1972 WAFL season | |
---|---|
Teams | 8 |
Premiers | East Perth 13th premiership |
Minor premiers | Claremont 4th minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | Ian Miller (Perth) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Austin Robertson, Jr. (Subiaco) |
Matches played | 88 |
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. [1]
The two clubs established their supremacy from early in the season, and the battle for the last place in the four was won by reigning premiers West Perth despite losing eight of their last ten matches.
1971 preliminary finalists East Fremantle, equal favourites for the premiership with Claremont in the pre-season [2] were affected by form lapses and controversial behaviour by coach Alan Joyce, who in June refused to allow Old Easts players selected in the state team to train there rather than at East Fremantle Oval. [3] A game behind the Cardinals after eleven matches, the blue and whites could themselves win only thrice, [4] whilst South Fremantle in a rebuilding phase under Mal Atwell and without key players Hassa Mann, Graham Scott and Len Clark [5] lost nine on end but did uncover players like Bruce Monteath who would help them become a WA(N)FL power between 1975 and 1983.
An unfancied but revitalised Perth under captain-coach Barry Cable were the Tigers’ and Royals’ nearest rival but could not win any of seven matches against them, whilst Subiaco, fancied before the season and showing an innovative "Think Subi" campaign [6] but affected by off-field disputes involving the sacking of returning veteran Cam Blakemore, [7] [8] were last or second-last for eight rounds before a five-game winning streak had them theoretically in contention for the four with two rounds to play.
Round 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 1 April | East Perth 23.26 (164) | def. | Swan Districts 11.13 (79) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10431) | |
Saturday, 1 April | Perth 11.14 (80) | def. by | Claremont 17.16 (118) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 11160) | |
Monday, 3 April | South Fremantle 10.12 (72) | def. by | West Perth 11.11 (77) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11580) | |
Monday, 3 April | Subiaco 9.20 (74) | def. by | East Fremantle 17.9 (111) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 10898) | |
|
Round 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 April | West Perth 16.11 (107) | def. | Subiaco 14.13 (97) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10231) | |
Saturday, 8 April | Swan Districts 6.18 (54) | def. by | Perth 21.14 (140) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7341) | [12] |
Saturday, 8 April | Claremont 12.22 (94) | def. | East Perth 8.10 (58) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 14466) | |
Saturday, 8 April | East Fremantle 6.21 (57) | def. by | South Fremantle 10.10 (70) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 13780) | |
|
Round 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 15 April | Subiaco 15.11 (101) | def. | South Fremantle 11.14 (80) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9456) | |
Saturday, 15 April | Perth 11.19 (85) | def. by | East Perth 17.13 (115) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 10365) | [14] |
Saturday, 15 April | Claremont 20.13 (133) | def. | Swan Districts 14.14 (98) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7141) | |
Saturday, 15 April | West Perth 12.9 (81) | def. by | East Fremantle 13.21 (99) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 11522) | |
|
Round 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 22 April | Swan Districts 12.11 (83) | def. by | West Perth 22.12 (144) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7492) | |
Saturday, 22 April | South Fremantle 13.19 (97) | def. by | Perth 17.20 (122) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9157) | |
Saturday, 22 April | East Perth 19.15 (129) | def. | Subiaco 15.9 (99) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10432) | |
Saturday, 22 April | East Fremantle 11.10 (76) | def. by | Claremont 14.11 (95) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 13223) | |
|
Round 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 April | Subiaco 17.11 (113) | def. by | Swan Districts 19.18 (132) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5522) | |
Saturday, 29 April | West Perth 11.13 (79) | def. by | East Perth 15.13 (103) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 15185) | |
Saturday, 29 April | Claremont 14.16 (100) | def. | South Fremantle 13.14 (92) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10031) | |
Saturday, 29 April | East Fremantle 13.16 (94) | def. | Perth 13.12 (90) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9080) | |
|
Round 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 6 May | South Fremantle 11.13 (79) | def. by | East Perth 15.20 (110) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11084) | |
Saturday, 6 May | Perth 9.11 (65) | def. by | Subiaco 11.12 (78) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7417) | |
Saturday, 6 May | West Perth 14.14 (98) | def. | Claremont 10.18 (78) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 14491) | [19] |
Saturday, 6 May | Swan Districts 14.15 (99) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.17 (137) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6967) | |
|
Round 7 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 13 May | South Fremantle 10.14 (74) | def. | Swan Districts 8.11 (59) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5083) | |
Saturday, 13 May | Perth 10.19 (79) | def. | West Perth 6.7 (43) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6682) | |
Saturday, 13 May | Subiaco 14.19 (103) | def. by | Claremont 16.24 (120) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 7507) | [22] |
Saturday, 13 May | East Perth 14.9 (93) | def. by | East Fremantle 16.19 (115) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8254) | [23] |
Perth overcome a wayward start (nine unbroken behinds in the first quarter) in slippery conditions [24] to show they are back as a force after a poor 1971. Rookie Geoff Watt silences Mel Whinnen and the Cardinals fail completely in attack. [25] |
Round 8 | |||||
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Saturday, 20 May | West Perth 31.19 (205) | def. | South Fremantle 11.10 (76) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10210) | [26] |
Saturday, 20 May | Swan Districts 14.13 (97) | def. | East Perth 13.5 (83) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7352) | |
Saturday, 20 May | Claremont 17.13 (115) | def. | Perth 9.21 (75) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 11191) | |
Saturday, 20 May | East Fremantle 15.14 (104) | def. by | Subiaco 19.14 (128) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8251) | [27] |
|
Round 9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 27 May | Subiaco 6.12 (48) | def. by | West Perth 11.16 (82) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 11143) | [32] |
Saturday, 27 May | Perth 19.14 (128) | def. | Swan Districts 8.8 (56) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8582) | |
Saturday, 27 May | East Perth 23.18 (156) | def. | Claremont 8.9 (57) | Perth Oval (crowd: 14739) | |
Saturday, 27 May | South Fremantle 24.7 (151) | def. | East Fremantle 14.10 (94) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9379) | |
|
Round 10 | |||||
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Saturday, 3 June | Swan Districts 14.8 (92) | def. by | Claremont 16.17 (113) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7984) | |
Saturday, 3 June | East Fremantle 11.11 (77) | def. | West Perth 10.9 (69) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11312) | [3] |
Monday, 5 June | South Fremantle 20.10 (130) | def. | Subiaco 16.18 (114) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11761) | [36] |
Monday, 5 June | East Perth 17.15 (117) | def. | Perth 15.13 (103) | Perth Oval (crowd: 14666) | |
Round 11 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 10 June | West Perth 18.9 (117) | def. | Swan Districts 16.7 (103) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8320) | [37] |
Saturday, 10 June | Perth 19.8 (122) | def. | South Fremantle 11.17 (83) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 10854) | |
Saturday, 10 June | Subiaco 14.12 (96) | def. by | East Perth 25.13 (163) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8288) | |
Saturday, 10 June | Claremont 24.23 (167) | def. | East Fremantle 12.18 (90) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10717) | [38] |
|
Round 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 1 July | Swan Districts 14.14 (98) | def. | Subiaco 12.17 (89) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3224) | [41] |
Saturday, 1 July | East Perth 15.15 (105) | def. | West Perth 4.9 (33) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8206) | |
Saturday, 1 July | South Fremantle 11.18 (84) | def. by | Claremont 16.14 (110) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6163) | |
Saturday, 1 July | Perth 13.14 (92) | def. | East Fremantle 11.10 (76) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 5559) | |
|
Round 13 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 July | East Perth 19.16 (130) | def. | South Fremantle 10.9 (69) | Perth Oval (crowd: 5860) | |
Saturday, 8 July | Subiaco 11.14 (80) | def. by | Perth 18.17 (125) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4720) | |
Saturday, 8 July | Claremont 15.16 (106) | def. | West Perth 8.8 (56) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7811) | |
Saturday, 8 July | East Fremantle 9.10 (64) | def. by | Swan Districts 10.10 (70) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4785) | |
|
Round 14 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 15 July | Swan Districts 21.19 (145) | def. | South Fremantle 12.16 (88) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6861) | [47] |
Saturday, 15 July | West Perth 12.12 (84) | def. by | Perth 16.11 (107) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10318) | [48] |
Saturday, 15 July | Claremont 17.8 (110) | def. | Subiaco 10.12 (72) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7067) | |
Saturday, 15 July | East Fremantle 12.14 (86) | def. by | East Perth 17.18 (120) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8420) | |
Round 15 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 22 July | South Fremantle 7.10 (52) | def. by | West Perth 12.6 (78) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4920) | |
Saturday, 22 July | East Perth 15.8 (98) | def. | Swan Districts 11.8 (74) | Perth Oval (crowd: 9564) | |
Saturday, 22 July | Perth 16.20 (116) | def. by | Claremont 18.14 (122) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 11411) | |
Saturday, 22 July | Subiaco 17.15 (117) | def. | East Fremantle 16.12 (108) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4349) | |
|
Round 16 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 July | West Perth 13.12 (90) | def. by | Subiaco 15.8 (98) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6789) | [51] |
Saturday, 29 July | Swan Districts 12.17 (89) | def. by | Perth 16.15 (111) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 8187) | |
Saturday, 29 July | Claremont 17.17 (119) | def. | East Perth 10.13 (73) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 15576) | |
Saturday, 29 July | East Fremantle 22.17 (149) | def. | South Fremantle 14.19 (103) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6823) | |
|
Round 17 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 August | Subiaco 23.13 (151) | def. | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4018) | [54] |
Saturday, 5 August | Perth 12.16 (88) | def. by | East Perth 14.11 (95) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 10833) | [55] |
Saturday, 5 August | Claremont 15.9 (99) | def. | Swan Districts 6.9 (45) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7299) | |
Saturday, 5 August | West Perth 9.14 (68) | def. by | East Fremantle 19.10 (124) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8736) | |
The return of controversial coach Joyce to the playing field at full-forward revitalises East Fremantle’s attack and leaves them merely 1.87 percent shy of fourth position, whilst centre half-back Eddie Donnes decimates West Perth’s forward line. [56] |
Round 18 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 12 August | Swan Districts 10.14 (74) | def. | West Perth 8.12 (60) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6442) | [57] |
Saturday, 12 August | South Fremantle 14.27 (111) | def. by | Perth 19.10 (124) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4723) | [58] |
Saturday, 12 August | East Perth 12.8 (80) | def. by | Subiaco 11.23 (89) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8174) | |
Saturday, 12 August | East Fremantle 12.12 (84) | def. by | Claremont 19.20 (134) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11018) | |
|
Round 19 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 August | Subiaco 11.22 (88) | def. | Swan Districts 7.20 (62) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5353) | [61] |
Saturday, 19 August | West Perth 8.8 (56) | def. by | East Perth 16.8 (104) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6051) | |
Saturday, 19 August | Claremont 16.23 (119) | def. | South Fremantle 9.7 (61) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 5345) | |
Saturday, 19 August | East Fremantle 13.8 (86) | def. | Perth 10.16 (76) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6167) | |
|
Round 20 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 26 August | South Fremantle 19.27 (141) | def. | East Perth 16.10 (106) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4413) | [64] |
Saturday, 26 August | Perth 15.16 (106) | def. | Subiaco 13.22 (100) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8169) | |
Saturday, 26 August | West Perth 13.11 (89) | def. | Claremont 8.14 (62) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 7420) | |
Saturday, 26 August | Swan Districts 16.20 (116) | def. | East Fremantle 8.11 (59) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5413) | [65] |
|
Round 21 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 2 September | South Fremantle 23.17 (155) | def. | Swan Districts 10.9 (69) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5324) | [68] |
Saturday, 2 September | Perth 14.8 (92) | def. | West Perth 13.6 (84) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 9567) | [69] |
Saturday, 2 September | Subiaco 17.15 (117) | def. by | Claremont 18.16 (124) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8334) | |
Saturday, 2 September | East Perth 23.16 (154) | def. | East Fremantle 12.5 (77) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8873) | |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Claremont | 21 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 2295 | 1815 | 126.4 | 72 |
2 | East Perth (P) | 21 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2356 | 1815 | 129.8 | 60 |
3 | Perth | 21 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 2126 | 1897 | 112.1 | 48 |
4 | West Perth | 21 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 1800 | 1839 | 97.9 | 36 |
5 | East Fremantle | 21 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 1967 | 2167 | 90.8 | 36 |
6 | Subiaco | 21 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 2052 | 2207 | 93.0 | 32 |
7 | Swan Districts | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 1794 | 2257 | 79.5 | 28 |
8 | South Fremantle | 21 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 1949 | 2342 | 83.2 | 24 |
First semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 9 September | Perth 12.18 (90) | def. | West Perth 11.9 (75) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 23,057) | |
Perth overcomes a slow start – not goalling in the initial forty minutes – and West Perth’s greater pace to win well thanks to the Cardinals’ wasteful use of their greater possession. [72] |
Second semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 16 September | Claremont 11.3 (69) | def. by | East Perth 12.14 (86) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 24,119) | |
East Perth’s ability to counter Claremont’s anticipated roving superiority ensures they come home for a surprise win in showery [73] and windy conditions. [74] Dick Michalczyk at centre-half-back dominates the Claremont attack and shows the move of Ken McAullay to a flank was justified. [75] |
Preliminary final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 23 September | Claremont 15.15 (105) | def. | Perth 10.14 (74) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 23,556) | |
Claremont respond to coach Howell’s overhaul due to their outplaying of the Demons’ ruck division. [76] |
1972 WANFL Grand Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 30 September | East Perth | def. | Claremont | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 46,055) | [77] |
1.3 (9) 5.8 (38) 8.12 (60) 9.17 (71) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.4 (22) 3.5 (23) 8.5 (53) 8.8 (56) | Umpires: John Fuhrmann Simpson Medal: Ken McAullay (East Perth) | ||
Bygraves 4, Verstegen, Whittle, Daniel, Brown, Armanasco | Goals | Crisp 2, Carroll 2, Orr, Greenwood, Evans, Hines | |||
Verstegen, McAullay, Gillespie, Brown, Bygraves, Michalczyk | Best | Lewis, Griffiths, Parkinson, Crisp, Moss, Hines, Orr | |||
Controversy over the possible replacement of Brown by Kevin Murray is overcome in a dour win in strong winds and rain [78] based around solid teamwork and the strikepower of Gary Bygraves. |
a This policy was made illegal in 1973 when a ‘centre diamond’ (later the current centre square) was introduced, within with no team could place more than four players during a centre bounce.
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 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 1987 WAFL season was the 103rd season of the West Australian Football League in its various iterations. This season saw a Western Australia-based team, West Coast, that was one of two interstate teams to make their debut in the Victorian Football League (VFL), which had profound effects on the WAFL competition. The Eagles took away thirty-five of the competition's best players, severely reducing attendances and club revenue, the latter of which was further affected by the payment of the Eagles’ licence fee to the VFL. The WAFL budgeted for a 30 percent decline in attendances, but the observed decline was over fifty percent, and they were also hit by Channel Seven telecasting the Round 17 Hawthorn versus Footscray match, breaching agreements to not telecast non-Eagles VFL matches to Perth.
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 1984 WAFL season was the 100th season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 31 March and concluded on 22 September with the 1984 WAFL Grand Final contested between East Fremantle and Swan Districts.
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 1979 WANFL season was the 95th season of the West Australian National Football League in its various incarnations, and the last of forty-nine under that moniker.
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 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 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 1971 WANFL season was the 87th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League, and the forty-first under that moniker.
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 1968 WANFL season was the 84th season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia. It saw Perth, after having won only two premierships in its first sixty-six seasons, win its third consecutive flag under captain-coach Mal Atwell and champion rover Barry Cable – all three Grand Finals having been won against East Perth with Cable taking the Simpson Medal.
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.