1926 WAFL season | |
---|---|
Teams | 7 |
Premiers | East Perth 6th premiership |
Minor premiers | East Perth 6th minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | Johnny Leonard (Subiaco) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Bonny Campbell (East Perth) |
Matches played | 66 |
The 1926 WAFL season was the 42nd season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia.
Desire had existed upon some stakeholders to expand the competition ever since it contracted to six clubs during World War I, [1] but because districts were not applied to the senior competition until 1925, the leading contenders, former club Midland Junction and established B-grade club Claremont-Cottesloe, were not able to attract or keep top players. Claremont, wearing the blue and gold colours of the local swimming club, were admitted at a meeting on 19 August 1925 [2] and made their debut in 1926 but former “B” grade Claremont juniors with established WAFL clubs like Jerry Dolan and Pat Rodriguez were permitted to stay with their current clubs. Claremont had an exceedingly inexperienced team and were only able to win one game and that by a single point. [3] Patronisingly called the “babies” in their early years in the WAFL, [4] Claremont were not to finish above second-last in their first ten seasons, and were not helped by being the worst sufferer from the interstate recruiting drives of VFL clubs when the Great Depression began. [5]
With the return of champion coach Phil Matson after he was widely tipped to take over the reins at Richmond, [6] East Perth won their sixth premiership in eight seasons. West Perth, who had been last in 1924 but had a new grandstand constructed during the season at their eleven-year-old home base of Leederville, [7] rivalled them until September before the Royals showed themselves clearly the best team in the run home. Subiaco, who had developed what many regard as the best team it ever fielded in the previous season, [8] were disappointing until a stirring run from a mathematical chance for the four drives them to the Grand Final only to be thrashed – a scenario repeated by the Maroons in 1933.
Round 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 24 April (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 6.10 (46) | def. by | East Perth 16.21 (117) | Claremont Showground | [9] |
Saturday, 24 April (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 7.12 (54) | def. | Perth 6.8 (44) | Fremantle Oval | [10] |
Saturday, 24 April (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.7 (73) | def. by | South Fremantle 11.10 (76) | Subiaco Oval | [11] |
Bye West Perth | |||||
Claremont-Cottesloe make their league debut with only one established player in Norm McIntosh (formerly of Richmond) and are outplayed but viewed as “promising”. |
Round 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 1 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 9.11 (65) | def. | East Perth 9.10 (64) | WACA | [12] |
Saturday, 1 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 9.10 (64) | def. | East Fremantle 8.10 (58) | Fremantle Oval | [13] |
Saturday, 1 May (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.14 (80) | def. by | West Perth 7.14 (56) | Subiaco Oval | [14] |
Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | |||||
Round 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 7.17 (59) | def. | South Fremantle 5.9 (39) | Perth Oval | [15] |
Saturday, 8 May (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.8 (50) | def. by | Subiaco 15.19 (109) | Claremont Showground | [16] |
Saturday, 8 May (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 7.8 (50) | def. by | West Perth 9.4 (58) | Fremantle Oval | [17] |
Bye Perth | |||||
Round 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 15 May (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.8 (62) | def. by | East Fremantle 22.13 (145) | Claremont Showground | [18] |
Saturday, 15 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 11.6 (72) | def. | Subiaco 8.4 (52) | WACA | [19] |
Saturday, 15 May (2:45 pm) | West Perth 7.9 (51) | def. by | East Perth 8.11 (59) | Leederville Oval | [20] |
Bye South Fremantle | |||||
Despite steady rain in what became a record wet year, [21] East Fremantle kick the highest score in the WAFL since 1917, when Perth kicked 24.21 (165) against defunct Midland Junction. [22] |
Round 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 22 May (2:45 pm) | West Perth 18.20 (128) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 8.10 (58) | Leederville Oval | [23] |
Saturday, 22 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 8.14 (62) | def. by | East Fremantle 10.10 (70) | Perth Oval | [24] |
Saturday, 22 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 8.12 (60) | def. | Perth 8.9 (57) | Fremantle Oval | [25] |
Bye Subiaco | |||||
After Perth came back from three to four goals down all afternoon, Sol Lawn kicked the winning goal when he received a wild kick to open spaces with ninety seconds remaining. [26] |
Round 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 May (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 5.13 (43) | def. by | East Fremantle 8.7 (55) | Subiaco Oval | [27] |
Saturday, 29 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 11.11 (77) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.2 (44) | Fremantle Oval | [28] |
Saturday, 29 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 11.11 (77) | def. by | West Perth 13.18 (96) | WACA | [29] |
Bye East Perth | |||||
Round 7 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 June (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 6.12 (48) | def. by | Perth 22.17 (149) | Claremont Showground | [30] |
Saturday, 5 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 11.10 (76) | def. | South Fremantle 11.8 (74) | Leederville Oval | [31] |
Saturday, 5 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 8.6 (54) | def. | Subiaco 8.5 (53) | Perth Oval | [32] |
Bye East Fremantle | |||||
Perth’s thrashing of Claremont-Cottesloe is the second time in four games the new team concedes the highest score in the WAFL since 1917. [22] |
Round 8 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monday, 7 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | def. | Subiaco 10.14 (74) | Fremantle Oval | [33] |
Monday, 7 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 9.20 (74) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.11 (53) | Perth Oval | [34] |
Monday, 7 June (2:45 pm) | Perth 9.9 (63) | def. | East Fremantle 9.8 (62) | WACA | [35] |
Bye West Perth | |||||
The match between Perth and East Fremantle features a remarkable scoreline with quarter-time margins totalling only 4 points (1, 2, 0 and 1 points). |
Round 9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 12 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 13.14 (92) | def. | Subiaco 9.11 (65) | Leederville Oval | [36] |
Saturday, 12 June (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 8.20 (68) | def. | South Fremantle 2.7 (19) | Fremantle Oval | [37] |
Saturday, 12 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 15.18 (108) | def. | Perth 10.5 (65) | Perth Oval | [38] |
Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | |||||
South Fremantle’s score remains their lowest in open-age competition since scoring only 1.8 (14) against Subiaco in 1918. [39] |
Round 10 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 7.14 (56) | def. by | East Fremantle 9.9 (63) | Leederville Oval | [40] |
Saturday, 19 June (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 19.9 (123) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 4.9 (33) | Subiaco Oval | [41] |
Saturday, 19 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 5.6 (36) | def. by | East Perth 15.15 (105) | Fremantle Oval | [42] |
Bye Perth | |||||
Pat Rodriguez kicks ten goals for Subiaco despite wet conditions, the first time this had been accomplished for the club. |
Round 11 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 26 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 14.9 (93) | def. | West Perth 11.10 (76) | Perth Oval (crowd: [43] ) | |
Saturday, 26 June (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 13.17 (95) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 11.6 (72) | Fremantle Oval | [44] |
Saturday, 26 June (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.11 (77) | def. | Perth 10.15 (75) | Subiaco Oval | [45] |
Bye South Fremantle | |||||
Subiaco continue their improved form following five consecutive losses to come back and defeat the Redlegs in a stirring match where they withstand the black and reds in the final minute. |
Round 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 3 July (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.10 (64) | def. by | West Perth 14.18 (102) | Claremont Showground | [46] |
Saturday, 3 July (2:45 pm) | Perth 12.15 (87) | def. | South Fremantle 4.7 (31) | WACA | [47] |
Saturday, 3 July (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 8.19 (67) | def. | East Perth 6.9 (45) | Fremantle Oval | [48] |
Bye Subiaco | |||||
East Fremantle take top position from the Royals with an excellent win despite some exceptionally bad misses from in front and close-in. |
Round 13 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 10 July (2:45 pm) | West Perth 9.11 (65) | def. | Perth 6.10 (46) | Leederville Oval | [49] |
Saturday, 10 July (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 11.7 (73) | def. | Subiaco 9.10 (64) | Fremantle Oval | [50] |
Saturday, 10 July (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 8.17 (65) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.10 (106) | Claremont Showground | [51] |
Bye East Perth | |||||
Round 14 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 17 July (2:45 pm) | Perth 12.16 (88) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 8.11 (59) | WACA | [52] |
Saturday, 17 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 10.9 (69) | drew with | East Perth 9.15 (69) | Subiaco Oval | [53] |
Saturday, 17 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 5.14 (44) | def. by | West Perth 7.11 (53) | Fremantle Oval | [54] |
Bye East Fremantle | |||||
|
Round 15 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 31 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 10.17 (77) | def. | East Perth 3.11 (29) | Fremantle Oval | [56] |
Saturday, 31 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.12 (78) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.11 (65) | Subiaco Oval | [57] |
Saturday, 31 July (2:45 pm) | West Perth 12.13 (85) | def. | East Fremantle 5.9 (39) | Leederville Oval | [58] |
Bye Perth | |||||
|
Round 16 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 7 August (2:45 pm) | Perth 7.10 (52) | def. by | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | WACA | [59] |
Saturday, 7 August (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 4.13 (37) | def. by | West Perth 9.19 (73) | Claremont Showground | [60] |
Saturday, 7 August (2:45 pm) | East Perth 10.8 (68) | def. | East Fremantle 8.6 (54) | Subiaco Oval | [61] |
Bye Subiaco | |||||
Round 17 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 14 August (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 7.18 (60) | def. | East Fremantle 6.4 (40) | Subiaco Oval | [62] |
Saturday, 14 August (2:45 pm) | West Perth 12.16 (88) | def. | Perth 12.7 (79) | Leederville Oval | [63] |
Saturday, 14 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 7.10 (52) | def. by | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.11 (53) | Fremantle Oval | [64] |
Bye East Perth | |||||
|
Round 18 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 21 August (2:45 pm) | Perth 11.19 (85) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.10 (64) | WACA | [65] |
Saturday, 21 August (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 8.6 (54) | def. by | East Perth 12.14 (86) | Subiaco Oval | [66] |
Saturday, 21 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 10.8 (68) | def. by | West Perth 15.12 (102) | Fremantle Oval | [67] |
Bye East Fremantle | |||||
East Perth, with only seventeen men after half-time as “Digger” Thomas breaks his jaw, easily win a Grand Final preview. |
Round 19 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 4 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 12.14 (86) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.11 (65) | Fremantle Oval | [68] |
Saturday, 4 September (2:45 pm) | Perth 5.4 (34) | def. by | Subiaco 4.13 (37) | WACA | [69] |
Saturday, 4 September (2:45 pm) | East Perth 21.8 (134) | def. | West Perth 10.11 (71) | Perth Oval | [70] |
Bye South Fremantle | |||||
|
Round 20 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 11 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 9.12 (66) | def. | Perth 8.10 (58) | Fremantle Oval | [73] |
Saturday, 11 September (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 19.18 (132) | def. | South Fremantle 8.7 (55) | Subiaco Oval | [74] |
Saturday, 11 September (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.7 (61) | def. by | East Perth 16.14 (110) | Claremont Showground | [75] |
Bye West Perth | |||||
Subiaco, who had looked out of the running a month ago, seize fourth position with their victory, leaving their last round match with West Perth to potentially decide both fourth position and the minor premiership. |
Round 21 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 18 September (2:45 pm) | East Perth 15.17 (107) | def. | Perth 10.11 (71) | Perth Oval | [76] |
Saturday, 18 September (2:45 pm) | West Perth 4.13 (37) | def. by | Subiaco 9.16 (70) | Leederville Oval | [77] |
Saturday, 18 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 12.9 (81) | def. | South Fremantle 11.13 (79) | Fremantle Oval | [78] |
Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | |||||
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Perth (P) | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1443 | 1078 | 133.9 | 54 |
2 | East Fremantle | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1226 | 1067 | 114.9 | 48 |
3 | West Perth | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1365 | 1200 | 113.8 | 48 |
4 | Subiaco | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1313 | 1103 | 119.0 | 38 |
5 | South Fremantle | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1119 | 1268 | 88.2 | 32 |
6 | Perth | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1267 | 1219 | 103.9 | 28 |
7 | Claremont-Cottesloe | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 999 | 1797 | 55.6 | 4 |
First semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 25 September (2:45 pm) | West Perth 8.9 (57) | def. by | Subiaco 8.14 (62) | Perth Oval (crowd: 7,629) | |
Subiaco come back from a half-time deficit to repeat their last-round win. [80] |
Second semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 2 October (2:45 pm) | East Perth 11.17 (83) | def. | East Fremantle 5.9 (39) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9,098) | |
East Perth run away after a close first half to win very easily over their rivals of the time. [81] |
1926 WAFL Grand Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 9 October (2:45 pm) | East Perth | def. | Subiaco | WACA Ground (crowd: 8,722) | [82] |
0.4 (4) 6.10 (46) 8.12 (60) 11.19 (85) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 1.1 (7) 2.1 (13) 4.5 (29) 5.5 (35) | Umpires: Frank O‘Connor | ||
Campbell 4, Sparrow 2, Walsh, Gepp, Hubble, Duffy, Western | Goals | Grigg 2, Cockburn, Leonard, Green | |||
Walsh (best on ground), Guhl, O‘Meara, Gepp, Sherlock, C. Mitchell, Sparrow | Best | Outridge, Brophy, Hickey, Leonard (until injured), Green | |||
Injuries | Leonard (concussion) | ||||
This was the last WAFL Grand Final at the WACA, and saw East Perth’s most decisive triumph during its 1919 to 1927 dynasty. Bonny Campbell took his goalkicking record to 89. |
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from April to September, with the top five teams playing off in a finals series, culminating in a Grand Final. The league also runs reserves, colts (under-19) and women's competitions.
The 1934 WANFL season was the 50th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. Following upon numerous unsuccessful attempts to revive Midland Junction during the 1920s, Bassendean-based Swan Districts were admitted to the competition. The black and whites were more competitive than previous new clubs owing to the presence of a number of players with previous WANFL experience, including Fred Sweetapple from West Perth, captain-coach "Judda" Bee from East Fremantle and Nigel Gorn from South Fremantle, but after five promising campaigns were to endure nineteen open-age seasons without once winning as many matches as they lost.
The 1933 WANFL season was the 49th season of the Western Australian National Football League in its various incarnations. It was the last year of a seven-team senior competition, and saw George Doig, during the second semi-final, become the first player to kick one hundred goals in a season.
The 1932 WANFL season was the 48th season of the Western Australian National Football League. The premiership was won by West Perth for the first time since 1905. The Cardinals’ win ended both a run of four consecutive premierships by East Fremantle, which won its fifth of seven successive minor premierships but lost both finals it played to be eliminated in the preliminary final, and West Perth's longest premiership drought in its history. West Perth's win was highlighted by the success of champion full forward Ted Tyson, who headed the goalkicking with eighty-four goals including a record eight in the Grand Final[a]. Tyson went on to kick an unprecedented 1,203 goals during a twelve-season career with the Cardinals, but their rise from winning only six matches in 1931 was due to the development of second-year defender Max Tetley, the discovery of a third pre-war Cardinal stalwart in Norm McDiarmid,[b] brother of star ruckman Jack, plus further outstanding youngsters Jim Morgan and Bob Dalziell.
The 1931 WANFL season was the 47th season of the Western Australian National Football League and the first under that moniker, having been called the West Australian Football League (WAFL) until 1930.
The 1930 WAFL season was the 46th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations, and the last before it changed its name to the ‘Western Australian National Football League’. The season saw East Fremantle win the premiership for the third consecutive season, marking the second time that the club had achieved the feat; the club was never seriously challenged as the best team except during the interstate break and achieved the unusual feat of being the only club with a percentage of over 100.[a] Jerry Dolan said in retrospect that East Fremantle's 1930 team was the greatest he had ever played in or coached – including even the unbeaten team of 1946.
The 1929 WAFL season was the 45th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.
The 1935 WANFL season was the 51st season of the Western Australian National Football League. The season saw West Perth win the premiership under the coaching of Johnny Leonard; it was the only time in West Perth's history that it won consecutive premierships, preceding a brief but exceptionally steep decline that saw the Cardinals four years later suffer the equal longest losing streak in WA(N)FL history.
The 1936 WANFL season was the 52nd season of the Western Australian National Football League. The most conspicuous features were the rise of Claremont to their first finals appearance since entering the WAFL ten years beforehand after having won only forty of its first 183 games, and the thrilling finals series in which East Perth rose to their first premiership for nine years after holding on to a thrilling struggle for fourth position where all eight clubs were in the running well into August, then winning two finals by a solitary point. In the process the Royals set a record for the most losses by an eventual premiership club in major Australian Rules leagues,[a] but won their last open-age premiership until 1956. The Royals overcame much adversity to win the premiership, including a crippling injury toll and a schedule modified to allow them to tour Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania between 4 July and the first week of August.
The 1928 WAFL season was the 44th season of the West Australian Football League. The most notable event of the season occurred off the field on Monday, 11 June, when champion East Perth coach Phil Matson was killed in a truck crash at Nedlands after being thrown into a telegraph post. The Royals under the coaching of Paddy Hebbard did manage to reach a challenge final against minor premiers East Fremantle, but were beaten and suffered an abrupt fall to a clear last the following season.
The 1937 WANFL season was the 53rd season of the Western Australian National Football League. The season saw numerous notable highlights, including:
The 1927 WAFL season was the 43rd season of the West Australian Football League. It saw the last premiership of the East Perth dynasty dating back to the end of World War I, as mastermind coach Phil Matson was to be killed in a truck crash the following year and the Royals were to fall to a clear last in 1929 as most of their champions retired. Despite opening their permanent home ground at Claremont Oval, newcomers Claremont-Cottesloe showed little improvement on their debut season and again won only a single game. The most notable change in fortunes was from South Fremantle, who had their first season with more wins than losses since their last premiership in 1917, and extended Matson's Royals in the grand final.
The 1938 WANFL season was the 54th season of the Western Australian National Football League, and saw Claremont, under champion coach Johnny Leonard who had transferred from West Perth, win its first premiership after losing two Grand Finals and drawing the first one this season. The blue and golds were to win the following two premierships before a long period near the foot of the ladder after Claremont Oval was gutted by a fire in 1944.
The 1939 WANFL season was the 55th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. It is best known for West Perth's record losing streak of twenty-seven matches up to the fifteenth round, an ignominy equalled by Peel Thunder in their formative years but never actually beaten. The Cardinals finished with the worst record since Midland Junction lost all twelve games in 1917, and were the first WANFL team with only one victory for twelve seasons. In their only win, champion forward Ted Tyson became the first West Australian to kick over one thousand goals and he just failed to replicate his 1938 feat of leading the goalkicking for a bottom club. Subiaco, despite a second Sandover win from Haydn Bunton won only three matches, and Swan Districts, affected by the loss of star goalkicker Ted Holdsworth to Kalgoorlie, began a long period as a cellar-dweller with a fall to sixth.
The 1925 WAFL season was the 41st season of the West Australian Football League. It was notable as the season where a fully-fledged system of district football was firmly in place after two seasons of planning, with Perth divided into eight zones, one of which was allocated to Claremont in preparation for their entry to senior WAFL ranks for 1926 and another covered the Midland area later to be allocated to Swan Districts. Along with this, the WAFL introduced a reserves competition for players not good enough for their club's league team.
The 1940 WANFL season was the 56th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. It saw Claremont win its third consecutive premiership, but its last before returning to the status of cellar-dweller it occupied during its first decade in the WA(N)FL – between 1943 and 1978 Claremont played finals only five times for one premiership. South Fremantle, after a lean period in the middle 1930s, displaced perennial power clubs East Fremantle and East Perth as the Tigers’ Grand Final opponent, and established some of the basis, in spite of three disastrous wartime under-age seasons, for the club's fabled dynasty after the war.
The 1923 WAFL season was the 39th season of the West Australian Football League. It saw East Perth set an unequalled WAFL record of five consecutive premierships, which in major Australian Rules leagues has only been beaten by SANFL club Port Adelaide with six straight from 1954 to 1959 and equalled by Sturt between 1966 and 1970. The Royals prevailed after two superb games with East Fremantle, who had had its last two home-and-away games cancelled due to undertaking a tour of Victoria and South Australia.
The 1942 WANFL season was the 58th season of the Western Australian National Football League. Whilst the previous two seasons had been increasingly affected by the drift of players to the services, the 1941/1942 off-season saw the Imperial Japanese Navy and air force move into the north of Western Australia, bombing many northwestern settlements.
The 1922 WAFL season was the 38th season of the West Australian Football League. It saw East Perth equal East Fremantle's feat of winning four consecutive premierships, this time against a rejuvenated West Perth team which had a lean period since 1912. Their most notable feat during the season was a record comeback against South Fremantle, but on an August tour of the Eastern States the Royals also defeated SANFL premiers Norwood by the score of 8.20 (68) to 7.10 (52) and runners-up West Adelaide by 11.12 (78) to 7.12 (54), after having lost by a point to St. Kilda two weeks beforehand. A consequence of their trip – hastily planned when Subiaco's tour there was cancelled during July – was that their last round match with wooden-spooner Perth was never played – a cancellation to be repeated the following season.
The 2022 WAFL season is the 138th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL).The season commenced on the 15th of April, and concluded with the Grand Final on the 1st of October, with West Perth defeating Claremont at Leederville Oval by 12 points. Fixtures were released in stages, to allow for COVID flexibility. The first stage saw the first nine rounds of the season be released, rounds 10-14 were released before the start of Round 7, and the final rounds (14-20) were released on July 8, before the start of Round 12. All the teams from the previous season have been retained, as there was speculation if the West Coast Eagles reserves would return.