| 1979 WAFL season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 |
| Premiers | East Fremantle 25th premiership |
| Minor premiers | Claremont 5th minor premiership |
| Sandover Medallist | Phil Kelly (East Perth) |
| Bernie Naylor Medallist | Kevin Taylor (East Fremantle) |
| Matches played | 88 |
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 (including three under-age wartime seasons) under that moniker.
The season set many records for high scoring due to the still-ongoing drying of Perth's climate [1] [2] [3] and the new "interchange" rule. The all-time record aggregate score of 60.18 (378) was set in the third last round between Swan Districts and Subiaco [4] and has never been approached since. However, the overall average score of 112.52 points per team per game was not nearly so high as in the following few years under the "WAFL" moniker.
A major highlight of the 1979 season was the all-time record attendance for local West Australian football of 52,781 in the Grand Final, [5] beating narrowly the previous record of 52,322 set in the 1975 decider. [6]
The 1979 season became a critical turning point in the fortunes of many WANFL clubs. Perth, who had been a powerhouse ever since the end of World War II, winning six premierships and playing in the finals during twenty-four of the preceding thirty-two seasons, underwent a long-term decline that has seen the play in the finals since only in 1986, 1991 and 1997, and take the wooden spoon on eight occasions as opposed to none between 1936 and 1980. With the loss of a number of veterans and major coaching problems which culminated in the resignation of newcomer Percy Johnson for former premiership mentor Graham Campbell, West Perth, also a power club of the WANFL during the third-of-a-century before 1979, declined to their worst record since 1939 with only four wins. The Cardinals [note 1] were to remain battlers until the middle 1990s when they moved to Arena Joondalup. On the other hand, the 1979 season saw Claremont and Swan Districts begin revivals after years near the bottom of the ladder that would see them dominate the competition during the 1980s.
| Round 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 31 March | West Perth 15.16 (106) | def. | Subiaco 13.14 (92) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8105) | |
| Saturday, 31 March | Perth 18.12 (120) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.21 (123) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 10508) | |
| Saturday, 31 March | East Perth 11.13 (79) | def. by | Claremont 14.13 (97) | Perth Oval (crowd: 14976) | |
| Saturday, 31 March | East Fremantle 18.10 (118) | def. | Swan Districts 11.13 (79) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9230) | |
| |||||
| Round 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 7 April | South Fremantle 17.19 (121) | def. | West Perth 11.10 (76) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11637) | |
| Saturday, 7 April | Swan Districts 17.15 (117) | def. by | East Perth 21.8 (134) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 10930) | |
| Saturday, 7 April | Subiaco 11.9 (75) | def. by | Perth 19.20 (134) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5684) | |
| Saturday, 7 April | Claremont 15.11 (101) | def. by | East Fremantle 21.17 (143) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 11978) | |
| Round 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 April | East Perth 29.22 (196) | def. | Subiaco 6.11 (47) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8528) | |
| Saturday, 14 April | East Fremantle 17.18 (120) | def. | South Fremantle 14.19 (103) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 21317) | |
| Monday, 16 April | Perth 11.8 (74) | def. by | Swan Districts 11.12 (78) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 11046) | |
| Monday, 16 April | Claremont 19.25 (139) | def. | West Perth 5.12 (42) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 11284) | |
| |||||
| Round 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 21 April | Subiaco 9.11 (65) | def. by | South Fremantle 20.28 (148) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5606) | |
| Saturday, 21 April | West Perth 14.15 (99) | def. by | Perth 16.11 (107) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8786) | |
| Saturday, 21 April | Swan Districts 15.21 (111) | def. by | Claremont 17.15 (117) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 11080) | |
| Saturday, 21 April | East Fremantle 9.16 (70) | def. | East Perth 8.10 (58) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 14676) | |
| Round 5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 April | Swan Districts 31.16 (202) | def. | Subiaco 11.12 (78) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6872) | |
| Saturday, 28 April | East Perth 19.15 (129) | def. | Perth 13.13 (91) | Perth Oval (crowd: 12427) | |
| Saturday, 28 April | Claremont 18.12 (120) | def. by | South Fremantle 20.24 (144) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 12640) | |
| Saturday, 28 April | East Fremantle 18.24 (132) | def. | West Perth 17.12 (114) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7930) | |
With skipper Stan Nowotny and the Narkle brothers killing Subiaco (who had lost their last four matches by 446 points) and their reserves winning equally easily, Swan Districts confirm they would be much more formidable than in 1978 and 1977. [12] | |||||
| Round 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 5 May | West Perth 19.13 (127) | def. by | Swan Districts 21.14 (140) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 11318) | |
| Saturday, 5 May | South Fremantle 20.20 (140) | def. | East Perth 11.18 (84) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 14129) | |
| Saturday, 5 May | Subiaco 17.11 (113) | def. | Claremont 17.9 (111) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5476) | |
| Saturday, 5 May | Perth 15.18 (108) | def. | East Fremantle 13.12 (90) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 11427) | |
| |||||
| Round 7 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 12 May | Swan Districts 11.20 (86) | def. by | South Fremantle 21.14 (140) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 15,170) | |
| Saturday, 12 May | East Perth 21.18 (144) | def. | West Perth 7.10 (52) | Perth Oval (crowd: 11532) | |
| Saturday, 12 May | Claremont 17.12 (114) | def. | Perth 7.11 (53) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 8765) | |
| Saturday, 12 May | East Fremantle 27.21 (183) | def. | Subiaco 8.9 (57) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5610) | |
| |||||
| Round 8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 19 May | Subiaco 18.12 (120) | def. | West Perth 13.17 (95) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5310) | |
| Saturday, 19 May | South Fremantle 13.15 (93) | def. by | Perth 16.15 (111) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8297) | |
| Saturday, 19 May | Claremont 18.14 (122) | def. | East Perth 9.16 (70) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 9871) | |
| Saturday, 19 May | Swan Districts 20.20 (140) | def. by | East Fremantle 22.16 (148) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6985) | |
| |||||
| Round 9 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 26 May | West Perth 8.13 (61) | def. by | South Fremantle 28.19 (187) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8273) | |
| Saturday, 26 May | East Perth 14.12 (96) | def. by | Swan Districts 18.14 (122) | Perth Oval (crowd: 11870) | |
| Saturday, 26 May | Perth 22.23 (155) | def. | Subiaco 9.7 (61) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8072) | |
| Saturday, 26 May | East Fremantle 17.18 (120) | def. by | Claremont 21.14 (140) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 12382) | |
| |||||
| Round 10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 2 June | Swan Districts 15.14 (104) | def. | Perth 10.17 (77) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 12287) | |
| Saturday, 2 June | West Perth 13.16 (94) | def. by | Claremont 16.10 (106) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8762) | |
| Monday, 4 June | Subiaco 9.12 (66) | def. by | East Perth 16.21 (117) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8213) | |
| Monday, 4 June | South Fremantle 20.30 (150) | def. | East Fremantle 20.15 (135) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 22399) | |
High-scoring Foundation Day derby sees inaccurate Bulldogs come from behind to win with 11.7 (73) to 5.4 (34) last quarter and acquire premiership favouritism in front of a record Fremantle Oval attendance – despite East Fremantle being seriously affected by injuries. [21] | |||||
| Round 11 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 9 June | South Fremantle 27.22 (184) | def. | Subiaco 19.17 (131) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4724) | |
| Saturday, 9 June | Perth 25.12 (162) | def. | West Perth 12.15 (87) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8297) | |
| Saturday, 9 June | Claremont 17.15 (117) | def. | Swan Districts 12.17 (89) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 11575) | |
| Saturday, 9 June | East Perth 25.8 (158) | def. | East Fremantle 18.12 (120) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10368) | |
| |||||
| Round 12 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 16 June | Subiaco 4.12 (36) | def. by | Swan Districts 21.26 (152) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4639) | |
| Saturday, 16 June | Perth 6.10 (46) | def. by | East Perth 10.21 (81) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8537) | |
| Saturday, 16 June | South Fremantle 16.13 (109) | def. | Claremont 10.10 (70) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11897) | [25] |
| Saturday, 16 June | West Perth 12.16 (88) | def. | East Fremantle 10.11 (71) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5243) | |
| |||||
| Round 13 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 23 June | Swan Districts 13.20 (98) | def. by | West Perth 15.9 (99) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 8237) | |
| Saturday, 23 June | East Perth 16.19 (115) | def. | South Fremantle 11.16 (82) | Perth Oval (crowd: 13876) | |
| Saturday, 23 June | Claremont 23.11 (149) | def. | Subiaco 17.21 (123) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 5061) | |
| Saturday, 23 June | East Fremantle 22.14 (146) | def. | Perth 16.11 (107) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6692) | |
| |||||
| Round 14 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 30 June | South Fremantle 19.22 (136) | def. | Swan Districts 18.17 (125) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11106) | |
| Saturday, 30 June | West Perth 12.11 (83) | def. by | East Perth 12.19 (91) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 12898) | |
| Saturday, 30 June | Perth 16.14 (110) | def. by | Claremont 21.11 (137) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8948) | |
| Saturday, 30 June | Subiaco 17.11 (113) | def. by | East Fremantle 17.25 (127) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4976) | |
| |||||
| Round 15 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 14 July | West Perth 19.17 (131) | def. | Subiaco 15.7 (97) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5136) | |
| Saturday, 14 July | Perth 9.10 (64) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.10 (112) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8000) | |
| Saturday, 14 July | East Perth 16.16 (112) | def. by | Claremont 17.13 (115) | Perth Oval (crowd: 11979) | |
| Saturday, 14 July | East Fremantle 19.21 (135) | def. | Swan Districts 7.11 (53) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6880) | |
| |||||
| Round 16 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 21 July | South Fremantle 18.17 (125) | def. | West Perth 14.17 (101) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9828) | |
| Saturday, 21 July | Swan Districts 18.18 (126) | def. by | East Perth 24.15 (159) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 9937) | |
| Saturday, 21 July | Subiaco 11.23 (89) | def. by | Perth 14.12 (96) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3599) | |
| Saturday, 21 July | Claremont 24.19 (163) | def. | East Fremantle 10.17 (77) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 11197) | |
1976 leading goalkicker Norm Uncle returns after a long period of disappointment to kick nine goals three behinds as Claremont, after losing Moss and Jimmy Krakouer, run over Old Easts in the second half. [35] | |||||
| Round 17 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 July | Perth 15.15 (105) | def. by | Swan Districts 23.14 (152) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 5972) | |
| Saturday, 28 July | East Perth 17.16 (118) | def. by | Subiaco 18.21 (129) | Perth Oval (crowd: 5940) | |
| Saturday, 28 July | Claremont 21.16 (142) | def. | West Perth 12.14 (86) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 8429) | |
| Saturday, 28 July | South Fremantle 17.17 (119) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.22 (142) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 13127) | |
Subiaco record upset win with 8.8 (56) to 1.1 (7) opening quarter, and hold on despite kicking 5.11 (41) in the third. | |||||
| Round 18 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 4 August | Subiaco 12.13 (85) | def. by | South Fremantle 21.12 (138) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6193) | |
| Saturday, 4 August | West Perth 10.16 (76) | def. by | Perth 23.13 (151) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5857) | |
| Saturday, 4 August | Swan Districts 24.12 (156) | def. | Claremont 15.19 (109) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 10927) | |
| Saturday, 4 August | East Fremantle 13.15 (93) | def. by | East Perth 31.10 (196) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11219) | |
| |||||
| Round 19 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 11 August | Swan Districts 40.11 (251) | def. | Subiaco 20.7 (127) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 6990) | |
| Saturday, 11 August | East Perth 23.18 (156) | def. | Perth 13.18 (96) | Perth Oval (crowd: 16167) | |
| Saturday, 11 August | Claremont 18.19 (127) | def. | South Fremantle 12.12 (84) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 14098) | |
| Saturday, 11 August | East Fremantle 32.23 (215) | def. | West Perth 19.12 (126) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5228) | |
| |||||
| Round 20 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 18 August | West Perth 10.8 (68) | def. by | Swan Districts 20.22 (142) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 4730) | |
| Saturday, 18 August | South Fremantle 8.10 (58) | def. | East Perth 7.10 (52) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10072) | |
| Saturday, 18 August | Subiaco 19.9 (123) | def. by | Claremont 20.11 (131) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4201) | |
| Saturday, 18 August | Perth 8.16 (64) | def. by | East Fremantle 11.6 (72) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 4059) | |
| |||||
| Round 21 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 25 August | Swan Districts 22.18 (150) | def. | South Fremantle 14.8 (92) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 14189) | |
| Saturday, 25 August | East Perth 14.11 (95) | def. | West Perth 11.15 (81) | Perth Oval (crowd: 8059) | |
| Saturday, 25 August | Claremont 35.8 (218) | def. | Perth 14.15 (99) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 8146) | |
| Saturday, 25 August | East Fremantle 25.16 (166) | def. | Subiaco 13.8 (86) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5712) | |
| |||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claremont | 21 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 2645 | 2137 | 123.8 | 64 |
| 2 | South Fremantle | 21 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2588 | 2140 | 120.9 | 60 |
| 3 | East Fremantle (P) | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 2623 | 2323 | 112.9 | 56 |
| 4 | East Perth | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2440 | 1953 | 124.9 | 52 |
| 5 | Swan Districts | 21 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2673 | 2292 | 116.6 | 44 |
| 6 | Perth | 21 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 2130 | 2292 | 92.9 | 32 |
| 7 | West Perth | 21 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 1892 | 2677 | 70.7 | 16 |
| 8 | Subiaco | 21 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 1913 | 3090 | 61.9 | 12 |
| First semi-final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 1 September | East Fremantle 19.14 (128) | def. | East Perth 18.18 (126) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 30,236) | |
East Fremantle coach Bradley Smith makes a number of surprise moves that overhaul his former club in Cable’s last senior match. [45] | |||||
| Second semi-final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 8 September | Claremont 14.19 (103) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.21 (123) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 32,046) | |
Noel Carter makes an unexpected comeback from injury, and with Michael beating Moss, South Fremantle make a surprising rebound from their Swan Districts loss, [46] leaving Claremont as the team with injury worries. [47] | |||||
| Preliminary final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 15 September | Claremont 15.17 (107) | def. by | East Fremantle 19.20 (134) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 26,469) | |
| 1979 WANFL Grand Final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 22 September | South Fremantle | def. by | East Fremantle | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 52,781) | |
| 4.5 (29) 8.10 (58) 14.14 (98) 16.16 (112) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.5 (23) 10.13 (73) 13.16 (94) 21.19 (145) | Umpires: Ross Capes, John Morris Simpson Medal: Kevin Taylor (East Fremantle) | ||
| Bauskis 5, Vigona 3, Morley 3, Mountain 2 Rioli, Carter, Haddow | Goals | Taylor 7, Turco 4, Thompson 4, Buhagiar 3, Judge, Sims, Sewell | |||
| Mountain, Michael, Bauskis, Morley, Cavanagh, Rioli | Best | Buhagiar, Peake, Taylor, D Green, S Green, Carrott | |||