1971 WAFL season | |
---|---|
Teams | 8 |
Premiers | West Perth 14th premiership |
Minor premiers | East Perth 13th minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | David Hollins (East Fremantle) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Austin Robertson, Jr. (Subiaco) |
Matches played | 88 |
The 1971 WANFL season was the 87th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League, and the forty-first (including three wartime under-age seasons) under that moniker.
Following half a decade dominated with the exception of two challenges from South Fremantle by the three Perth clubs and Austin Robertson's goalkicking, 1971 saw a changing of the guard, with Perth, in Mal Atwell’s last season as coach, dropping to second from bottom owing to the weakness of their forward line, [1] and Subiaco also fell out of the four after an off-season disrupted by efforts to thwart potential clearances of goal machine Robertson, half-forward George Young, and promising young players Stephen Heal and Peter Featherby. [2]
After a promising season in 1970 and the acquisition of Colin Tully from Collingwood, John Evans from St. Kilda and 30-possession-per-game rover Ross Parker from VFA club Prahran, [3] Claremont became early favourites for the flag. [4] [5] The Tigers faltered later on however, and despite playing finals for only the fourth time since 1942 and the first since 1965, were regarded as disappointing. East Perth, despite a noticeable roving weakness owing to the injury-related retirement of Keith Doncon, [6] won fifteen of seventeen matches but failed in the Grand Final before rivals West Perth, who after a disappointing 1970 returned to second position and sent champion ruckman “Polly” Farmer out on a high note with his sixth senior premiership and second as their captain-coach. More significantly, East Fremantle, after four disastrous seasons, reached the preliminary final under the coaching of future Hawthorn premiership mentor Alan Joyce and nearly overcame the Cardinals in a heart-stopping preliminary.
Although the season did not quite reach the previous season's record average score of 100.76 points per team per game, it did see a record-high losing score and the highest score and greatest winning margin for over a decade.
Round 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 10 April (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 26.20 (176) | def. | Subiaco 11.17 (83) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 12430) | |
Saturday, 10 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 17.20 (122) | def. by | East Fremantle 19.12 (126) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10713) | [7] |
Monday, 12 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 12.13 (85) | def. by | Perth 14.9 (93) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 16444) | |
Monday, 12 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 10.17 (77) | def. by | East Perth 19.18 (132) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 11230) | |
|
Round 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 17 April (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 8.7 (55) | def. by | West Perth 15.16 (106) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8857) | [10] |
Saturday, 17 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 14.20 (104) | drew with | Swan Districts 15.14 (104) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7662) | |
Saturday, 17 April (2:15 pm) | East Perth 11.10 (76) | def. by | Claremont 13.13 (91) | Perth Oval (crowd: 11732) | [11] |
Saturday, 17 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 17.13 (115) | def. by | South Fremantle 18.15 (123) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 14956) | |
|
Round 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 24 April (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 12.12 (84) | def. by | Perth 15.12 (102) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 13401) | |
Saturday, 24 April (2:15 pm) | East Perth 19.17 (131) | def. | Subiaco 12.9 (81) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8688) | |
Saturday, 24 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 8.17 (65) | def. by | West Perth 9.4 (58) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 12023) | |
Saturday, 24 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 15.21 (111) | def. | East Fremantle 11.9 (75) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 8804) | |
|
Round 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 1 May (2:15 pm) | West Perth 16.16 (112) | def. | South Fremantle 12.10 (82) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 13117) | |
Saturday, 1 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 17.14 (116) | def. | East Perth 11.14 (80) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 12031) | |
Saturday, 1 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 6.12 (48) | def. by | Claremont 19.13 (127) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 9989) | [17] |
Saturday, 1 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 12.12 (84) | def. by | Subiaco 15.19 (109) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6677) | |
|
Round 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 7.7 (49) | def. by | West Perth 14.15 (99) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 9000) | |
Saturday, 8 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 16.13 (109) | def. | Perth 11.6 (72) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8332) | |
Saturday, 8 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 20.13 (133) | def. | South Fremantle 14.11 (95) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 12863) | |
Saturday, 8 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 23.16 (154) | def. | East Perth 18.17 (125) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8071) | [19] |
|
Round 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 15 May (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 17.21 (123) | def. | Swan Districts 15.12 (102) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7183) | [22] |
Saturday, 15 May (2:15 pm) | West Perth 9.10 (64) | def. by | East Perth 19.14 (128) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 12420) | |
Saturday, 15 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 22.20 (152) | def. | Subiaco 17.8 (110) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10923) | [5] |
Saturday, 15 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 14.12 (96) | def. by | East Fremantle 19.11 (125) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8557) | |
|
Round 7 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 22 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 9.13 (67) | def. by | Swan Districts 13.14 (92) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3729) | |
Saturday, 22 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 11.11 (77) | def. | South Fremantle 10.11 (71) | Perth Oval (crowd: 7209) | |
Saturday, 22 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 8.15 (63) | def. by | Perth 9.10 (64) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 6924) | |
Saturday, 22 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.5 (59) | def. | West Perth 6.11 (47) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6657) | [25] |
|
Round 8 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 26.9 (165) | def. | South Fremantle 20.21 (141) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9562) | |
Saturday, 29 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 21.4 (130) | def. by | West Perth 21.12 (138) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 11037) | [30] |
Saturday, 29 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 23.16 (154) | def. | Swan Districts 7.14 (56) | Perth Oval (crowd: 9457) | |
Saturday, 29 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 16.10 (106) | def. by | Claremont 27.13 (175) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 13569) | [31] |
|
Round 9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 16.17 (113) | def. | Subiaco 12.9 (81) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 12295) | [36] |
Saturday, 5 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 7.11 (53) | def. by | Perth 11.16 (82) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6085) | [37] |
Monday, 7 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 11.14 (80) | def. by | East Perth 11.17 (83) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 15882) | |
Monday, 7 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 12.19 (91) | def. by | East Fremantle 24.10 (154) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11890) | |
East Perth snatch a win after an all-day thriller with seventeen seconds remaining in front of a record Claremont Oval crowd, following what critics regarded as the finest match of the season. [38] |
Round 10 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 12 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 13.9 (87) | def. by | South Fremantle 13.15 (93) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 9268) | [39] |
Saturday, 12 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 17.14 (116) | def. by | East Perth 19.15 (129) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9888) | |
Saturday, 12 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 15.9 (99) | def. | Claremont 13.13 (91) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 14576) | |
Saturday, 12 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 19.19 (133) | def. | Swan Districts 9.16 (70) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7179) | |
|
Round 11 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 11.9 (75) | def. by | West Perth 11.17 (83) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11340) | [42] |
Saturday, 19 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.11 (131) | def. | Perth 16.11 (107) | Perth Oval (crowd: 13846) | |
Saturday, 19 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 18.12 (120) | def. | Swan Districts 14.11 (95) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7170) | [43] |
Saturday, 19 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 21.8 (134) | def. | East Fremantle 13.9 (87) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 7952) | |
Subiaco, after many selection controversies – notably dropping George Young and Keith Watt to the reserves – produce their best performance of 1971 with three quarters of masterful teamwork. [44] |
Round 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 26 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 31.18 (204) | def. | Swan Districts 6.10 (46) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 7092) | |
Saturday, 26 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 14.15 (99) | def. | Subiaco 12.9 (81) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 9140) | |
Saturday, 26 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 20.13 (133) | def. | Claremont 18.17 (125) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9877) | |
Saturday, 26 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.13 (133) | def. | East Fremantle 14.10 (94) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10288) | |
|
Round 13 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 3 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 16.16 (112) | def. | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4116) | [49] |
Saturday, 3 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 27.16 (178) | def. | West Perth 12.8 (80) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10783) | |
Saturday, 3 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 17.14 (116) | def. | Claremont 9.15 (69) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6606) | [50] |
Saturday, 3 July (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 14.15 (99) | def. | Perth 14.13 (97) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6727) | |
|
Round 14 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 10 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 16.6 (102) | def. by | Subiaco 18.22 (130) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6783) | |
Saturday, 10 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 16.8 (104) | def. by | East Perth 18.12 (120) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10224) | [54] |
Saturday, 10 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 15.9 (99) | def. | Claremont 13.14 (92) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 10816) | |
Saturday, 10 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 9.10 (64) | def. by | East Fremantle 13.14 (92) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10774) | |
|
Round 15 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 24 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 15.13 (103) | def. | Subiaco 11.14 (80) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4443) | [58] |
Saturday, 24 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 10.13 (73) | def. | Perth 9.13 (67) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5849) | |
Saturday, 24 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 13.8 (86) | def. | East Perth 11.16 (82) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3879) | |
Saturday, 24 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 16.11 (107) | def. | East Fremantle 7.14 (56) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 6031) | |
|
Round 16 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 31 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 13.14 (92) | def. | West Perth 8.10 (58) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 7616) | [63] |
Saturday, 31 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 16.11 (107) | def. | Swan Districts 14.13 (97) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6369) | [64] |
Saturday, 31 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 11.13 (79) | def. | Claremont 10.7 (67) | Perth Oval (crowd: 12126) | |
Saturday, 31 July (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 7.14 (56) | def. by | South Fremantle 18.12 (120) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9407) | |
|
Round 17 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 7 August (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 11.10 (76) | def. | Perth 7.13 (55) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10075) | |
Saturday, 7 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 14.11 (95) | def. | Subiaco 7.13 (55) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10148) | [67] |
Saturday, 7 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 7.5 (47) | def. by | West Perth 16.12 (108) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10394) | |
Saturday, 7 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 9.9 (63) | def. by | East Fremantle 13.15 (93) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5250) | |
|
Round 18 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 14 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 14.15 (99) | def. | South Fremantle 10.8 (68) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 9096) | |
Saturday, 14 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 7.15 (57) | def. | Perth 6.9 (45) | Perth Oval (crowd: 7080) | |
Saturday, 14 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 10.9 (69) | def. by | Claremont 14.7 (91) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3480) | |
Saturday, 14 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 12.18 (90) | def. | Subiaco 8.21 (69) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4511) | |
|
Round 19 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 21 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 12.11 (83) | def. by | West Perth 20.16 (136) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6051) | |
Saturday, 21 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 10.12 (72) | def. by | Subiaco 14.10 (94) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6833) | [74] |
Saturday, 21 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 25.15 (165) | def. | South Fremantle 17.8 (110) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10600) | |
Saturday, 21 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 15.19 (109) | def. | East Perth 12.13 (85) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8924) | |
|
Round 20 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 28 August (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 27.14 (176) | def. | Swan Districts 19.16 (130) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4201) | |
Saturday, 28 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 12.13 (85) | def. by | East Perth 15.10 (100) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 16478) | [77] |
Saturday, 28 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 14.14 (98) | def. | Claremont 8.11 (59) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8854) | [78] |
Saturday, 28 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 13.11 (89) | def. by | East Fremantle 13.16 (94) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7778) | |
|
Round 21 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 4 September (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 16.13 (109) | def. | Swan Districts 15.13 (103) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4260) | |
Saturday, 4 September (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.13 (133) | def. | South Fremantle 8.9 (57) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8117) | |
Saturday, 4 September (2:15 pm) | Claremont 13.18 (96) | def. | Perth 6.7 (43) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 6566) | |
Saturday, 4 September (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.11 (65) | def. by | West Perth 16.14 (110) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 12229) | |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Perth | 21 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 2308 | 1795 | 128.6 | 64 |
2 | West Perth (P) | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2021 | 1746 | 115.8 | 52 |
3 | East Fremantle | 21 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 2066 | 2140 | 96.5 | 48 |
4 | Claremont | 21 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2137 | 1871 | 114.2 | 44 |
5 | Subiaco | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 2034 | 2133 | 95.4 | 40 |
6 | South Fremantle | 21 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 2182 | 2288 | 95.4 | 36 |
7 | Perth | 21 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 1826 | 1924 | 94.9 | 34 |
8 | Swan Districts | 21 | 4 | 16 | 1 | 1748 | 2425 | 72.1 | 18 |
First semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 11 September (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 18.21 (129) | def. | Claremont 11.16 (82) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 27,813) | [84] |
With regular full-back Neil Dedman kicking seven goals at full-forward, East Fremantle overrun favourites Claremont in the second half, [85] as the Tigers’ expected ruck and key forward superiority is never observed. [86] |
Second semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 18 September (2:15 pm) | East Perth 9.8 (62) | def. | West Perth 7.10 (52) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 25,667) | [87] |
With winds gusting to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and heavy, squalling rain, [88] the move of Eddie Pitter onto the field and of Bygraves to full-forward drives East Perth to a fourth victory over the Cardinals for 1971, [85] after West Perth looked safe at half-time. |
Preliminary final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 25 September (2:15 pm) | West Perth 12.7 (79) | def. | East Fremantle 11.10 (76) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 23,447) | |
|
1971 WANFL Grand Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 2 October | East Perth | def. by | West Perth | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 50,975) | [91] |
2.1 (13) 3.5 (23) 5.10 (40) 9.15 (69) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 6.6 (42) 9.10 (64) 11.14 (80) 14.17 (101) | Umpires: Lindsay Johnston Simpson Medal: Shane Sheridan (West Perth) | ||
Tierney 5, Verstegen, McPherson, Michalczyk, Bygraves | Goals | Smeath 4, Smith 2, Arnott 2, Dyson 2, Miller 2, Farmer, Sheridan | |||
McAullay, Chadwick, Tierney, Burns, Gillespie, Brown, Hayes | Best | Sheridan, Farmer, Steward, McAuliffe, Dempsey, Watling, O‘Dwyer, Whinnen, Miller | |||
Mihalczyk (foot) | Injuries | Miller (bruised shoulder) Arnott (cramp) | |||
In champion ruckman “Polly” Farmer’s farewell after 356 senior matches, West Perth’s runners dominate over the favoured Royals, who suffer their seventh consecutive loss in grand finals, leading to severe questioning of the Royals’ mental toughness. [92] |
a Had Perth won, the last-round match at Claremont Oval would have determined fourth position.
b George Doig (in 1934 to 1937, 1940 and 1941) and Bernie Naylor (in 1946 to 1948 and 1952 to 1954) previously held the record with six.
The 1986 WAFL season was the 102nd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. It was the last season before the introduction of the West Coast Eagles in the VFL which would relegate the WAFL to a second-level league from 1987, and already all WAFL clubs were in severe financial difficulties as attendances were stagnant at best since 1970 and the financial power of wealthy VFL clubs drew most top players away and left below-market transfer fees as WAFL clubs' inadequate main income source.
The 1985 WAFL season was the 101st season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 30 March and concluded on 21 September with the 1985 WAFL Grand Final contested between East Fremantle and Subiaco.
The 1983 WAFL season was the 99th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. The season opened on 31 March and concluded on 17 September with the 1983 WAFL Grand Final contested between Claremont and Swan Districts.
The 1982 WAFL season was the 98th season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 27 March 1982 and concluded on 18 September 1982 with the 1982 WAFL Grand Final contested between Claremont and Swan Districts. Under the coaching of John Todd, Swans won the 1982, 1983 and 1984 premierships before the financial lure of the VFL deprived it one by one of the stars of this period. The black and whites’ win was marred a little, however, by their decision to play a virtual reserve grade lineup against Richmond in an Escort Cup quarter-final after the game was postponed twice[a] and the VFL Tigers refused to play the match at Subiaco Oval on a Monday afternoon – Richmond won 33.16 (214) to 4.4 (28) and Swan Districts were suspended from the competition until 1985, despite the WAFL approving of their decision after Todd argued it was normal practice among VFL clubs to play reserves players in the Escort Cup.
The 1981 WAFL season was the 97th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. The season opened on 11 April and concluded on 3 October with the 1981 WAFL Grand Final between Claremont and South Fremantle. It was the last WAFL season to begin in April and end in October; from 1982 the league shifted the schedule of the season forward by a week and in later years by another.
The 1980 WAFL season was the 96th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.
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 1978 WANFL season was the 94th season of the Western Australian National Football League in its various incarnations, and the second-last under that moniker.
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 1976 WANFL season was the 92nd season of the Western Australian National Football League in its various incarnations.
The 1975 WANFL season was the 91st season of senior Australian rules football in Perth and the forty-fifth as the “Western Australian National Football League”. The season saw West Perth, after unexpectedly falling to last in 1974, rise under former Fitzroy coach Graham Campbell to a remarkable premiership win over South Fremantle by a record 104 points in front of what was then the biggest WANFL crowd on record and has since been only exceeded by the 1979 Grand Final. The Bulldogs, apart from Claremont the least successful WANFL club between 1957 and 1974, rose with arrival of Aboriginal stars Stephen Michael and Maurice Rioli to their first finals appearance in five years and began their greatest era since their golden days of the middle 1950s. With East Perth, revitalised after injuries affected their 1974 campaign, and the inconsistent but at times incomparable Swan Districts, they comprised a top four that remained unchanged for the final fourteen rounds.
The 1974 WAFL season was the 90th season of the various incarnations of senior football in Perth and the forty-fourth as the "Western Australian National Football League". It continued the fluctuating fortunes of clubs that had been part and parcel of the league since 1970, with East Perth, the most consistent player in the competition for eight years, missing finals participation for the only time in seventeen seasons between 1966 and 1982 due largely to injuries to key defenders Gary Malarkey, who missed the second half of the season, and Ken McAullay who did not play at all. West Perth fell from runners-up to their worst season since 1939, largely owing to the loss of 1973 leading goalkicker Phil Smith which left a gaping hole in their attack.
The 1973 WANFL season was the 89th season of the Western Australian National Football League. It is most famous for Subiaco breaking the longest premiership drought in the history of the competition, winning for the first time since 1924 after having been a chopping block for most of the middle third of the century. Under the coaching of former St Kilda champion Ross Smith, the Lions, as they became christened in July, bounced back from two disappointing seasons to lose only two of their final sixteen home-and-away games for their first minor premiership since 1935, then in a low-scoring Grand Final comfortably defeated a much more hardened West Perth team.
The 1972 WANFL season was the 88th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. It saw East Perth, after five Grand Final losses in six seasons and a frustrating seven since their last premiership in 1959, break the drought against a Claremont team that had achieved its first minor premiership since Johnny Leonard’s days, despite kicking into the wind after winning the toss.
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 1970 WANFL season was the 86th season of the Western Australian National Football League. After four years of dominance by the three Perth clubs, 1970 saw 1969 wooden spooners South Fremantle, aided by a tough pre-season training program under coach “Hassa” Mann and the arrival of Len Clark and John O‘Reilly from the VFL, rise to take their first premiership since the 1947–1954 dynasty. The Bulldogs upset Perth in two finals in wet conditions, while 1969 premiers West Perth fell to sixth with only ten victories: indeed this was the first season since 1955 with East Perth that legendary ruckman “Polly” Farmer had played for a team that missed the finals. The Cardinals were affected by the loss of John Wynne to Norwood, backup ruckmen Brian Sampson and Neil Evans to retirement and Greg Astbury to a major stomach problem, plus a dispute over Bill Valli, whose clearance to Collingwood was refused by the WANFL and the club's severe lack of depth in its reserves. Of the lower sides from previous seasons, in addition to South Fremantle's surprise flag Claremont showed major improvement due to such young players as Moss, winning more games than in any season since 1965, and would have done much better but for long-term injuries to rover Bruce Duperouzel and centre half-forward Lindsay Carroll in the second half of the season, when they fell out of the four after looking like a second semi-final berth.
The 1969 WANFL season was the 85th season of the Western Australian National Football League. It saw continued dominance by the three Perth clubs and Subiaco, who occupied the top half of the ladder constantly from the fourth round onwards, and finished four games clear of the other four clubs, who were all in a “rebuilding” mode with varying success – late in the season both Swan Districts and Claremont fielded some of the youngest teams in the competition's history, whilst the Tigers, who fielded thirteen first-year players including Graham Moss, Russell Reynolds and Bruce Duperouzel, began disastrously but four wins in five games paved the way to impressive record from 1970 to 1972. Among the top four, Perth failed to achieve a fourth consecutive premiership[a] that at one point looked very much in their grasp due to the overwork of Barry Cable which robbed him of some brilliance, early-season injuries to key players Iseger and Page and a couple of surprising losses to lower clubs, whilst East Perth, who won consistently without being impressive for most of the season, failed for the fourth time in as many seasons in the Grand Final, this time to West Perth and in a much more decisive manner than any of their Perth defeats.
The 1967 WANFL season was the 83rd season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. Its most salient feature was the decline of East Fremantle, the league's most successful club, to its worst season since its inaugural 1898 season. Old Easts – having during the first two-thirds of the century never won fewer than ten matches in a season – won only seven and finished second-last after looking set for a still-worse record during the first fifteen rounds. Their appointed captain-coach Bert Thornley resigned after twelve matches due to the club's bad form and his desire to play for Carlton in 1968. The blue and whites suffered severely from a bad run of injuries and form lapses amongst senior players like Sorrell, Spriggs, Rogers and Casserly, plus a serious weakness in attack due to the loss of Bob Johnson. Despite regaining Austin Robertson and acquiring Johnson, Subiaco continued their disastrous form of late 1966 for their worst season since 1953, as the loss of Slater and injuries to Brian Sarre left them decrepit in the ruck and defence.