1986 WAFL season | |
---|---|
Teams | 8 |
Premiers | Subiaco 6th premiership |
Minor premiers | Subiaco 7th minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | Mark Bairstow (South Fremantle) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Mick Rea (Perth) |
Attendance | |
Matches played | 88 |
Total attendance | 731,709 (8,315 per match) |
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 [1] 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 [2] as WAFL clubs' inadequate main income source.
There was also controversy over an attempt to play the Round 7 match between West Perth and Claremont on Mother's Day (11 May) which was vigorously opposed by young families, and the game was played on the Saturday, [3] and the WAFL admitted mid-season that changes to its schedules with more matches in major rural centres and matches at night at the WACA [a] were needed to counter the competition's dwindling appeal. [4] WAFL chairman Roy Annear initially proposed to play two games a season in large towns like Geraldton, Bunbury and Kalgoorlie, [4] although in modern times games in rural areas have been spread out to smaller centres at a lower frequency.
On the field, 1986 saw financially crippled Perth, [5] whose reserves had in 1985 made the Demons’ first finals appearance in any grade since 1978, [6] [7] build upon this under Mal Brown to reach the preliminary final. The loss of players to the VFL, however, prevented Perth building upon this in subsequent seasons and they have remained almost continuously a cellar-dweller since. East Fremantle and Subiaco, clearly the best teams in 1985, were even more dominant in 1986, though there was an unexpected end when hot favourites East Fremantle were thrashed in the Grand Final. Claremont, disappointing in 1984 and 1985, were spectacular early in 1986 before injuries to key players and form lapses saw a catastrophic fall from second with seven straight defeats. [8]
Swan Districts, who had achieved a mini-dynasty from 1980 to 1984 with 88 wins from 118 matches, declined from third to their fourteenth wooden spoon, as injuries to key players and loss of form by veteran Kevin Taylor [9] [10] could only rarely be covered. South Fremantle, possessing the severest financial problems in the WAFL, also suffered from clouds over Don Haddow's coaching future [11] and disputes with the Fremantle Council over Fremantle Oval producing proposals the Bulldogs move to a multi-sport stadium in Cockburn. [12] The Bulldogs suffered their worst season since 1972 and held no opponent under 100 points until the closing round.
Club | Coach | Captain | Best and fairest | Leading goalkicker |
---|---|---|---|---|
Claremont | Graham Moss | Steve Malaxos | Darrell Panizza | John Scott (72) |
East Fremantle | Ron Alexander | Brian Peake | Paul Harding | Colin Waterson (64) |
East Perth | Greg Brehaut (sacked after Round 7) Gerard McNeill | Kevin Bryant (retired after Round 10) Russell Sparks | Craig Starcevich | Phil Bradmore (40) |
Perth | Mal Brown | Robert Wiley | Robert Wiley | Mick Rea (90) |
South Fremantle | Don Haddow | Mark Bairstow | Mark Bairstow | Craig Edwards (52) |
Subiaco | Haydn Bunton, Jr. | Neil Taylor | Laurie Keene | Stephen Sells (74) |
Swan Districts | John Todd | Don Langsford | Peter Sartori | Don Holmes (37) |
West Perth | John Wynne | Les Fong | Dan Foley | Dan Foley (46) |
Round 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 March | Perth 13.15 (93) | drew with | West Perth 13.15 (93) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 8121) | [13] |
Saturday, 29 March | East Fremantle 12.11 (83) | def. by | Subiaco 18.9 (117) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10118) | [14] |
Monday, 31 March | East Perth 22.12 (144) | def. by | Swan Districts 21.20 (146) | Perth Oval (crowd: 10405) | |
Monday, 31 March | Claremont 33.18 (216) | def. | South Fremantle 10.9 (69) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7855) | |
|
Round 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 April | Subiaco 28.20 (188) | def. | East Perth 11.7 (73) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8818) | [19] |
Saturday, 5 April | Swan Districts 17.12 (114) | def. by | Claremont 22.12 (144) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 9614) | |
Saturday, 5 April | West Perth 17.17 (119) | def. by | East Fremantle 18.17 (125) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8824) | [20] |
Sunday, 6 April | Perth 18.13 (121) | def. | South Fremantle 15.19 (109) | Rushton Park (crowd: 7147) | |
|
Round 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 12 April | South Fremantle 22.17 (149) | def. | West Perth 20.10 (130) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6827) | [23] |
Saturday, 12 April | Subiaco 26.21 (177) | def. | Perth 16.14 (110) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8430) | |
Saturday, 12 April | Claremont 20.17 (137) | def. by | East Perth 21.14 (140) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 6021) | |
Saturday, 12 April | Swan Districts 14.16 (100) | def. by | East Fremantle 26.16 (172) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7807) | |
|
Round 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 April | West Perth 20.16 (136) | def. | Swan Districts 15.12 (102) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8203) | [26] |
Saturday, 19 April | Subiaco 26.13 (169) | def. | South Fremantle 18.21 (129) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8571) | |
Saturday, 19 April | Perth 20.8 (128) | def. | Claremont 14.12 (96) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6477) | [27] |
Saturday, 19 April | East Perth 20.13 (133) | def. by | East Fremantle 24.5 (149) | Perth Oval (crowd: 6988) | [28] |
After having won only 27 matches between 1980 and 1985, Perth claimed a prized scalp as they exploited Claremont's weakness at centre half-forward, whilst Craig Smith added to his reputation as a WAFL “tagger” by shutting down Malaxos. [5] |
Round 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 25 April | West Perth 14.17 (101) | def. by | East Perth 15.18 (108) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 17529) | |
Saturday, 26 April | Perth 22.8 (140) | def. | Swan Districts 21.13 (139) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7659) | |
Saturday, 26 April | Claremont 18.17 (125) | def. | Subiaco 9.15 (69) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 9050) | |
Saturday, 26 April | East Fremantle 27.15 (177) | def. | South Fremantle 16.21 (117) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 11005) | |
|
Round 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 3 May | West Perth 17.6 (108) | def. by | Subiaco 25.20 (170) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8217) | |
Saturday, 3 May | South Fremantle 10.9 (69) | def. by | Swan Districts 25.15 (165) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6174) | [11] |
Saturday, 3 May | Perth 18.17 (125) | def. | East Perth 15.12 (102) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8215) | |
Saturday, 3 May | Claremont 21.14 (140) | def. | East Fremantle 12.11 (83) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 8505) | |
|
Round 7 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 10 May | Swan Districts 16.10 (106) | def. by | Subiaco 16.13 (109) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7390) | |
Saturday, 10 May | East Perth 15.18 (108) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.25 (127) | Perth Oval (crowd: 4622) | [34] |
Saturday, 10 May | West Perth 20.11 (131) | def. | Claremont 19.14 (128) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5885) | |
Saturday, 10 May | East Fremantle 26.16 (172) | def. | Perth 12.9 (81) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7112) | [35] |
|
Round 8 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 17 May | West Perth 19.11 (125) | def. | Perth 14.17 (101) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6993) | [38] |
Saturday, 17 May | Swan Districts 23.21 (159) | def. | East Perth 12.12 (84) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 8081) | |
Saturday, 17 May | South Fremantle 9.12 (66) | def. by | Claremont 25.17 (167) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5920) | [39] |
Saturday, 17 May | Subiaco 21.11 (137) | def. | East Fremantle 16.16 (112) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 11640) | [40] |
|
Round 9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 24 May | Perth 23.15 (153) | def. | South Fremantle 15.14 (104) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5928) | [43] |
Saturday, 24 May | East Perth 10.18 (78) | def. by | Subiaco 23.15 (153) | Perth Oval (crowd: 6158) | [44] |
Saturday, 24 May | Claremont 16.32 (128) | def. | Swan Districts 9.10 (64) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 10298) | |
Saturday, 24 May | East Fremantle 21.20 (146) | def. | West Perth 10.18 (78) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7142) | [45] |
Claremont's 32 behinds was the most in a match at Claremont Oval, [46] but it was the Tiger defence led by Guy McKenna, Larry Kickett and Geoff Miles that dominated, holding a powerful Swan attack to 2.5 (17) in the first half in perfect conditions. [10] |
Round 10 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 31 May | Swan Districts 15.15 (105) | def. by | Perth 21.18 (144) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 10218) | [47] |
Saturday, 31 May | West Perth 22.18 (150) | def. | East Perth 14.13 (97) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 8127) | [48] |
Monday, 2 June | Subiaco 14.26 (110) | def. | Claremont 7.20 (62) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 21088) | |
Monday, 2 June | South Fremantle 8.10 (58) | def. by | East Fremantle 23.14 (152) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9275) | [49] |
|
Round 11 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 7 June | West Perth 20.16 (136) | def. | Swan Districts 19.13 (127) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8294) | |
Saturday, 7 June | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | def. by | Subiaco 25.14 (164) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4320) | |
Saturday, 7 June | Claremont 23.13 (151) | def. | Perth 14.16 (100) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 7670) | |
Saturday, 7 June | East Perth 15.13 (103) | def. by | East Fremantle 24.19 (163) | Perth Oval (crowd: 4880) | [52] |
|
Round 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 14 June | West Perth 17.14 (116) | def. | South Fremantle 16.14 (110) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 4130) | |
Saturday, 14 June | Perth 15.13 (103) | def. by | Subiaco 19.12 (126) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 4771) | [55] |
Saturday, 14 June | East Perth 11.13 (79) | def. by | Claremont 19.11 (125) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4295) | |
Saturday, 14 June | East Fremantle 21.15 (141) | def. | Swan Districts 14.13 (97) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4519) | [56] |
South Fremantle produced their best effort to date, with Edwards and Bairstow outstanding – but a third-quarter lapse allowed the Falcons to win and enter the four for the first time in 1986. [57] |
Round 13 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 21 June | Subiaco 27.18 (180) | def. | Swan Districts 12.8 (80) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8002) | [58] |
Saturday, 21 June | South Fremantle 15.16 (106) | def. | East Perth 14.17 (101) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4781) | [59] |
Saturday, 21 June | Claremont 13.26 (104) | def. by | West Perth 16.13 (109) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 8807) | |
Saturday, 21 June | Perth 19.10 (124) | def. | East Fremantle 12.14 (86) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7218) | |
|
Round 14 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 28 June | Swan Districts 16.20 (116) | def. | South Fremantle 12.13 (85) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3861) | [63] |
Saturday, 28 June | East Perth 17.14 (116) | def. by | Perth 20.14 (134) | Perth Oval (crowd: 4212) | [64] |
Saturday, 28 June | East Fremantle 12.18 (90) | def. by | Claremont 16.18 (114) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6414) | |
Sunday, 29 June | Subiaco 14.15 (99) | def. | West Perth 7.11 (53) | Kalgoorlie (crowd: 7139) | [65] |
|
Round 15 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 July | Perth 20.18 (138) | def. | West Perth 6.15 (51) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 9031) | |
Saturday, 5 July | East Perth 17.20 (122) | def. | Swan Districts 13.6 (84) | Perth Oval (crowd: 4837) | [69] |
Saturday, 12 July | Claremont 15.12 (102) | def. | South Fremantle 12.17 (89) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5630) | [70] |
Saturday, 12 July | East Fremantle 17.13 (115) | def. | Subiaco 14.16 (100) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 10298) | |
|
Western Australia vs Victoria | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tuesday, 8 July (1:45 pm) | Western Australia | def. | Victoria | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 39863) | [75] |
4.4 (28) 9.5 (59) 15.10 (100) 21.11 (137) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 4.5 (29) 7.7 (49) 12.10 (82) 20.14 (134) | Umpires: Johnson (WA), Castle (VIC) Simpson Medal: Brad Hardie Television broadcast: ABC1 | ||
Peake 7.2 Buckenara 5.2 MacNish 3.1 Rioli 2.1 Michael Mitchell 2.0 Baker, Wilson 1.1 Blackwell, Hardie 0.1 | Goals | 5.4 Weightman 5.2 Royal 4.2 Taylor 3.1 Brereton 1.0 Alvin, Bews, Healy | |||
This match has often been regarded as the greatest State of Origin match ever played. [76] |
Round 16 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 July | South Fremantle 23.15 (153) | def. | Perth 19.10 (124) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5202) | [77] |
Saturday, 19 July | Subiaco 13.22 (100) | def. | East Perth 12.8 (80) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6711) | [78] |
Saturday, 19 July | Swan Districts 17.9 (111) | def. | Claremont 16.11 (107) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4995) | |
Saturday, 19 July | West Perth 9.13 (67) | def. by | East Fremantle 15.17 (107) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6680) | |
Returns to form by Taylor and Kimberley allowed Swans to grasp an exciting last-minute victory after having been fifteen points behind with ten minutes remaining in an always-close match. [79] |
Round 17 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 26 July | Perth 20.16 (136) | def. | Swan Districts 20.14 (134) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6011) | |
Saturday, 26 July | East Perth 14.12 (96) | def. | West Perth 11.6 (72) | Perth Oval (crowd: 6111) | [80] |
Saturday, 26 July | Claremont 13.10 (88) | def. by | Subiaco 13.22 (100) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 8504) | |
Saturday, 26 July | East Fremantle 29.21 (195) | def. | South Fremantle 9.5 (59) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8622) | [81] |
|
Round 18 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 2 August | West Perth 22.16 (148) | def. | Swan Districts 15.15 (105) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 4915) | [83] |
Saturday, 2 August | South Fremantle 17.13 (115) | def. | Subiaco 15.15 (105) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4559) | |
Saturday, 2 August | Perth 22.20 (152) | def. | Claremont 16.11 (107) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 7502) | [84] |
Saturday, 2 August | East Perth 17.11 (113) | def. by | East Fremantle 21.16 (142) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5435) | |
South Fremantle provided a huge upset to move off the bottom as the brilliant Bairstow and erratic Winmar (who had been in the reserves during June) plus a surprisingly solid defence held the Lions out all afternoon. [85] |
Round 19 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 9 August | South Fremantle 24.18 (162) | def. | West Perth 16.11 (107) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5872) | [86] |
Saturday, 9 August | Subiaco 11.18 (84) | def. by | Perth 21.10 (136) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9802) | |
Saturday, 9 August | Claremont 14.10 (94) | def. by | East Perth 22.11 (143) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 5190) | |
Saturday, 9 August | Swan Districts 13.16 (94) | def. by | East Fremantle 26.15 (171) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5444) | [87] |
|
Round 20 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 16 August | Swan Districts 12.14 (86) | def. by | Subiaco 22.22 (154) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 5244) | |
Saturday, 16 August | East Perth 21.18 (144) | def. | South Fremantle 13.8 (86) | Perth Oval (crowd: 6850) | [90] |
Saturday, 16 August | West Perth 18.24 (132) | def. | Claremont 12.11 (83) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 6922 [91] ) | |
Saturday, 16 August | East Fremantle 24.16 (160) | def. | Perth 7.10 (52) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9367) | |
|
Round 21 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 23 August | Subiaco 27.17 (179) | def. | West Perth 12.9 (81) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9916) | |
Saturday, 23 August | South Fremantle 21.16 (142) | def. | Swan Districts 12.12 (84) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5147) | [95] |
Saturday, 23 August | Perth 16.15 (111) | def. by | East Perth 21.21 (147) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 6910) | |
Saturday, 23 August | Claremont 13.11 (89) | def. by | East Fremantle 27.14 (176) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 5768) | |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Subiaco (P) | 21 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 2790 | 2004 | 139.2 | 68 |
2 | East Fremantle | 21 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 2917 | 2092 | 139.4 | 64 |
3 | Perth | 21 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 2506 | 2537 | 98.8 | 50 |
4 | Claremont | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 2507 | 2255 | 111.2 | 40 |
5 | West Perth | 21 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 2243 | 2529 | 88.7 | 38 |
6 | East Perth | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 2311 | 2652 | 87.1 | 28 |
7 | South Fremantle | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 2185 | 2916 | 74.9 | 28 |
8 | Swan Districts | 21 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 2318 | 2792 | 83.0 | 20 |
First semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 30 August | Perth 24.18 (162) | def. | Claremont 13.11 (89) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 21,037) | |
Despite the return of Mitchell and Malaxos, Claremont was uncompetitive against the Demons, who rebounded from two bad losses and never lost control. [98] |
Second semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 6 September | Subiaco 12.11 (83) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.13 (133) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 25,535) | [99] |
East Fremantle's Darren Bennett became the first player to kick ten or more goals in a WA(N)FL final, [100] and made the Sharks red-hot favourites to equal Port Adelaide's 27 flags in the major Australian Rules leagues. |
Preliminary final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 13 September | Subiaco 26.12 (168) | def. | Perth 15.7 (97) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 23,503) | [101] |
1986 WAFL Grand Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 20 September | East Fremantle | def. by | Subiaco | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 38,389) | [102] |
1.2 (8) 3.7 (25) 6.9 (45) 8.13 (61) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 6.3 (39) 13.4 (82) 17.8 (110) 19.16 (130) | Umpires: Ken O‘Driscoll, Mike Ball Simpson Medal: Mark Zanotti (Subiaco) | ||
Bennett 2, Wilson 2, Waterson 2, Green, Mainwaring | Goals | Breman 4, Keene 3, Sells 3, Macnish 3, Dwayne Lamb 2, Dean, Carpenter, Brian Taylor, Neil Taylor | |||
Harding, Neesham, Rowland, O‘Sullivan, Mainwaring, Wilson, Solin | Best | Zanotti, Dwayne Lamb, P. Lamb, Carpenter, Scott, Featherby, Macnish, Dargie | |||
Peter Wilson by field umpire O‘Driscoll for striking Rod Willett in the third quarter | Reports | Stephen Sells by goal umpire Lester Cox for striking Scott Rowland in the second quarter | |||
Subiaco crushed a powerful East Fremantle side to complete a rags-to-riches story over three seasons under Haydn Bunton, Jr., going from one win in 1982 [c] and four in 1983 to premiers. |
a As of 1986, the WACA had not been used for any WA(N)FL match since Perth ceased playing its home games there at the end of the 1958 season.
b In Round 17 of 1944 East Fremantle beat a winless under-19 South Fremantle team by 201 points.
c Their lone win during 1982 was against East Fremantle.
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 1980 WAFL season was the 96th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.
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 1999 Westar Rules season was the 115th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League and the third as “Westar Rules”. It is most notable for the first winless season in open-age Western Australian football since Midland Junction in their final 1917 season lost all twelve of their games, although South Fremantle in the under-19 1944 competition lost all nineteen of their games. Peel Thunder, who at the completion of the season had won only two of their first sixty Westar Rules matches, achieved the equal second-longest winless season in a major Australian Rules league behind SANFL club Sturt in 1995.[a] Although beforehand most critics thought the Thunder would improve on what they did in their first two seasons, late in the season none of the major Westar Rules writers gave them a chance to win even against second-last East Perth at Rushton Park.
The 1994 WAFL season was the 110th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.
The 1988 WAFL season was the 104th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.
The 2000 Westar Rules season was the fourth season of ‘Westar Rules’ and the 116th season of the various incarnations of senior football in Perth. It was the last season before the competition's name was changed back to the traditional ‘WAFL’ as it was clear the public had not been attracted by the change. Owing to the Sydney Olympics, Westar Rules shortened the 2000 season from twenty to eighteen matches per club, and retained this eighteen-match season in 2001 and 2002 before going back to the current twenty-match season.
The 1989 WAFL season was the 105th season of senior football in Perth. It saw Claremont continue its dominance of the competition with a third successive minor premiership under Gerard Neesham, despite having lost most of their top players of previous seasons to the VFL, and their 1988 conquerors Subiaco fall to third last with a mere six wins – their worst performance since the dark days of 1983 when the club had not played in the finals for nine years and had been wooden spooners four times in eight seasons. Coach Bunton had to promote many young players and knew 1989 was to be a year of rebuilding, though only a second Colts premiership under Eddie Pitter showed Subiaco did possess much resilience.
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 1990 WASFL season was the 106th season of senior Australian rules football in Perth, Western Australia. It saw the league, already realising that the damage from the admission to the VFL of West Coast would be permanent rather than temporary as was hoped in 1986, rebrand itself as the Western Australia State Football League, but the move was unsuccessful and reversed after a single season. The refusal of WASFL clubs to permit an Eagles reserves team in the WASFL and the WAFC's refusal to accept one in the AFL's reserve grade competition led to further problems when Claremont said they would not play West Coast discards in the league team and produced a short-lived draft for such players, whilst at the same time Claremont rejected a proposed draft for the numerous young footballers who came from Perth's private schools but when not boarding lived in rural areas.
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 1992 WAFL season was the 108th season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia. It is most notable for the end of the Claremont dynasty of the previous five seasons, which was pre-season an expected result of losing all but nine of the premiership side to the AFL draft or in two cases retirement. The Tigers, whose guernsey reverted from the gold sash to the CFC monogram, which they wore during their miraculous premiership success in 1964, fell from first with only two losses to avoiding the wooden spoon only by percentage, in the process using fifty-two players in the league team. East Fremantle won their first premiership for seven years after a very disappointing 1991, whilst East Perth, who had been stragglers for the preceding half-decade, made a remarkable rush from fifth position to narrowly miss their first Grand Final since winning the 1978 premiership.
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 1993 WAFL season was the 109th of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. It saw an extraordinarily even competition amongst all the teams except Perth, with only three and a half games separating first and seventh and the smallest dispersion of winning percentages in the WAFL since 1921. West Perth's 13 wins and a percentage marginally under 100 is the fewest wins and lowest percentage to take top position in a major Australian Rules league: indeed no team had headed the ladder with a percentage nearly so low at any stage of a season except Hawthorn during May of 1969 and Perth during June and July 1963.
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.