| 1973 WAFL season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 |
| Premiers | Subiaco 5th premiership |
| Minor premiers | Subiaco 6th minor premiership |
| Sandover Medallist | Barry Cable (Perth) |
| Bernie Naylor Medallist | Phil Smith (West Perth) |
| Matches played | 88 |
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, [1] 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.
In addition to Subiaco's premiership win, veteran goal machine Austin Robertson, Jr. broke Ted Tyson’s record for most goals in a WANFL career late in the home-and-away season.
The season also saw 1972 Grand Finalists Claremont suffer the worst single-season fall in WAFL history, from only three losses to only four wins despite being pre-season premiership favourites, [2] as Essendon’s century goalkicker Geoff Blethyn proved an inadequate trade for champion ruckman Graham Moss. Eight losses by under two goals sunk Claremont further. [3] Despite exceptional form from Barry Cable in his last season with the club, Perth also fell from preliminary finalists to their worst record for thirty-two seasons of only six wins. Perennial battlers Swan Districts looked like a first finals berth since 1965 during the autumn but won only two of their last thirteen matches [4] as a rainy winter negated the strength in marking that won Swans their early victories. [5]
| Round 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 7 April | Subiaco 16.11 (107) | def. | Swan Districts 13.7 (85) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8653) | |
| Saturday, 7 April | East Perth 15.8 (98) | def. | West Perth 13.10 (88) | Perth Oval (crowd: 11801) | |
| Saturday, 7 April | Claremont 14.12 (96) | def. by | Perth 14.14 (98) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10000) | |
| Saturday, 7 April | East Fremantle 15.14 (104) | def. | South Fremantle 14.19 (103) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11000) | |
Perth hang on to win despite Tiger recruit Blethyn kicking a controversial last-quarter “soccer” goal that Demon defender Richard Peel believed he kicked himself. [6] | |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 April | South Fremantle 13.13 (91) | def. by | East Perth 18.25 (133) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10060) | |
| Saturday, 14 April | Perth 13.10 (88) | def. | Subiaco 12.12 (84) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 9778) | |
| Saturday, 14 April | Swan Districts 18.14 (122) | def. | Claremont 9.13 (67) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 10000) | |
| Saturday, 14 April | West Perth 15.15 (105) | def. | East Fremantle 8.13 (61) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 9765) | |
Swan Districts, after a clean-out by coach Jack Ensor, lead the Tigers 17.9 (111) to 4.9 (33) after three quarters. [2] | |||||
| Round 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 21 April | Claremont 9.15 (69) | def. by | West Perth 12.14 (86) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 12498) | |
| Saturday, 21 April | Swan Districts 14.14 (98) | def. | East Fremantle 11.15 (81) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 13000) | |
| Monday, 23 April | South Fremantle 21.10 (136) | def. | Subiaco 12.15 (87) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8553) | |
| Monday, 23 April | East Perth 14.11 (95) | def. | Perth 12.15 (87) | Perth Oval (crowd: 12750) | |
Thirty-two-year-old Peter Senior leads South Fremantle to a convincing win, along with ten-goal forward Peter Troode. [7] | |||||
| Round 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 April | Swan Districts 26.15 (171) | def. | South Fremantle 15.13 (103) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 10220) | |
| Saturday, 28 April | Perth 9.14 (68) | def. by | West Perth 10.11 (71) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 11115) | |
| Saturday, 28 April | Subiaco 18.13 (121) | def. | East Perth 10.12 (72) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8770) | |
| Saturday, 28 April | East Fremantle 12.21 (93) | def. | Claremont 13.12 (90) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8640) | |
Swan Districts kick their highest-ever second quarter score and the highest for that quarter at Bassendean Oval. [8] | |||||
| Round 5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 5 May | West Perth 14.11 (95) | def. | Subiaco 8.13 (61) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10050) | |
| Saturday, 5 May | East Perth 14.8 (92) | def. | Swan Districts 9.7 (61) | Perth Oval (crowd: 15587) | |
| Saturday, 5 May | Claremont 9.19 (73) | def. | South Fremantle 6.9 (45) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7898) | |
| Saturday, 5 May | East Fremantle 12.8 (80) | def. | Perth 10.17 (77) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7404) | |
With John Lewis brilliant at full-back, Claremont kick 9.17 (71) to 2.6 (18) after the first 22 minutes to with their first game in slippery conditions. [9] | |||||
| Round 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 12 May | Swan Districts 7.20 (62) | def. | West Perth 9.5 (59) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 8000) | |
| Saturday, 12 May | South Fremantle 16.14 (110) | def. | Perth 14.11 (95) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4679) | |
| Saturday, 12 May | East Perth 16.12 (108) | def. | Claremont 13.7 (85) | Perth Oval (crowd: 5983) | |
| Saturday, 12 May | Subiaco 11.21 (87) | def. | East Fremantle 8.6 (54) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4564) | |
| |||||
| Round 7 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 19 May | West Perth 15.15 (105) | def. | South Fremantle 12.14 (86) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10523) | |
| Saturday, 19 May | Perth 14.11 (95) | def. by | Swan Districts 20.16 (136) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 12933) | |
| Saturday, 19 May | Claremont 12.10 (82) | def. by | Subiaco 13.11 (89) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 9320) | |
| Saturday, 19 May | East Fremantle 13.14 (92) | def. by | East Perth 23.20 (158) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8982) | |
Injuries to Vernon Orr, David Mile and fullback John Lewis (who was thrashing Austin Robertson, Jr. and threatening to keep him goalless for the first time since 1965) deny Claremont a win despite playing their best football of the season. [12] | |||||
| Round 8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 26 May | East Perth 23.13 (151) | def. | South Fremantle 16.19 (115) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10178) | |
| Saturday, 26 May | Subiaco 18.17 (125) | def. | Perth 7.7 (49) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9049) | |
| Saturday, 26 May | Claremont 17.11 (113) | def. by | Swan Districts 17.20 (122) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 9000) | |
| Saturday, 26 May | East Fremantle 17.11 (113) | def. | West Perth 9.16 (70) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8714) | |
| Round 9 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 2 June | Swan Districts 7.8 (50) | def. by | Subiaco 15.16 (106) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 10050) | |
| Saturday, 2 June | West Perth 15.11 (101) | def. | East Perth 9.12 (66) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 10249) | |
| Saturday, 2 June | Perth 13.12 (90) | def. by | Claremont 16.9 (105) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6431) | |
| Saturday, 2 June | South Fremantle 19.13 (127) | def. | East Fremantle 8.16 (64) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9148) | |
| Round 10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 9 June | Subiaco 10.13 (73) | def. | South Fremantle 5.11 (41) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6694) | |
| Saturday, 9 June | Perth 11.12 (78) | def. | East Perth 10.6 (66) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 5245) | |
| Saturday, 9 June | West Perth 8.13 (61) | def. | Claremont 5.8 (38) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6697) | |
| Saturday, 9 June | East Fremantle 12.11 (83) | def. | Swan Districts 9.6 (60) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5656) | |
| |||||
| Round 11 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 16 June | South Fremantle 17.17 (119) | def. | Swan Districts 8.13 (61) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5860) | |
| Saturday, 16 June | West Perth 12.12 (84) | def. | Perth 7.15 (57) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6478) | |
| Saturday, 16 June | East Perth 6.19 (55) | def. by | Subiaco 8.11 (59) | Perth Oval (crowd: 9880) | |
| Saturday, 16 June | Claremont 16.13 (109) | def. by | East Fremantle 18.11 (119) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 5465) | |
| Round 12 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 23 June | Subiaco 10.7 (67) | def. by | West Perth 13.10 (88) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 13357) | |
| Saturday, 23 June | Swan Districts 7.14 (56) | def. by | East Perth 14.16 (100) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 8191) | |
| Saturday, 23 June | South Fremantle 12.12 (84) | def. | Claremont 6.10 (46) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7779) | |
| Saturday, 23 June | Perth 11.12 (78) | def. by | East Fremantle 14.16 (100) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6281) | |
| Round 13 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 30 June | West Perth 9.18 (72) | def. | Swan Districts 8.6 (54) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 9289) | |
| Saturday, 30 June | Perth 12.9 (81) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.14 (110) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7307) | |
| Saturday, 30 June | Claremont 14.15 (99) | def. by | East Perth 15.10 (100) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7356) | |
| Saturday, 30 June | East Fremantle 7.16 (58) | def. by | Subiaco 16.13 (109) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8309) | |
Three goals from the previously outplayed Archie Duda win East Perth a thriller against the tailender despite a 70-metre shot from Bruce Duperouzel on the siren (which was punched clear). [15] | |||||
| Round 14 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 July | South Fremantle 6.10 (46) | def. by | West Perth 13.17 (95) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7402) | |
| Saturday, 14 July | Swan Districts 3.12 (30) | def. by | Perth 5.11 (41) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5220) | |
| Saturday, 14 July | Subiaco 12.19 (91) | def. | Claremont 10.8 (68) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5684) | |
| Saturday, 14 July | East Perth 12.15 (87) | def. | East Fremantle 9.9 (63) | Perth Oval (crowd: 5358) | |
| |||||
| Round 15 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 21 July | Subiaco 14.9 (93) | def. | Swan Districts 12.7 (79) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6554) | |
| Saturday, 21 July | East Perth 13.11 (89) | def. | West Perth 9.11 (65) | Perth Oval (crowd: 16659) | |
| Saturday, 21 July | Claremont 13.14 (92) | def. | Perth 12.17 (89) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 5933) | |
| Saturday, 21 July | East Fremantle 7.11 (53) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.9 (111) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11960) | |
| Round 16 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 July | South Fremantle 18.9 (117) | def. | East Perth 12.16 (88) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10584) | |
| Saturday, 28 July | Perth 6.15 (51) | def. by | Subiaco 8.9 (57) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 5868) | |
| Saturday, 28 July | Swan Districts 10.11 (71) | def. by | Claremont 13.18 (96) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5000) | |
| Saturday, 28 July | West Perth 21.12 (138) | def. | East Fremantle 11.18 (84) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 7534) | |
| |||||
| Round 17 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 4 August | South Fremantle 8.13 (61) | def. by | Subiaco 15.8 (98) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 12324) | |
| Saturday, 4 August | East Perth 18.14 (122) | def. | Perth 10.14 (74) | Perth Oval (crowd: 7158) | |
| Saturday, 4 August | Claremont 9.8 (62) | def. by | West Perth 9.13 (67) | Claremont Oval (crowd: not disclosed) | |
| Saturday, 4 August | Swan Districts 14.13 (97) | def. by | East Fremantle 16.14 (110) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: not disclosed) | |
West Perth lose top spot despite winning a game where tailender Claremont wins three quarters, and their injuries rocket Subiaco to premiership favouritism for the first time at this stage since 1935. [3] | |||||
| Round 18 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 11 August | Swan Districts 12.9 (81) | def. | South Fremantle 11.13 (79) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6002) | |
| Saturday, 11 August | Perth 14.10 (94) | def. | West Perth 12.7 (79) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6513) | |
| Saturday, 11 August | Subiaco 10.12 (72) | def. | East Perth 8.15 (63) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 12497) | |
| Saturday, 11 August | East Fremantle 11.18 (84) | def. | Claremont 9.11 (65) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6744) | |
| |||||
| Round 19 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 18 August | West Perth 9.10 (64) | def. | Subiaco 9.8 (62) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 15262) | |
| Saturday, 18 August | East Perth 13.13 (91) | def. | Swan Districts 7.10 (52) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8769) | |
| Saturday, 18 August | Claremont 14.16 (100) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.13 (109) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7570) | |
| Saturday, 18 August | East Fremantle 20.16 (136) | def. | Perth 10.9 (69) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7342) | |
Bill Dempsey and reluctant defender Keith Miller help the Cardinals rebound to a thrilling win in a battle of defences. Austin Robertson kicked four goals to finish the match with 1,201, two behind former Cardinal Tyson. [22] | |||||
| Round 20 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 25 August | Swan Districts 13.17 (95) | def. | West Perth 10.16 (76) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7620) | |
| Saturday, 25 August | South Fremantle 20.18 (138) | def. | Perth 10.16 (76) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8235) | |
| Saturday, 25 August | East Perth 16.10 (106) | def. | Claremont 9.17 (71) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8334) | |
| Saturday, 25 August | Subiaco 15.15 (105) | def. | East Fremantle 11.15 (81) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9899) | |
Austin Robertson was chaired from the ground after three goals took him to the WANFL record which he has held since. [23] | |||||
| Round 21 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 1 September | West Perth 11.14 (80) | def. | South Fremantle 9.18 (72) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 12873) | |
| Saturday, 1 September | Perth 14.16 (100) | def. | Swan Districts 13.14 (92) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7362) | |
| Saturday, 1 September | Claremont 14.10 (94) | def. by | Subiaco 17.18 (120) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 6608) | |
| Saturday, 1 September | East Fremantle 17.19 (121) | def. | East Perth 9.12 (66) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9936) | |
East Fremantle’s desperation and determination gives them an unexpected finals place after rivals South lose. [24] | |||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subiaco (P) | 21 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 1873 | 1514 | 123.7 | 64 |
| 2 | West Perth | 21 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 1749 | 1504 | 116.3 | 60 |
| 3 | East Perth | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 2006 | 1768 | 113.5 | 56 |
| 4 | East Fremantle | 21 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1834 | 2009 | 91.3 | 44 |
| 5 | South Fremantle | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 2003 | 1915 | 104.6 | 40 |
| 6 | Swan Districts | 21 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1735 | 1883 | 92.1 | 32 |
| 7 | Perth | 21 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 1635 | 2008 | 81.4 | 24 |
| 8 | Claremont | 21 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 1720 | 1954 | 88.0 | 16 |
| First semi-final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 9 September | East Perth 17.19 (121) | def. | East Fremantle 9.18 (72) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 25,500) | |
East Perth reverse the last round result with a dramatic team reshuffle, as East Fremantle fail to use a strong wind in the first quarter. [25] [26] | |||||
| Second semi-final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 15 September | Subiaco 13.7 (85) | def. by | West Perth 15.13 (103) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 31,320) | |
Mel Whinnen’s dominance of Peter Featherby in the centre and strong roving by Bill Valli and Shane Sheridan put the Cardinals in the Grand Final more comfortably than the score suggested. [27] | |||||
| Preliminary final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 22 September | Subiaco 18.13 (121) | def. | East Perth 17.9 (111) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 31,050) | |
Subiaco win for the fourth time over the Royals in a match notable for a behind to East Perth being retracted after being placed on the scoreboard late in the second quarter (due to a Lion free kick). [28] | |||||
| 1973 WANFL Grand Final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 29 September | West Perth | def. by | Subiaco | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 46,885) | [29] |
| 2.0 (12) 4.2 (26) 5.2 (32) 6.4 (40) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.4 (22) 3.7 (25) 7.10 (52) 10.12 (72) | Umpires: Ross Capes Simpson Medal: Dennis Blair (Subiaco) | ||
| Geoff Taylor 2, Anderson, Logan, Watling, Sheridan | Goals | Watt 4, Malone 3, Robertson, Fitzpatrick, Davenport | |||
| Aitken, Steward, Whinnen, Walker, Prunster, Knell | Best | Ross Smith, Blair, Watt, Manning, Davenport, Fitzpatrick, Crouch, Malone | |||
Subiaco’s superb defence win their first flag since 1924 on a very windy and damp afternoon. | |||||
a The other two were by West Perth against Swan Districts in 1940 and the Cardinals against South Fremantle in 1966.
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 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 1980 WAFL season was the 96th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.
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 1977 WANFL season was the 93rd season of the Western Australian National Football League in its various incarnations. It followed on from the previous season's high scoring to set another record for the highest average score in WANFL history at 109.57 points per team per game, which was to be broken substantially in the following few years due to the introduction of the interchange rule allowing for a faster game with less exhausted players. 1977 was in fact that last WA(N)FL season with no score of over 200 points until 1988.
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 1937 WANFL season was the 53rd season of the Western Australian National Football League. The season saw numerous notable highlights, including:
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 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.