1978 WANFL season

Last updated

1978 WAFL season
Teams8
Premiers East Perth
14th premiership
Minor premiers Perth
7th minor premiership
Sandover Medallist Phil Kelly (East Perth)
Bernie Naylor Medallist Ray Bauskis (South Fremantle)
←  1977
1979  →

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.

Contents

In many respects this season proved the end of an era before the power balance in the WA(N)FL would drastically alter. Although apart from an almost rainless August less dry than the previous two seasons, [1] 1978 saw numerous high-scoring records broken owing to the introduction from the eighth round of the interchange bench (initially called “switch-play”) [2] allowing players to be rotated and create a much faster game than possible when substituted players could not be returned to play. The average score of 113.92 points per team per game was four points higher than the previous record of 1977.

Claremont, after five years as a chopping block due to the absence of Graham Moss with only 28 wins from 105 games with Essendon, and rejuvenated by many young players who would star in their 1981 premiership and/or with VFL clubs began superbly and missed fourth place by a minuscule 0.1 percent after a remarkable final round, whilst West Perth, after a bad start with four losses, won ten in a row to become the frontrunner along with reigning champion Perth. Tailenders Subiaco and Swan Districts were trying desperately to win and avoid the wooden spoon, whilst powerhouses West Perth and East Perth battled with Claremont and South Fremantle for the last three places in the four. A near-record attendance at Leederville saw East Perth, who had won only six of their first fourteen matches, miraculously take the double chance after having been out of the four for almost the entire season as the Tigers and Bulldogs lost.

The finals continued the brilliant performance by East Perth to win by nineteen goals in the preliminary and then the Royals upset frontrunners Perth in a game where the weather seemed to change several times a quarter from sunny to torrential downpours.

Home-and-away season

Round 1 (Easter weekend)

Round 1
Saturday, 25 March Subiaco 19.10 (124)def. West Perth 13.25 (103) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8878)
Saturday, 25 March South Fremantle 13.15 (93)def. by Perth 14.18 (102) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11367)
Monday, 27 March Claremont 18.17 (125)def. East Perth 11.18 (84) Claremont Oval (crowd: 12890)
Monday, 27 March Swan Districts 12.10 (82)def. by East Fremantle 16.25 (121) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 9735)
  • Without crippled 84-goal spearhead Gary Fathers, Subiaco nonetheless produce a morale-boosting win led by Brian Douge’s hard tacking, which recalled his Hawthorn days, and Peter Featherby’s 40 possessions. [3]
  • 1977 runners-up East Fremantle have a surprisingly tough struggle to beat an understrength Swan Districts, not getting on top until late in the third quarter. [4]

Round 2

Round 2
Saturday, 1 April West Perth 15.21 (111)def. by South Fremantle 24.16 (160) Leederville Oval (crowd: 10624)
Saturday, 1 April East Perth 22.20 (152)def. Swan Districts 12.8 (80) Perth Oval (crowd: 8127)
Saturday, 1 April Perth 20.11 (131)def. Subiaco 12.17 (89) Lathlain Park (crowd: 8839)
Saturday, 1 April East Fremantle 21.15 (141)def. Claremont 14.9 (93) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9071)

Round 3

Round 3
Saturday, 8 April Swan Districts 16.11 (107)def. by Perth 25.22 (172) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7765)
Saturday, 8 April Subiaco 12.9 (81)def. by East Perth 16.18 (114) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8860)
Saturday, 8 April West Perth 16.18 (114)def. by Claremont 24.13 (157) Leederville Oval (crowd: 9756)
Saturday, 8 April East Fremantle 16.15 (111)def. by South Fremantle 24.18 (162) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 15674)
  • Robert Wiley kicks nine goals for the Demons [5]
  • After a poor first half East Perth’s criticised big-man division makes a statement as Brad Smith and Paul Arnold become the matchwinners. [6]

Round 4

Round 4
Saturday, 15 April South Fremantle 23.19 (157)def. Subiaco 14.11 (95) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8044)
Saturday, 15 April Perth 17.15 (117)def. West Perth 11.9 (75) Lathlain Park (crowd: 8460)
Saturday, 15 April Claremont 26.18 (174)def. Swan Districts 14.16 (100) Claremont Oval (crowd: 6740)
Saturday, 15 April East Perth 22.8 (140)def. East Fremantle 13.12 (90) Perth Oval (crowd: 9732)
  • The brilliant roving of teenage brothers Phil and Jim Krakouer confirms Claremont as the most improved club in the WANFL, with Phil’s burrowing into packs frequently confounding spectators in Graham Moss’ two hundredth WANFL match. [7]
  • For the second consecutive match East Fremantle have ten goals kicked against them by an opposition full-forward (in this case Archie Duda) and their disorganised backline suggested (correctly) to critics that Old Easts would not challenge for the flag. [8]

Round 5

Round 5
Saturday, 22 April Subiaco 21.24 (150)def. Swan Districts 7.20 (62) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4930)
Saturday, 22 April Perth 21.18 (144)def. East Perth 14.15 (99) Lathlain Park (crowd: 15837)
Saturday, 22 April South Fremantle 15.20 (110)def. by Claremont 20.17 (137) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 13560)
Saturday, 22 April West Perth 23.16 (154)def. East Fremantle 23.9 (147) Leederville Oval (crowd: 8245)
  • East Fremantle set WANFL record for the highest losing score, beaten since only by Swan Districts and West Perth in 1982. [9] West Perth coach Percy Johnson wins the Cardinals their first match for 1978 with four surprise moves in the last quarter that counter Old Easts’ move of Brian Needle into attack. [10]
  • Despite their biggest win since Round 9, 1969, [11] Subiaco nonetheless disappoint against a Swan Districts team that gave up extremely easily. Malone, returning in the dire need for a forward, kicked eight goals but should have had many more due to inaccuracy. [12]

Round 6

Round 6
Saturday, 29 April Swan Districts 13.23 (101)def. by West Perth 21.18 (144) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6572)
Saturday, 29 April East Perth 18.9 (117)def. by South Fremantle 19.14 (128) Perth Oval (crowd: 12830)
Saturday, 29 April Claremont 24.10 (154)def. Subiaco 11.15 (81) Claremont Oval (crowd: 8455)
Saturday, 29 April East Fremantle 20.18 (138)def. Perth 10.13 (73) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8175)
  • East Fremantle inflict Perth’s first defeat by moving Brian Peake to ruck-rover and showing that Chester McKean could not compensate for the injured reigning Simpson Medallist Wim Rosbender. [13]
  • Despite having the majority of midfield play, the winless Swans – with full-forward Mark Olsen in the reserves – kick themselves out of it with 3.17 (35) in first half including 0.8 (8) in second quarter. [14]

Round 7

Round 7
Saturday, 6 May South Fremantle 29.28 (202)def. Swan Districts 17.12 (114) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6875)
Saturday, 6 May West Perth 22.24 (156)def. East Perth 14.10 (94) Leederville Oval (crowd: 12767)
Saturday, 6 May Perth 22.8 (140)def. by Claremont 23.19 (157) Lathlain Park (crowd: 15670)
Saturday, 6 May Subiaco 24.22 (166)def. East Fremantle 21.15 (141) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5969)
  • South Fremantle set a WAFL record for most scoring shots, beaten later in the season by Claremont against Subiaco [15]
  • That game also set a record for the highest aggregate score in WANFL history, beating the 309 points by South Fremantle and Claremont from 1970. [16]
  • In a high-scoring and extremely high-standard shootout, Claremont replace Perth at the top of the ladder, despite Robert Wiley having an amazing thirty-six kicks, with a superb final quarter led by Phil Krakouer and Ross Ditchburn. [17]
  • 11.8 (74) by Mick Malone gives Subiaco a fighting win after being behind all day.Malone beat four opponents and was well supported by centre half-forward Ron Boyens. [18]

Round 8

Round 8
Saturday, 13 May West Perth 24.10 (154)def. Subiaco 9.16 (70) Leederville Oval (crowd: 9680)
Saturday, 13 May Perth 23.16 (154)def. South Fremantle 21.17 (143) Lathlain Park (crowd: 10917)
Saturday, 13 May East Perth 16.21 (117)def. Claremont 14.11 (95) Perth Oval (crowd: 11109)
Saturday, 13 May East Fremantle 19.13 (127)def. Swan Districts 15.14 (104) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5015)
  • Perth’s form slump was ended by a brilliant display from Alan Johnson, who had fifteen possessions in the second quarter. South Fremantle were thirty-six points down at one point but just failed. [19]
  • East Perth captain-coach Barry Cable moves himself to a half-forward flank and plays a crafty game as Wayne Otway and Alex Hamilton defeat the Krakouer brothers on the ball, thus ending a worrying form slump by the Royals. [20]
  • The official score at Leederville according to the goal umpires was West Perth 23.9 (147) to Subiaco 10.17 (77), but after the Cardinals submitted a protest backed by video evidence, this was adjusted by the WANFL directors. [5]

Round 9

Round 9
Saturday, 20 May South Fremantle 18.12 (120)def. by West Perth 19.10 (124) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11857)
Saturday, 20 May Swan Districts 11.18 (84)def. by East Perth 15.16 (106) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5859)
Saturday, 20 May Subiaco 8.21 (69)def. by Perth 15.19 (109) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5390)
Saturday, 20 May Claremont 11.13 (79)def. by East Fremantle 18.12 (120) Claremont Oval (crowd: 8926)

In an amazing game in showery and very windy conditions, [21] Subiaco, failing to allow for the strong northwesterly wind when shooting for goal, kick only 1.12 (18) in the first half but 6.5 (41) in third before rain intensifies. [22]

Round 10

Round 10
Saturday, 27 May Subiaco 14.13 (97)def. by South Fremantle 21.16 (142) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6216)
Saturday, 27 May West Perth 16.19 (115)def. Perth 11.10 (76) Leederville Oval (crowd: 13168)
Saturday, 27 May Swan Districts 13.18 (96)def. by Claremont 25.9 (159) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5396)
Saturday, 27 May East Fremantle 11.16 (82)def. East Perth 8.11 (59) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10023)
  • East Fremantle – with Needle back in defence and shutting Archie Duda out completely – recover from their early poor defensive displays with a superb effort in damp conditions. [23]
  • West Perth achieve a sixth consecutive win as their followers overpower a Perth team that had a bad off-day all round. [24]

Round 11 (Foundation Day)

Round 11
Saturday, 3 June Perth 19.17 (131)def. Swan Districts 9.11 (65) Lathlain Park (crowd: 6126)
Saturday, 3 June East Perth 21.14 (140)def. Subiaco 6.8 (44) Perth Oval (crowd: 8897)
Monday, 5 June Claremont 12.12 (84)def. by West Perth 20.21 (141) Claremont Oval (crowd: 16752)
Monday, 5 June South Fremantle 21.13 (139)def. East Fremantle 14.14 (98) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 15864)
  • East Perth play brilliantly in the first half to kick 16.4 (100) to 2.6 (18), but the game degerates badly into a farce after half-time due to Subiaco’s inept play. [25]
  • The silky skills of former forward Barry Day and Laurie Richards give West Perth a seventh win on end and leave the Cardinals out of second only by percentage. [26]

Round 12

Round 12
Saturday, 17 June Swan Districts 26.13 (169)def. Subiaco 16.13 (109) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3870)
Saturday, 17 June East Perth 13.11 (89)def. by Perth 15.14 (104) Perth Oval (crowd: 11789)
Saturday, 17 June Claremont 18.14 (122)def. South Fremantle 16.15 (111) Claremont Oval (crowd: 9687)
Saturday, 17 June East Fremantle 22.7 (139)def. by West Perth 22.13 (145) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9972)
  • The power and pace of West Perth captain John Duckworth decides an exciting, high-scoring game after East Fremantle kicked 16.4 (100) in two quarters. [27]
  • With Mark Olsen kicking thirteen goals and Subiaco undermined by their persistent short-passing game, [5] Swan Districts record only their second win in twenty-seven matches dating back to the sixth round of 1977. [28]

Round 13

Round 13
Saturday, 24 June West Perth 20.21 (141)def. Swan Districts 13.16 (94) Leederville Oval (crowd: 8015)
Saturday, 24 June South Fremantle 11.23 (89)def. East Perth 12.13 (85) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9974)
Saturday, 24 June Subiaco 10.18 (78)def. by Claremont 16.26 (122) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5140)
Saturday, 24 June Perth 16.19 (115)def. East Fremantle 14.13 (97) Lathlain Park (crowd: 8081)

Despite kicking only a total of 3.17 (35) in the first and final quarters, Stephen Michael’s superb ruck play gives South Fremantle a deserved win after controlling the game until three-quarter time. [29]

Round 14

Round 14
Saturday, 1 July Swan Districts 13.20 (98)def. by South Fremantle 15.16 (106) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5361)
Saturday, 1 July East Perth 14.11 (95)def. by West Perth 15.11 (101) Perth Oval (crowd: 15567)
Saturday, 1 July Claremont 17.8 (110)def. by Perth 18.17 (125) Claremont Oval (crowd: 10578)
Saturday, 1 July East Fremantle 23.14 (152)def. Subiaco 10.6 (66) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4630)
  • Apart from the second quarter East Fremantle kick 22.12 (144) to 3.3 (21) by an unmethodical Subiaco, but still see a major problem against the top clubs at centre half-forward. [30]
  • Nervousness by Swan Districts forwards cost them a second win as Mark Olsen misses five easy shots whilst South Fremantle play straight down the ground. [31]

Round 15

Round 15
Saturday, 8 July Subiaco 13.10 (88)def. West Perth 10.23 (83) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6278)
Saturday, 8 July South Fremantle 20.14 (134)def. Perth 16.14 (110) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11097)
Saturday, 8 July Claremont 12.12 (84)def. by East Perth 13.13 (91) Claremont Oval (crowd: 8916)
Saturday, 8 July Swan Districts 17.17 (119)def. by East Fremantle 19.11 (125) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5527)

Wasteful play by West Perth and superb roving by Neil Randall and Neil Taylor ensures the Cardinals’ first loss since Round 4 and Subiaco’s first win since Round 7 [32] – a win that in effect avoided the wooden spoon for Subiaco.

Round 16

Round 16
Saturday, 22 July West Perth 10.15 (75)def. by South Fremantle 14.14 (98) Leederville Oval (crowd: 9108)
Saturday, 22 July East Perth 21.11 (137)def. Swan Districts 13.10 (88) Perth Oval (crowd: 5917)
Saturday, 22 July Perth 24.21 (165)def. Subiaco 16.9 (105) Lathlain Park (crowd: 4019)
Saturday, 22 July East Fremantle 15.17 (107)def. Claremont 6.10 (46) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6527)
  • South Fremantle show that they are the best-equipped team for wet weather as they overcome their shortage of pace via a tough display in “the heaviest conditions seen in Perth for years”. [33]
  • The return of star defender Doug Green allows East Fremantle to completely blanket a disappointing Claremont attack that fail to support seventeen fine handballs from Moss. [34]

Round 17

Round 17
Saturday, 29 July Swan Districts 18.17 (125)def. Perth 9.13 (67) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5735)
Saturday, 29 July Subiaco 10.10 (70)def. by East Perth 20.11 (131) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6370)
Saturday, 29 July West Perth 22.23 (155)def. Claremont 19.9 (123) Leederville Oval (crowd: 9858)
Saturday, 29 July East Fremantle 18.15 (123)def. South Fremantle 17.8 (110) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 16678)

John Todd’s sermon in a violent thunderstorm on Monday night [35] drives Swans to a huge upset after only two wins in thirty-two games, as youngsters Phil Narkle and Simon Beasley show the form that would later make them VFL stars. [36]

Round 18

Round 18
Saturday, 5 August South Fremantle 13.30 (108)def. Subiaco 7.15 (57) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6016)
Saturday, 5 August Perth 20.14 (134)def. West Perth 8.12 (60) Lathlain Park (crowd: 11170)
Saturday, 5 August Claremont 22.18 (150)def. Swan Districts 8.13 (61) Claremont Oval (crowd: 6106)
Saturday, 5 August East Perth 25.14 (164)def. East Fremantle 19.12 (126) Perth Oval (crowd: 14278)
  • Perth bounce back from their shock loss to Swan Districts with a superbly planned victory [37] that leaves the Cardinals severely troubled by a poor percentage and injuries. [38]
  • Subiaco’s ability to stifle the system of South accounts for the Bulldogs’ woeful 6.21 (57) in the second half, although Subiaco prove just as unsystematic and do not threaten to win. Leading goalkicker Ray Bauskis kicks 3.9 (27). [39]

Round 19

Round 19
Saturday, 12 August Subiaco 15.15 (105)def. by Swan Districts 18.22 (130) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3597)
Saturday, 12 August Perth 15.11 (101)def. by East Perth 16.10 (106) Lathlain Park (crowd: 13675)
Saturday, 12 August South Fremantle 16.19 (115)def. by Claremont 20.13 (133) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10217)
Saturday, 12 August West Perth 23.14 (152)def. East Fremantle 14.16 (100) Leederville Oval (crowd: 10523)
  • In a preview of the Grand Final, East Perth win with a goal from Alex Hamilton with four seconds remaining, a just result to a game which the Royals controlled aside from the first fifteen and final fifteen minutes. [40]
  • Despite an incredible 40 kicks from Peter Featherby, Subiaco fail to match the enthusiasm of a Swan Districts team already showing success in rebuilding. [41]

Round 20

Round 20
Saturday, 19 August Swan Districts 15.9 (99)def. by West Perth 17.20 (122) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7790)
Saturday, 19 August East Perth 18.9 (117)def. South Fremantle 17.13 (115) Perth Oval (crowd: 15876)
Saturday, 19 August Claremont 29.30 (204)def. Subiaco 12.4 (76) Claremont Oval (crowd: 5237)
Saturday, 19 August East Fremantle 14.20 (104)def. by Perth 16.9 (105) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7655)
  • Two thrilling wins – one via a late goal from reigning Simpson Medallist Wim Rosbender – West Perth, South Fremantle, Claremont and East Perth are left in a titanic battle for the last three places in the four. [42]
  • Owing to John Colreavy’s eclipse of Featherby (banished to a forward pocket) in the centre and a remarkable dominance of possession, [43] Claremont beat South Fremantle’s Round 7 record for most scoring shots in an open-age WANFL match [15] to boost their percentage and remain a finals threat.

Round 21

Round 21
Saturday, 26 August South Fremantle 18.16 (124)def. by Swan Districts 21.17 (143) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7892)
Saturday, 26 August West Perth 11.10 (76)def. by East Perth 11.19 (85) Leederville Oval (crowd: 24567)
Saturday, 26 August Perth 15.17 (107)def. Claremont 15.6 (96) Lathlain Park (crowd: 13070)
Saturday, 26 August Subiaco 18.15 (123)def. East Fremantle 16.15 (111) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2990)
  • In front of the third largest WANFL home-and-away attendance, [44] East Perth rise from fifth to second with their win.
  • Two late goals by Perth’s Farrant and Wiley [45] along with three late goals from South Fremantle, [46] drop Claremont from second to fifth in a few minutes for a dramatic finalé. [47]
  • Swan Districts’ youthful talent – in a desperate effort to avoid the wooden spoon – overwhelms a South Fremantle team desperately missing Joe McKay. [46]

Ladder

1978 ladder
PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPts
1 Perth 21156024822176114.160
2 East Perth (P)21138023222063112.652
3 West Perth 21138025012305108.552
4 South Fremantle 21129026662323114.848
5 Claremont 21129026042270114.748
6 East Fremantle 211011025002396104.340
7 Subiaco 2151601943278269.820
8 Swan Districts 2141702121282475.116
Source: WAFL Footy Facts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

First semi-final

First semi-final
Saturday, 2 September West Perth 12.10 (82)def. by South Fremantle 13.17 (95) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 26,486)

Mal Brown’s reorganisation of his team’s defence produces a surprising recovery from their last round defeat by the wooden-spooners. [48]

Second semi-final

Second semi-final
Saturday, 9 September Perth 13.8 (86)def. East Perth 8.9 (57) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 27,261) [49]

A dour win in windy conditions makes Perth firm favourites for a second hat-trick of flags in a decade, despite the loss of key forward Murray Couper after he was suspended for throwing the ball in an umpire’s face after believing he was wrongly denied a free kick for holding the ball. [50]

Preliminary final

Preliminary final
Saturday, 16 September East Perth 27.15 (177)def. South Fremantle 9.11 (65) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 29,763) [49]
  • East Perth conclusively thrash Bulldogs by record preliminary final margin and the second highest in any WANFL final after the 1959 first semi. [51]
  • South Fremantle hit the lead early in the second quarter but afterwards score only 3.9 (27) to 22.10 (142), with Paul Arnold kicking nine goals to equal the record for a WANFL final. [a]

Grand final

1978 WANFL Grand Final
Saturday, 23 September Perth def. by East Perth Subiaco Oval (crowd: 45,126) [52]
4.0 (24)
5.2 (32)
9.5 (59)
12.7 (79)		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final		4.5 (29)
6.6 (42)
9.9 (63)
11.15 (81)		Umpires: Ross Capes, Ron Buckey
Simpson Medal: Ian Miller (East Perth)
Bosustow 7, Doyle 2, Dowell, Mitsopoulos, WileyGoalsArnold 4, Kelly 3, Allen, Duggan, Kickett, McGuire
Bosustow, Wiley, Gibellini, Johnson, Rosbender, CurrieBestMiller, Kelly, Duke, Otway, McGuire, Kickett
Injuries Earnshaw (leg)

In a game of fluctuating weather varying from sunshine to almost monsoon-like rain, East Perth hold on to record only their second win from ten grand finals since 1961 [53]

Notes

a Held by Bob Johnson in the 1962 Preliminary Final and Eric Gorman in the 1963 Grand Final, and subsequently broken by Darren Bennett in the 1986 Second Semi and Warren Ralph in the corresponding match of 1987.

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  2. Frank "Scranno" Jenkins won the Sandover Medal in his debut season of senior football with a record high under the 3-2-1 voting system of 34 votes.
  3. In the second round, East Fremantle broke their own 21-year-old record for the highest score in league history.
  4. East Perth drew three games in one season, a feat equalled in major Australian Rules Leagues only by VFA club Moorabbin in 1958 and West Perth in 1960. The Royals could easily have drawn a fourth game but for crowd acclamation preventing umpires from hearing the bell against Subiaco on Foundation Day. No senior Australian Rules team at any level is known to have tied four matches in a season, but Geelong’s Under-19s did so in 1971.
  5. Swan Districts, with Ted Holdsworth kicking at least six goals in each of the first ten games, reached their first finals series in only their fourth WANFL season. Holdsworth was to reach his 100 goals in two fewer games than George Doig took in his 152-goal 1934 season, but concussion and a broken hand eliminated the prospect of a new record.

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 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 1946 WANFL season was the 62nd season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia.

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.

References

  1. ↑ Perth Regional Office (009034) August 1978 rainfall
  2. ↑ ‘Switch-Play Starts on a Quiet Note’; The West Australian , 15 May 1978, p. 93
  3. ↑ East, Alan; ‘The Messenger Gets Over at Subiaco’; The West Australian, 27 March 1978, p. 62
  4. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘All’s Not Plain Sailing for East Fremantle’; The West Australian, 28 March 1978, p. 91
  5. 1 2 3 WANFL Match Programme and Results 1978 [usurped] (archived from original)
  6. ↑ East, Alan; ‘East Perth Big Men Lift Their Game’; The West Australian, 10 April 1978, p. 70
  7. ↑ Ardon, Rick; ‘Claremont Put It All Together’; The West Australian,17 April 1978, p. 66
  8. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Ten-Goal Forwards Shatter East F‘Tle’; The West Australian, 17 April 1978, p. 66
  9. ↑ "WAFL Footy Facts: Highest Losing Scores". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Hopkins, Colin; ‘Victory Shuffle’; The West Australian, 24 April 1978, p. 70
  11. ↑ Subiaco: Biggest Wins
  12. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Not Much to Rave About’; The West Australian, 24 April 1978, p. 70
  13. ↑ Hopkins, Colin; ‘East F‘Tle Find Perth’s Flaws’; The West Australian, 1 May 1978, p. 87
  14. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Swans Way off Mark’; The West Australian, 1 May 1978, p. 86
  15. 1 2 "WAFL Footy Facts: Most Scoring Shots". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "West Australian Football League: Highest Match Aggregates". Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  17. ↑ East, Alan; ‘Claremont Show Perth a Thing or Two’; The West Australian, 8 May 1978, p. 100
  18. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Malone Has East F‘Tle Foundering’; The West Australian, 8 May 1978, p. 100
  19. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Johnson Sparks Perth Revival’; The West Australian, 15 May 1978, p. 92
  20. ↑ Hopkins, Colin; ‘Cable Gets East Perth into Gear’; The West Australian, 15 May 1978, p. 93
  21. ↑ Perth Regional Office (009034) May 1978 rainfall
  22. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘One Quarter Enough for Perth’; The West Australian; May 22, 1978, p. 76
  23. ↑ Hopkins, Colin; ‘East F‘Tle Get a Couple of Bonuses’ The West Australian, 29 May 1978, p. 62
  24. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘West Perth Keep Pouring It On’ The West Australian, 29 May 1978, p. 63
  25. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Little More than a Practice Match’; The West Australian
  26. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘West Perth Make It 7’; The West Australian, 6 June 1978, pp. 80, 78
  27. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Duckworth Fans the Fire at West Perth’; The West Australian, 19 June 1978, p. 79
  28. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Olsen Shows Swans How’; The West Australian, 19 June 1978, p. 78
  29. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Michael to Rescue for South’; The West Australian, 26 June 1978, p. 75
  30. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Trouble Spot at East F‘Tle’; The West Australian, 3 July 1978, p. 78
  31. ↑ East, Alan; ‘Swans Lack the Knockout Blow’; The West Australian, 3 July 1978, p. 78
  32. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Subiaco Prick the West Perth Ego’; The West Australian, 10 July 1978, p. 63
  33. ↑ Hopkins, Colin; ‘Rain or Shine, South Have What It Takes’; The West Australian, 24 July 1978, p. 57
  34. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Doug Green Spells Out Good News’; The West Australian, 24 July 1978, p. 56
  35. ↑ See Perth Regional Office (009034) July 1978 rainfall
  36. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Storm Was Blessing for Swans’; The West Australian, 31 July 1978, p. 55
  37. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Perth Put the Kettle On’; The West Australian, 7 August 1978, p. 80
  38. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘West Perth in the Hot Seat’; The West Australian, 7 August 1978, pp. 84, 81
  39. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘South Better than This’; The West Australian, 7 August 1978, p. 81
  40. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Last-Gasp Victory Was Just Result’; The West Australian, 14 August 1978, p. 63
  41. ↑ Carew-Reid, Andrew; ‘Swans Are Too Good for Featherby’; The West Australian, 14 August 1978, p. 62
  42. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Four into Three Won’t Go’; The West Australian, 21 August 1978, p. 64
  43. ↑ Casellas, Ken; ‘Centre the Key at Claremont’; The West Australian, 21 August 1978, p. 62
  44. ↑ "West Australian Football League: Biggest Home-and-away Crowds". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  45. ↑ East, Alan; ‘Wiley Puts End to Claremont’; The West Australian, 28 August 1978, p. 56
  46. 1 2 Casellas, Ken; ‘South Fall Apart at the Seams’; The West Australian, 28 August 1978, p. 57
  47. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Pity Poor Claremont – One Kick (in two Games) Would Have Sealed It’; The West Australian, 28 August 1978, p. 60
  48. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Renovated South Win More than a Match’; The West Australian, 4 September 1978, p. 84
  49. 1 2 Christian, Geoff; ‘Miracle Cure at East Perth’; The West Australian, 18 September 1978, p. 81
  50. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘Disgusted Couper Quits Football’; The West Australian, 13 September 1978, pp. 66, 68
  51. ↑ "West Australian Football League: Biggest Wins". Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  52. ↑ Christian, Geoff; ‘East Perth Find the Remedy for Their Ills’; The West Australian, 25 September 1978, p. 83
  53. ↑ ‘Royals Win in Wet’ [usurped] (archived)
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