and early 80s it was easily the biggest show in town.
However, during this period more and more star WAFL players were looking to head to the Victorian Football League
(VFL), enticed by the bigger money and the fact that it was more and more gaining a reputation as the "big" league.
This is perhaps best evidenced in that Victoria (i.e. the VFL representative team) had by far the best record in interstate games for a long time. But in 1977, when the first proper State of Origin match was played, it saw Western Australia inflict its biggest defeat on a Victorian team.
East Perth's 1961 loss to Swan Districts would see that side's first ever premiership. Captain/coached by Haydn Bunton, Jr.
, they became the team of the early 60's when they followed it up in 1962 and '63 to make it three in a row.
The dominating sides of the late 60's and early 70's were the three Perth teams. Perth won 3 in a row from 1966–68, and West Perth won in 1969 and 1971 captain/coached by Graham Farmer who had returned from over east. All 5 of these grand final wins came at the expense of East Perth who earned the bridesmaid tag in this era. However East Perth finally won through in the 1972 grand final.
After 1972 the competition was more evenly matched with every team winning a grand final over the next 10 years.
At this time crowds were as big as they ever were. The 1979 grand final was played before a record crowd of 52,781 and saw East Fremantle defeat arch rivals South Fremantle.
At the end of the 1980 season East Perth put in an application to join the VFL. The offer was withdrawn.
Crowds had been buoyed by State of Origin football that saw Western Australia's best players return home briefly, but this effect was short lived. Interest in the WAFL began a slow decline, as it became increasingly obvious that even larger numbers of the WAFL's best players were going to head east.
By 1983 the management of the WAFL itself acknowledged that economic crisis loomed. They approached the state government for financial aid, and were rewarded with a grant of $1.9 million. In response, the government wanted a full scale investigation into the likely future financial demands of football.
This led to the formation of the West Australian Football Commission who functioned independently of the WAFL.
In 1986 the decision had been made that the WAFL needed to become involved in helping the VFL, where several clubs were also struggling financially, to become national.
Against a backdrop in which several WAFL clubs were looking to enter the VFL or in which a struggling Victorian club may be relocated to Perth, the WAFL decided to hastily form a new club to enter the VFL such that they could retain control of a West Australian presence in the situation.
Meanwhile in the league Swan Districts won another hat-trick of premierships from 1982–84. East Fremantle, the WAFL's most successful club, won the centenary premiership in 1985 and in 1986 Subiaco had the honour to be the last club to win the premiership prior to Western Australia's participation in the national league.
The West Coast Eagles
were formed and competed in the VFL for the first time in 1987 (the VFL was renamed the AFL
in 1990).
With many of Western Australia's best players now competing in a team that represented Western Australia on a national scale, it was suddenly apparent that the WAFL was not the prime focus of the football public as crowds and media attention centred on the 'national' league.
In 1990 the league was renamed the Western Australian State Football League, but it had reverted to WAFL by 1991.
Another locally-based AFL team, the Fremantle Football Club
were formed in 1994, and this cemented the position of WAFL as a second-class competition. (Indeed, the 1991 introduction of the Adelaide Crows
to the VFL/AFL
meant that the SANFL
was experiencing a similar decline to the WAFL.)
WAFL clubs have struggled ever since with their sudden demise from being technically equal to any VFL club, to feeder club status. However, they have enjoyed some benefits, such as the funds flowing from the WA-based AFL teams and the influx of talented players from other states, attempting to make a name for themselves.
In 1997, Peel Thunder
— somewhat controversially — became the ninth WAFL club. Throughout their brief history, they have struggled to compete with the traditional eight clubs, which are generally opposed to their presence. This is partly because having an odd number of teams forces one team to have a bye each week.
Also in 1997, the WAFL was renamed Westar Rules, in an attempt to revamp the league's image. The name again reverted to WAFL in 2001.
Recent years have seen the WAFL stabilise itself as a league a step down from the AFL
. Having the best football players all playing in the AFL has lessened the standard of play; however this has recovered somewhat, with retired or delisted AFL players returning and young players coming through. It is becoming fairly common, however, for young players to be drafted as 17 or 18 year olds directly to the AFL and not play in the WAFL football for more than a few games.
Attendances have recovered slightly and in 2004, the league posted a total attendance of 202,797. The total attendance, including AFL games was a record 1,030,000. The 2005 WAFL Grand Final between South Fremantle and Claremont attracted 22,570 to Subiaco Oval
.
The 2006 WAFL Grand Final between Subiaco and South Fremantle attracted 21,287 to Subiacto Oval.
The most pushed for expansion team was to be from Darwin, Northern Territory
, formed as a representative club of the Northern Territory Football League
, however the NT team opted to join the Queensland Australian Football League
for the 2009 season.
The original legends were(in alphabetical order):
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
league based in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). The league currently consists of nine teams, which play each other in a 24-round season usually lasting from March to September, with the top four teams playing off in a finals series
Page playoff system
The Page playoff system is a playoff format used primarily in softball and curling at the championship level. Teams are seeded using a round-robin tournament and the top four play a mix of a single-elimination and double-elimination tournament to determine the winner...
, culminating in a Grand Final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
. The league also runs reserves
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
and colts (under-18) competitions.
The WAFL was founded in 1885 as the West Australian Football Association (WAFA), and has undergone a variety of name changes since then, re-adopting its current name in 2001. For most of its existence, the league was considered one of the tradition "big three", along with the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL) and South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL). However, since the introduction of two Western Australia-based clubs into the VFL (later renamed the Australian Football League) – the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
in 1987 and the Fremantle Football Club
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
in 1995 – the popularity of the league has decreased to the point where it is considered a feeder competition to the AFL.
Although payments are made to players, it is generally considered semi-professional. A salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
200,000 per club is in place. The league is currently affiliated with the two Western Australia-based AFL clubs. Players who are not selected to play with their respective AFL clubs instead play for allocated clubs in the WAFL. The competition is governed by the West Australian Football Commission
West Australian Football Commission
The West Australian Football Commission is the governing body of Australian rules football in the state of Western Australia.It was formed in 1989 as an independent body to the West Australian Football League for governance and development of the game in the state.The WAFC operates Subiaco Oval,...
, and based at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
.
Current clubs
There are nine teams that currently compete in the WAFL:| Guernsey | Club | Nickname | Location | Home Ground | First season | Premierships | Sandover Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Claremont Football Club Claremont Football Club The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold.... known as Claremont-Cottesloe from 1925–34 |
|
Claremont Claremont, Western Australia Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Claremont Oval Claremont Oval is an Australian rules football stadium located in Perth, Australia. The capacity of the venue is 10,000 people and was opened in 1905 and is the home of the Claremont Football Club.... (10,000) |
1925 | 11 | 11 |
 |
East Fremantle Football Club East Fremantle Football Club The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval... |
|
East Fremantle, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
East Fremantle Oval East Fremantle Oval is an Australian rules football ground located in East Fremantle, Western Australia. The ground was opened in 1906, and underwent a large redevelopment in 1953. It current serves as the home ground of the East Fremantle Football Club in the West Australian Football League... (20,000) |
1898 | 29 | 11 |
 |
East Perth Football Club East Perth Football Club The East Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Royals, is an Australian rules football club that is a member of the West Australian Football League... |
|
Leederville, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(18,000) |
1906 | 17 | 18 |
| Peel Thunder Football Club Peel Thunder Football Club The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park... |
|
Mandurah Mandurah, Western Australia Mandurah is the second-largest city in Western Australia and is located approximately south of the state capital, Perth.The city attracts a large number of tourists, including many international visitors... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Rushton Park Rushton Park, officially called Bendigo Bank Stadium, is an Australian rules football ground located in Mandurah, Western Australia. The ground is currently used as a home ground by three clubs: the , competing in the West Australian Football League , the Mandurah Mustangs, competing in the Peel... (10,000) |
1997 | 0 | 2 | |
 |
Perth Football Club Perth Football Club The Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club plays its matches at Lathlain Park.-History:... known as Victoria Park from 1934–35 |
|
Victoria Park Victoria Park, Western Australia The Town of Victoria Park is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. It covers an area of 17.62 km² in metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The Town of Victoria Park maintains 154.55 km of roads, a little over 1 km² of parks and gardens and has a... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(20,000) |
1899 | 7 | 16 |
 |
South Fremantle Football Club South Fremantle Football Club The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League... |
|
Fremantle Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Fremantle Oval Fremantle Oval is a stadium in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members area holding 750. Fremantle Oval was originally used for cricket, but in 1895 hosted its first game of Australian rules football... (17,500) |
1900 | 13 | 10 |
 |
Subiaco Football Club Subiaco Football Club The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WAFL in 1901, along with North Fremantle... |
|
Subiaco Subiaco, Western Australia Subiaco is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, situated to the north west of Kings Park. Its Local Government Area is the City of Subiaco.-History:Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Noongar Indigenous people.... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(18,000) |
1901 | 11 | 12 |
 |
Swan Districts Football Club Swan Districts Football Club The Swan Districts Football Club, nicknamed the Swans, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club is based at Bassendean Oval, in Bassendean, an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia... |
|
Bassendean Bassendean, Western Australia Bassendean is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Town of Bassendean.Bassendean is home to the Western Australian Rail Transport Museum. The display has a collection of Steam and Diesel Locomotives, most of these have been restored to operating... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(22,000) |
1934 | 8 | 12 |
 |
West Perth Football Club West Perth Football Club The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian... known as Victorians from 1885–88 known as Metropolitans from 1889–90 |
|
Joondalup Joondalup, Western Australia Joondalup is a regional metropolitan city within Perth, Western Australia, approximately north of Perth's central business district.It acts as the primary urban centre in Perth's outer northern suburbs.-History:... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
(10,000) |
1885 | 18 | 11 |
- Claremont played at the Claremont ShowgroundsClaremont ShowgroundsThe Claremont Showgrounds were built in 1905 in the Perth suburb of Claremont. The Showgrounds are home to the annual Perth Royal Show. They were also the original home of Claremont-Cottesloe in its first year in the WAFL before moving to Claremont Oval....
from 1925 to 1927, and at Subiaco OvalSubiaco OvalSubiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
in 1945 and 1946 when Claremont Oval was being used by the military. - East Fremantle played at Fremantle OvalFremantle OvalFremantle Oval is a stadium in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members area holding 750. Fremantle Oval was originally used for cricket, but in 1895 hosted its first game of Australian rules football...
from 1898 to 1952, excluding a period in 1906 where home games were played at East Fremantle Oval. - East Perth played at Wellington SquareWellington Square, PerthWellington Square is a public park located on Wellington Street in the suburb of East Perth in Perth, Western Australia.-History:The park was originally a swamp and was drained in the 1830s. It was originally used to exercise horses. The ground was known as the Recreation Ground or the "Rec"...
from 1901 to 1909 and at Perth Oval from 1910 to 1999. - Perth played at the WACA GroundWACA GroundThe WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
from 1899 to 1958. - Subiaco played at Shenton Park between 1901 and 1905, at Mueller ParkMueller ParkMueller Park is a park in Subiaco, Western Australia, situated between Perth Modern School and Subiaco Oval. It originally comprised the land area which included Subiaco Oval and in the early 1900s housed tennis, croquet, bowls, cricket and football clubs....
in 1906 and 1907, and at Subiaco OvalSubiaco OvalSubiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
from 1908 to 1987, and occasional home games at Subiaco Oval from 1988 onwards. - West Perth played at Leederville Oval from 1915 to 1993.
Former clubs
Ten other clubs formerly competed in the competition:| Colours | Club | Nickname | Location | Home Ground | Seasons played | Premierships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrals Football Club | none | unknown | none | 1891 | 0 | |
| East Perth Football Club (I) | none | East Perth, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
none | 1891–92 | 0 | |
| Fremantle Football Club (I) Fremantle Football Club (1882–1886) The Fremantle Football Club was an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, that played in the Western Australian Football Association from 1885–86. The team won the WAFA premiership in 1886... |
Fremantleites | Fremantle Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Fremantle Green | 1885–86 | 1 | |
| Fremantle Football Club (II) Fremantle Football Club (1881–1899) The Fremantle Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Fremantle, Western Australia, that played in the Western Australian Football Association from 1886 to 1899. The club was known as the Unions Football Club from 1882–89.... known as Unions from 1886–899 |
Fremantleites, Ports | Fremantle Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Fremantle Park Fremantle Oval Fremantle Oval Fremantle Oval is a stadium in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members area holding 750. Fremantle Oval was originally used for cricket, but in 1895 hosted its first game of Australian rules football... |
1886–99 | 10 | |
| High School Hale School Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia.... |
none | Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
High School Grounds | 1885 | 0 | |
| Imperials Football Club | none | Fremantle Fremantle Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
The Esplanade, Fremantle The Esplanade railway station, Fremantle The Esplanade is a closed railway station beyond the Fremantle railway station and Fremantle Line in Perth, Western Australia. It is 19.8 km from Perth.... |
1895–97 | 0 | |
| Midland Junction Football Club Midland Junction Football Club Midland Junction Football Club, nicknamed the Railways, was an Australian rules football club that competed in the West Australian Football League . The club played in the WAFL, the premier football league in Western Australia, from 1905 to 1910 and again from 1914 to 1917. They team wore black and... |
Midlanders, Railways | Midland Midland, Western Australia Midland is a suburb in the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area that covers the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp to the east. It is situated at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Midland Junction Oval | 1905–10; 1914–17 | 0 | |
| North Fremantle Football Club North Fremantle Football Club The North Fremantle Football Club was an Australian rules football club which competed in the West Australian Football League from 1901 to 1915.North Fremantle started out in the First Rate Junior Association, the state's second tier competition... |
Magpies | North Fremantle North Fremantle, Western Australia North Fremantle is a small suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. Its postcode is 6159.The suburb is situated on the Swan River, north of the Port of Fremantle... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
North Fremantle Oval | 1901–15 | 0 | |
| Rovers Football Club Rovers Football Club The Rovers Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the Western Australian Football Association from 1885 to 1899. The club won the premiership in 1885 and 1891.-History:... |
Rovers, Tigers | none | none | 1885–99 | 2 | |
| West Australian Football Club | none | unknown | none | 1887–88 | 0 |
- Up until the turn of the century, there were a limited number of grounds available for use by the clubs, with all clubs sharing the different grounds. As such, the Esplanade Reserve and Fremantle Park in Fremantle, and Wellington Square and the Recreation Ground in Perth were all utilised as "home" grounds by the above teams.
- The High SchoolHale SchoolHale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
withdrew from the competition due to lack of players two rounds into the inaugural season. - Rovers were a "wandering" team - they had no home ground, and drew players from all over the metropolitan area.
Salary Cap
The WAFL is a semi-professionalSemi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
competition and has a salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
in place.
In 2009 the salary cap rose to $200,000 after being fixed at $160,000 plus $15,000 in service payments for each club since 2003.
Television
The WAFL is broadcast on ABC 1 throughout Western Australia, and is available nationally on ABC iview.Radio
Radio stations which cover the competition include 720 ABC Perth720 ABC Perth
720 ABC Perth is a radio station located in Perth, Western Australia broadcasting on 720 kHz on the AM band. The station is a member of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Local Radio network.-History:...
, 91.3 Sport FM, Radio Fremantle 107.9FM and 990 Information Radio.
Attendance
Although WAFL now competes heavily with the two Perth-based Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
clubs, the WAFL has the third highest attendance of any Australian rules football league.
A crowd of 21,287 attended the 2006 WAFL Grand Final between Subiaco and South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
. The all-time attendance record is 52,781 in 1979 for East Fremantle v South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
.
Patrons at the WAFL pay at the gates.
The following are the most recent attendance figures.
| Year | Home & Away Total | # Games played | Finals Total | Total | Average | Grand Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ? | 94 | ? | 219,205 | 2,332 | 23,199 |
| 2007 | ? | 94 | ? | 207,304 | 2,205 | 19,541 |
| 2006 | 173,768 | 94 | 33,336 | 208,347 | 2,216 | 21,287 |
| 2005 | 164,822 | 33,187 | 198,000 | 2,106 | 22,570 | |
| 2004 | 163,140 | 39,657 | 202,797 | 2,157 | 21,507 | |
| 2003 | 30,530 | 17,775 |
Pre–1900: Formation and early years
Organised football in the PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
/Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
region of Western Australia dates back to 1881. Back then though rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
was the dominant football code, with only one senior club, "Unions", playing Australian Rules.
In 1883 a second club, "Swans", emerged, but Australian Rules' growth remained much subdued compared to that of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
However in those days many young men of Perth's wealthier families were educated in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, the capital of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
On returning home from there they naturally wished to play the sport they'd grown up with and no doubt exerted some influence on their less affluent peers as to such. Coincidentally, the press at the time reported there was a growing dissatisfaction with rugby as a spectacle.
During the 1880s, the discoveries of gold, firstly in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Murchison regions, led to a dramatic increase in WA's population, including many players and supporters of Australian Rules from the eastern colonies.
In 1885 one of the leading rugby clubs, Fremantle, decided to change to Australian Rules. It was quickly joined by three other clubs – "Rovers", "Victorians", and a team of schoolboys from Perth High. The schoolboy side lasted just two matches, but the three other sides went on to contest what in retrospect was viewed as the first ever official Western Australian Football Association (WAFA) premiership, won by Rovers. And virtually overnight Australian Rules football became the dominant code for the spectator as well.
However progress of Australian rules in Western Australia still lagged behind the big football cities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Geelong and is evidenced by the unstable nature of the clubs that participated in the early years.
In 1886 a new club Fremantle-based club Unions joined.
In 1887 Fremantle left the WAFA and the "West Australian Football Club" joined but they would only play two seasons before they disappeared.
In 1890 Unions would rename themselves Fremantle as those involved in the game saw the need to identify themselves with the region they were located in.
1891 saw two new clubs arrive, Centrals and East Perth, but they would be gone after one and two seasons respectively.
1898 saw the entry of East Fremantle to the league.
1899 would be the last season Fremantle would take part. Despite Unions/Fremantle being the most dominant club in the WAFA up to this point winning the competition 10 times in its 13 years of existence, problems with debt saw the club disappear and some people involved with the old entity formed South Fremantle Football Club
South Fremantle Football Club
The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...
in its place. Despite the fact that many involved with Fremantle moved onto South Fremantle the new club is not seen as a continuation of the old and did not lay claim to its proud records to that date.
1899 was also the last time Rovers would take part. The move to regionalisation which saw Unions take on the old Fremantle's name and colours made it difficult for this club that didn't represent a particular area to attract players. They folded and were immediately replaced by Perth Football Club
Perth Football Club
The Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club plays its matches at Lathlain Park.-History:...
who were promoted from the Perth First Rate Association.
Early 1900s
Major gold discoveries at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie in 1892, coupled with a major international economic depression, caused immigration from the eastern colonies to accelerate not only to the Goldfields but also onto Perth. These migrants came from a climate where Australian Rules football was more popular and included a large number of footballers including some celebrated players.The Goldfields competition (later known as the Goldfields Football League
Goldfields Football League
The Goldfields Football League is a regional Australian football league based in the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia. Originally founded in 1896 as Hannans District Football Association, the league enjoyed a seat and full voting rights on the Australian National Football Council until 1919...
) was hence comparable in status and standard to the Perth competition for many years. (This was shown by the fact that it had a separate seat on the Australian National Football Council until 1919.)
The higher standard of play that followed helped to increase the game's popularity and increased the professionalism of the WAFA which in turn saw a more stable look come to the league which to this point saw teams frequently coming and going, not to mention problems with frequent crowd violence.
By 1901, the WAFA had grown to have six teams. Up to this point, five sides at most had been in the competition, and this number had invariably changed from year to year, as clubs came and went. And by 1906 there were eight teams: West Perth
West Perth Football Club
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian...
, East Perth
East Perth Football Club
The East Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Royals, is an Australian rules football club that is a member of the West Australian Football League...
, East Fremantle
East Fremantle Football Club
The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
, South Fremantle
South Fremantle Football Club
The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League...
, North Fremantle
North Fremantle Football Club
The North Fremantle Football Club was an Australian rules football club which competed in the West Australian Football League from 1901 to 1915.North Fremantle started out in the First Rate Junior Association, the state's second tier competition...
, Subiaco
Subiaco Football Club
The Subiaco Football Club, nicknamed the Lions, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . It was founded in 1896, and admitted to the WAFL in 1901, along with North Fremantle...
, Perth
Perth Football Club
The Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club plays its matches at Lathlain Park.-History:...
and Midland Junction
Midland Junction Football Club
Midland Junction Football Club, nicknamed the Railways, was an Australian rules football club that competed in the West Australian Football League . The club played in the WAFL, the premier football league in Western Australia, from 1905 to 1910 and again from 1914 to 1917. They team wore black and...
.
Recent arrivals East Fremantle became the dominant force in the league winning 11 premierships from 1900 to 1918.
In 1908 the WAFA was renamed the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
The West Australian State Premiership
West Australian State Premiership
The West Australian State PremiershipSeveral different names were used in contemporary sources for the matches, including "state premiership", "state championship" and "the football championship"...
was awarded to the winner of a contest played between the GNFL premiers and the WAFL premiers. The contest was played intermittently between 1903 and 1924 and the winning team accorded the title Champions of Western Australia.
Unlike many other sporting competitions, the WAFL didn't go into recess during World War I, although two teams — North Fremantle and Midland Junction — were "casualties" of the war, competing for the last time in 1915 and 1917 respectively.
Between the wars
1919 saw East Perth win their first premiership, and they would go on to win 5 in a row – a national record until Port Adelaide managed 6 many years later.In 1921, the WAFL followed the idea of the SANFL
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
's Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
and introduced the Sandover Medal
Sandover Medal
The Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League...
, for the fairest and best player over a season, as voted by the field umpires. The medal has been awarded annually ever since.
Claremont/Cottesloe
Claremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
entered the league in 1926, bringing the number of teams back to seven. They would rename the club to simply Claremont a few years later.
In 1932, the WAFL was renamed the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL) – the "national" concept in the name being adopted by the SANFL and other leagues a few years earlier.
Swan Districts
Swan Districts Football Club
The Swan Districts Football Club, nicknamed the Swans, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The club is based at Bassendean Oval, in Bassendean, an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia...
entered the league in 1934. The eight competing sides at this point still remain today and are often referred to as the "traditional eight clubs" as opposed to Peel who would join much later on.
Because of World War Two, the league only ran an "under age" competition between 1942–44. However, the three premierships won during this time are given equal status to any other, in official records (East Perth however don't give their 1944 premiership win equal status). All clubs competed, with the exception of Swan Districts who could not form a team in 1942, although they were back in 1943. The Sandover Medal was also presented each year.
Post–war
South Fremantle were without dispute one of the strongest teams in Australia during much of the period 1947 to 1954, not only winning 6 premierships but also defeating many touring sides from Victoria and South Australia.
From 1956 to 1961 it would be East Perth's turn to dominate the WAFL with them featuring in all 6 Grand Finals of this period and coming out with 3 victories. Their team featured Graham Farmer
Graham Farmer
Graham Vivian "Polly" Farmer, MBE is a retired Australian rules football player and coach. Born in Western Australia, he joined the East Perth Football Club as a ruckman in 1953, where he won several awards and contributed to the team winning three premierships...
who would leave at the end of the '61 season and carve out a reputation in the VFL as one of the game's greatest ever players.
The 1960s saw crowds get bigger and bigger, as WAFL football captured the hearts and minds of the WA public like never before, and in the 1970s and early 80s it was easily the biggest show in town.
However, during this period more and more star WAFL players were looking to head to the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL), enticed by the bigger money and the fact that it was more and more gaining a reputation as the "big" league.
This is perhaps best evidenced in that Victoria (i.e. the VFL representative team) had by far the best record in interstate games for a long time. But in 1977, when the first proper State of Origin match was played, it saw Western Australia inflict its biggest defeat on a Victorian team.
East Perth's 1961 loss to Swan Districts would see that side's first ever premiership. Captain/coached by Haydn Bunton, Jr.
Haydn Bunton, Jr.
Haydn Austin Bunton was a player and coach of Australian rules football. He became the youngest ever coach in a major league of Australian rules, when he was appointed coach of Norwood Football Club in 1957....
, they became the team of the early 60's when they followed it up in 1962 and '63 to make it three in a row.
The dominating sides of the late 60's and early 70's were the three Perth teams. Perth won 3 in a row from 1966–68, and West Perth won in 1969 and 1971 captain/coached by Graham Farmer who had returned from over east. All 5 of these grand final wins came at the expense of East Perth who earned the bridesmaid tag in this era. However East Perth finally won through in the 1972 grand final.
After 1972 the competition was more evenly matched with every team winning a grand final over the next 10 years.
At this time crowds were as big as they ever were. The 1979 grand final was played before a record crowd of 52,781 and saw East Fremantle defeat arch rivals South Fremantle.
1980s
In 1980, the WANFL dropped the "N" and the "ern" and reverted to being called the WAFL.At the end of the 1980 season East Perth put in an application to join the VFL. The offer was withdrawn.
Crowds had been buoyed by State of Origin football that saw Western Australia's best players return home briefly, but this effect was short lived. Interest in the WAFL began a slow decline, as it became increasingly obvious that even larger numbers of the WAFL's best players were going to head east.
By 1983 the management of the WAFL itself acknowledged that economic crisis loomed. They approached the state government for financial aid, and were rewarded with a grant of $1.9 million. In response, the government wanted a full scale investigation into the likely future financial demands of football.
This led to the formation of the West Australian Football Commission who functioned independently of the WAFL.
In 1986 the decision had been made that the WAFL needed to become involved in helping the VFL, where several clubs were also struggling financially, to become national.
Against a backdrop in which several WAFL clubs were looking to enter the VFL or in which a struggling Victorian club may be relocated to Perth, the WAFL decided to hastily form a new club to enter the VFL such that they could retain control of a West Australian presence in the situation.
Meanwhile in the league Swan Districts won another hat-trick of premierships from 1982–84. East Fremantle, the WAFL's most successful club, won the centenary premiership in 1985 and in 1986 Subiaco had the honour to be the last club to win the premiership prior to Western Australia's participation in the national league.
VFL expansion
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
were formed and competed in the VFL for the first time in 1987 (the VFL was renamed the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
in 1990).
With many of Western Australia's best players now competing in a team that represented Western Australia on a national scale, it was suddenly apparent that the WAFL was not the prime focus of the football public as crowds and media attention centred on the 'national' league.
In 1990 the league was renamed the Western Australian State Football League, but it had reverted to WAFL by 1991.
Another locally-based AFL team, the Fremantle Football Club
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
were formed in 1994, and this cemented the position of WAFL as a second-class competition. (Indeed, the 1991 introduction of the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
to the VFL/AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
meant that the SANFL
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
was experiencing a similar decline to the WAFL.)
WAFL clubs have struggled ever since with their sudden demise from being technically equal to any VFL club, to feeder club status. However, they have enjoyed some benefits, such as the funds flowing from the WA-based AFL teams and the influx of talented players from other states, attempting to make a name for themselves.
In 1997, Peel Thunder
Peel Thunder Football Club
The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park...
— somewhat controversially — became the ninth WAFL club. Throughout their brief history, they have struggled to compete with the traditional eight clubs, which are generally opposed to their presence. This is partly because having an odd number of teams forces one team to have a bye each week.
Also in 1997, the WAFL was renamed Westar Rules, in an attempt to revamp the league's image. The name again reverted to WAFL in 2001.
Recent years have seen the WAFL stabilise itself as a league a step down from the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Having the best football players all playing in the AFL has lessened the standard of play; however this has recovered somewhat, with retired or delisted AFL players returning and young players coming through. It is becoming fairly common, however, for young players to be drafted as 17 or 18 year olds directly to the AFL and not play in the WAFL football for more than a few games.
Attendances have recovered slightly and in 2004, the league posted a total attendance of 202,797. The total attendance, including AFL games was a record 1,030,000. The 2005 WAFL Grand Final between South Fremantle and Claremont attracted 22,570 to Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
.
The 2006 WAFL Grand Final between Subiaco and South Fremantle attracted 21,287 to Subiacto Oval.
Future
While the WAFL has not been as keen as the SANFL to include teams from other states, there have been proposals to include teams from regions unwanted by the AFL, and to serve as a second-tier national league.The most pushed for expansion team was to be from Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, formed as a representative club of the Northern Territory Football League
Northern Territory Football League
The Northern Territory Football League is an 8 team Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.The premier grade is the largest Australian rules football league in the Northern Territory...
, however the NT team opted to join the Queensland Australian Football League
Queensland Australian Football League
The Queensland Australian Football League was an Australian rules football competition for clubs from South East Queensland.Up until 2010, the QAFL was the premier semi-professional competition in Queensland, with salary cap rules and regulations in place.It was previously known as the Queensland...
for the 2009 season.
Awards
The following awards are or were awarded each season:- The WAFL Premiership Cup for the winner of the WAFL Grand Final.
- The Sandover MedalSandover MedalThe Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League...
for the fairest & best player(s) in the WAFL. - The Simpson MedalSimpson MedalThe Simpson Medal, a prize for Australian rules football, has been donated by Dr. Fred Simpson and family since 1945. It is awarded to the best player in a WAFL Grand Final and the best player in an interstate game involving Western Australia....
' for the best players in the WAFL Grand Final. - The Bernie Naylor MedalBernie Naylor MedalThe Bernie Naylor Medal is an Australian rules football award which is given to the leading goalkicker at the end of each home and away season in the West Australian Football League. It is named after South Fremantle full-forward Bernie Naylor...
for the leading goalkicker during the home and away season. - The JJ Leonard Medal for the best coach during the season.
- The RP Rodriguez Shield for the best overall team, combining league, reserves and colts games.
- The Prendergast Medal for the fairest & best player(s) in the reserves.
- The Jack Clarke Medal for the fairest & best player(s) in the colts.
- The WA State Premiership (1903–24), awarded to the winner of a match between the WAFA/WAFL premiers and the GFA/GFLGoldfields Football LeagueThe Goldfields Football League is a regional Australian football league based in the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia. Originally founded in 1896 as Hannans District Football Association, the league enjoyed a seat and full voting rights on the Australian National Football Council until 1919...
premiers.
Team records
- Highest score: 40.18 (258) - South Fremantle vs West Perth 12.6 (78) at Fremantle OvalFremantle OvalFremantle Oval is a stadium in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members area holding 750. Fremantle Oval was originally used for cricket, but in 1895 hosted its first game of Australian rules football...
, Round 21, 1981 - Lowest score: 0.0 (0) - West Perth vs Rovers, 1895
-
-
-
- 0.0 (0) - Subiaco vs South Fremantle, 1906
- Most premierships (club): 29 - East Fremantle
- Most "wooden spoons": 20 - Subiaco
- Most successive finals appearances: 36 - East Fremantle (1916–51)
- Most consecutive unbeaten games: 35 - East Fremantle (1945–47)
- Most consecutive winless games: 34 - Subiaco (1903–05)
- Most Sandover Medals (club): 18 (East Perth)
- Most Bernie Naylor Medals/Leading Goalkicker Awards (club): 21 (Subiaco)
- Highest attendance: 52 781 at Subiaco OvalSubiaco OvalSubiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
, 1979 WAFL Grand Final between East Fremantle and South Fremantle
- 0.0 (0) - Subiaco vs South Fremantle, 1906
-
-
Individual records
- Most games: 371 - Mel WhinnenMel WhinnenMel Whinnen is a former Australian rules footballer who played with West Perth in the West Australian National Football League during the 1960s and 1970s. His 371 senior games for West Perth is a club record and also league record for any one club....
(West Perth) - Most consecutive games: 218 - Joel Cornelius (Swan Districts), 1995–2006
- Most goals: 1278 - Austin Robertson, Jr.Austin Robertson, Jr.Austin Christian Robertson was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the VFL and Subiaco in the WANFL...
(Subiaco) - Most goals in a season: 167 - Bernie NaylorBernie NaylorBernard George "Bernie" Naylor was an Australian rules footballer who was one of the most successful full-forwards in the history of the West Australian Football League...
(South Fremantle), 1953 - Most goals in a game: 23 - Bernie NaylorBernie NaylorBernard George "Bernie" Naylor was an Australian rules footballer who was one of the most successful full-forwards in the history of the West Australian Football League...
(South Fremantle) vs. Subiaco, 1953 - Most Sandover Medals (player): 4 - Bill Walker (Swan Districts), 1965–67; 1970
- Most Bernie Naylor Medals/Leading Goalkicker Awards (player): 8 - Austin Robertson, Jr.Austin Robertson, Jr.Austin Christian Robertson was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the VFL and Subiaco in the WANFL...
(Subiaco), 1962; 1964–65; 1968–72 - Oldest player: 44y, 49d - Walter Watts (Midland Junction), last game 1916
- Youngest player: 14y, 25d - Stan Hussey (Centrals) - first game 1891
West Australian Football Hall of Fame
On 12 March 2004, a West Australian Football Hall of Fame was formed when 81 former players, coaches, umpires, administrators and media representatives were inducted. More people have been inducted every year since then and as of 2009 there are twelve with 'Legend status'.The original legends were(in alphabetical order):
- Barry CableBarry CableBarry Cable is an Australian former Australian rules footballer who played in the West Australian National Football League and Victorian Football League . Cable played as a rover. He won the Sandover Medal three times while playing with the Perth Football Club.-Club career:Cable played 225 games...
- George DoigGeorge DoigGeorge Doig , was a full forward for the East Fremantle Football Club from 1933 to 1945.Born in Fremantle, Western Australia, George Doig's football career started in the South Suburban Football Competition in and around Fremantle. In one game in 1931 he kicked the whole score of his team - 26.21 -...
- Graham FarmerGraham FarmerGraham Vivian "Polly" Farmer, MBE is a retired Australian rules football player and coach. Born in Western Australia, he joined the East Perth Football Club as a ruckman in 1953, where he won several awards and contributed to the team winning three premierships...
- Merv McIntoshMerv McIntoshMervyn Francis "Merv" McIntosh was an Australian rules footballer in the West Australian National Football League...
- George MoloneyGeorge MoloneyGeorge "Specka" Moloney was a highly-regarded Australian rules footballer in both the West Australian National Football League and the Victorian Football League ....
- John ToddJohn Todd (footballer)John Todd is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. After becoming youngest ever winner of the Sandover Medal in his first year of senior football he suffered a serious knee injury, which affected his playing career...
- William 'Nipper' TruscottWilliam 'Nipper' TruscottWilliam John "Nipper" Truscott, Jr. was an Australian sportsman...
- Bill Walker
See also
- Australian rules football in Western AustraliaAustralian rules football in Western AustraliaAustralian rules football in Western Australia is the most popular sport in the state.-Early Beginnings:Organised football in the Perth/Fremantle region of Western Australia dates back to 1881. Back then though rugby union was the dominant football code...
- Western Australian State Premiership