1988 WAFL season

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1988 WAFL season
Teams8
Premiers Subiaco
7th premiership
Minor premiers Claremont
7th minor premiership
Sandover Medallist David Bain (East Perth)
Bernie Naylor Medallist Todd Breman (Subiaco)
Matches played88
←  1987
1989  →

The 1988 WAFL season was the 104th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.

Contents

In many ways the “end of an era”, the 1988 season saw the membership base of most WAFL clubs severely affected by the transfer of the State's best players to West Coast, a problem only marginally ameliorated by reciprocal memberships given to many Eagle members. [1] The WAFL was laced with several off-field controversies, with chief executive Peter Cumminsky refusing to allow an exhibition match in Vancouver which Subiaco and Swan Districts planned to play on the last Saturday in September, [2] and opposing the WAFC over an Eagles reserves team and maximum transfer fees to VFL clubs being set $13,000 lower than what the clubs said was needed to actually develop the highest standard footballers – in effect funding “destitute” VFL clubs. [3]

The season also saw the end of the exceptionally high scoring of the past decade: for the first time since 1977 the WA(N)FL did not see a single score of over 200 points or a match where both teams scored twenty goals, while the highest score of 27.20 (182) was the lowest since 1974. The average score of 103.97 points per team per game was the lowest since 1975.

Claremont and Subiaco continued to dominate the WAFL this year under coaches Gerard Neesham and Haydn Bunton Jr. [lower-alpha 1] but this time the Lions took the honours with their second convincing Grand Final win in three seasons. There was controversy because the Lions played Laurie Keene after the WAFL ruled on 7 September that a VFL match against Melbourne on the Queen's Birthday, for which Keene travelled to Melbourne an emergency, counted as a WAFL game to determine eligibility for finals. [4] Early-1980s power club Swan Districts, who lost champion coach John Todd to the Eagles and suffered the first of numerous financial crises in the subsequent fifteen years, [5] became the first club since the colts competition began in 1957 to suffer the ignominy of finishing last in all three grades, [6] [7] [lower-alpha 2] although expectations the black and whites would suffer another lengthy period in the cellar were not fulfilled in subsequent seasons. South Fremantle, who had lost their last eighteen matches of 1987, convincingly won the WAFL's pre-season competition [8] and despite a second consecutive injury crisis with twenty-four senior list players unavailable as of Round 12, [9] rebounded for their first finals appearance in five seasons due to the return of Maurice Rioli and the discovery of numerous young stars like Peter Sumich, Scott Watters and Stevan Jackson.

Home-and-away season

Round 1 (Easter Monday)

Round 1
Monday, 4 April West Perth 23.23 (161)def. Swan Districts 10.17 (77) Leederville Oval (crowd: 6700)
Monday, 4 April South Fremantle 21.23 (149)def. East Perth 6.12 (48) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6800)
Monday, 4 April Claremont 21.16 (142)def. Subiaco 11.9 (75) Claremont Oval (crowd: 5700) [10]
Monday, 4 April Perth 13.20 (98)def. by East Fremantle 17.15 (117) WACA (crowd: 4500)
  • Despite 32 °C (89.6 °F) heat, the WAFL is at delighted the experiment of playing the full opening round on Easter Monday, with attendances up 8,600 on the first round of 1987. [11]
  • The return of Rioli, the recruitment of Willie Roe from the Royals and Magro’s improvement in South’s fitness gives the Bulldogs a big win over a disappointing East Perth. [12]
  • Eagle discard Sean King shows the VFL newcomers may have made an error as he dominates from the wing over a Swan Districts team still becoming accustomed to new coach Blackaby. [13]

Round 2

Round 2
Saturday, 9 April Swan Districts 17.23 (125)def. South Fremantle 14.11 (95) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4383)
Saturday, 9 April Subiaco 14.15 (99)def. East Perth 10.10 (70) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3011) [14]
Saturday, 9 April Claremont 8.18 (66)def. by Perth 10.14 (74) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3315)
Saturday, 9 April East Fremantle 14.19 (103)def. West Perth 14.9 (93) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4388) [15]
  • South Fremantle’s lack of depth that produced a horror 1987 seems to rear its ugly head again as Bulldog team minus Rioli, Sumich, Wally Matera, Tony Amoroso, Graham Kickett and John McDonald provides Blackaby a first victory despite the loss of key ruckman Allan Sidebottom to a serious injury. [8]
  • Perth end Claremont’s 22-game unbeaten streak as Wiley’s plan of hard pressure drives most Tiger shots off-line and Claremont do not obtain enough play to counter this. [16]

Round 3

Round 3
Saturday, 16 April Subiaco 26.18 (174)def. Swan Districts 9.11 (65) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4002)
Saturday, 16 April West Perth 8.16 (64)def. by Perth 18.9 (117) Leederville Oval (crowd: 4361) [17]
Saturday, 16 April East Perth 10.10 (70)def. by Claremont 21.23 (149) WACA (crowd: 2744) [18]
Saturday, 16 April East Fremantle 11.19 (85)def. South Fremantle 10.12 (72) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7764) [19]
  • Shane Cocker and Laurie Keene decimate Swan Districts with their height, [20] whilst the Swans suffer from a “mixed-up” report to wingman Geoff Passeri – reported for striking a different player from the one witness knew he struck and ultimately having his charge dismissed on grounds of insufficient evidence. [21]
  • The result was Subiaco’s biggest win over Swans until 1998, beating 100 points two seasons before. [22]

Round 4 (Anzac Day)

Round 4
Sunday, 24 April East Fremantle 8.12 (60)def. by Subiaco 15.19 (109) Geraldton (crowd: 3420) [23]
Monday, 25 April Swan Districts 16.16 (112)def. East Perth 14.12 (96) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4300) [24]
Monday, 25 April Perth 24.22 (166)def. South Fremantle 16.13 (109) WACA (crowd: 9000) [25]
Monday, 25 April West Perth 20.13 (133)def. Claremont 16.7 (103) WACA (crowd: 9000)
  • The two Anzac Day games at the WACA were played as a double-header for the first time in WAFL history.
  • Perth lead by 94 points at three-quarter time as Bulldog discard Dempsey Narkle dominates in the ruck and appear likely to pass their highest score from 1977, but kick only 1.5 (11) to 7.6 (48) in the last quarter [26]

Round 5

Round 5
Saturday, 30 April South Fremantle 16.26 (122)def. West Perth 6.13 (49) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3842)
Saturday, 30 April Subiaco 23.10 (148)def. Perth 15.15 (105) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5015)
Saturday, 30 April Claremont 18.19 (127)def. Swan Districts 13.11 (89) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2873)
Saturday, 30 April East Perth 16.9 (105)def. by East Fremantle 17.23 (125) WACA (crowd: 2210) [27]
  • The power of Brad McDougall (eight goals), plus Breman and John Georgiades (five apiece) along with future dual Sandover winner Ian Dargie’s tackling and smothering in the thick of the action ensures Subiaco ends Perth’s honeymoon in convincing style. [28]
  • Despite losing Rioli in an opening exchange, South Fremantle rebound from three losses to thrash a “pathetic” West Perth, as Craig Edwards moves into the ruck and the returning Merv Dellar forms part of a rampant mosquito fleet. [29]

Round 6

Round 6
Saturday, 7 May West Perth 12.15 (87)def. by Subiaco 20.12 (132) Leederville Oval (crowd: 4679)
Saturday, 7 May Perth 20.20 (140)def. East Perth 15.6 (96) WACA (crowd: 3102)
Saturday, 7 May South Fremantle 14.17 (101)def. by Claremont 18.19 (127) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5159)
Saturday, 7 May Swan Districts 15.18 (108)def. by East Fremantle 22.19 (151) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4388) [30]
  • Four goals each from Don Pyke and debutant Billy Krakouer, [lower-alpha 3] provide brilliant skills to overcome South Fremantle after that team took the lead midway through the last quarter for the second time all match. [31]
  • Perth’s Mick Rea seems more intent upon pushing opponents around and kicks only two goals, but Perth have no trouble with the winless Royals even with his useless antics. [32]

Round 7

Round 7
Saturday, 14 May Subiaco 25.23 (173)def. South Fremantle 11.13 (79) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2722)
Saturday, 14 May Perth 27.20 (182)def. Swan Districts 11.15 (81) WACA (crowd: 2736)
Saturday, 14 May West Perth 10.9 (69)def. by East Perth 14.13 (97) Leederville Oval (crowd: 2417) [33]
Saturday, 14 May East Fremantle 9.10 (64)def. by Claremont 11.16 (82) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4086)
  • In the wet conditions, Tiger ruckman Mal Thomson’s marking around the ground has him ear-marked for State honours, whilst Peter Melesso helps him at full-forward with five goals that force the Sharks – in Brian Peake’s record 263rd match for the club – to move top ruckman Lance Durack to full-back. [34]
  • Subiaco kick 20.19 (139) to 2.5 (17) after the 22-minute mark of the second quarter with devastating skills in wet weather as second-game Richard Caldow does a superb job on the wing replacing the out-of-form Greg Carpenter. [35]
  • Swan Districts kick 1.10 (16) in the second quarter as Perth – in amazing display on a muddy WACA and in spite of the return of Phil Narkle [36] – kick their highest score since 1980 [26] and the season’s highest.

Round 8

Round 8
Saturday, 21 May Perth 13.11 (89)def. by South Fremantle 18.18 (126) WACA (crowd: 2713)
Saturday, 21 May Swan Districts 21.17 (143)def. East Perth 19.16 (130) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3028) [37]
Saturday, 21 May Claremont 18.15 (123)def. West Perth 6.20 (56) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3191)
Saturday, 21 May East Fremantle 18.13 (121)def. Subiaco 11.13 (79) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3593) [38]

South Fremantle stay in touch with the top four by overwhelming Perth after a slow start, with coach Wiley saying Perth did too little to attack the ball. [39]

Round 9

Round 9
Saturday, 28 May South Fremantle 20.15 (135)def. Swan Districts 14.12 (96) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3485) [40]
Saturday, 28 May East Perth 14.10 (94)def. by Subiaco 20.10 (130) WACA (crowd: 2656)
Saturday, 28 May Claremont 22.10 (142)def. Perth 16.13 (109) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3508) [41]
Saturday, 28 May West Perth 14.16 (100)def. by East Fremantle 18.14 (122) Leederville Oval (crowd: 2871) [42]

A blunder by Ray Ewen – handballing after a free kick [lower-alpha 4] – that leads to a goal to Georgiades, plus several other serious mistakes derail East Perth’s determined effort to cause a big upset with a final-quarter charge. The Royals pressure Subiaco well but their lack of skill proved decisive. [43]

Round 10

Round 10
Saturday, 4 June Subiaco 16.19 (115)def. Swan Districts 10.8 (68) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3505)
Saturday, 4 June Perth 17.16 (118)def. West Perth 14.13 (97) WACA (crowd: 3123) [44]
Saturday, 4 June Claremont 17.12 (114)def. East Perth 10.13 (73) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3213)
Monday, 6 June South Fremantle 16.10 (106)def. East Fremantle 12.12 (84) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9981)
  • East Perth suffer a fifth second-half fadeout for 1988 as Claremont score 14.7 (91) to 1.7 (13) after having been five goals behind. Scott and Owens score seven second-half goals between them after playing the first half in defence, whilst the Royals finish the game with sixteen fit players. [45]
  • South Fremantle end a ten-match losing run against their derby rivals with three late goals despite being in a desperately tired state, as the Bulldogs play “keepings-off” exceptionally well. Scott Watters has twenty kicks in the first half. [46]
  • Swan Districts, who have a mere 32 scoring shots to 120 in the three grades including only 2.0 (12) in the colts, enter a major crisis on and off the field. [5]

Round 11

Round 11
Saturday, 11 June Swan Districts 10.15 (75)def. by West Perth 16.17 (113) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2946) [47]
Saturday, 11 June East Perth 14.15 (99)def. South Fremantle 13.12 (90) WACA (crowd: 3015)
Saturday, 11 June Subiaco 10.13 (73)def. by Claremont 15.13 (103) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6301)
Saturday, 11 June East Fremantle 22.11 (143)def. Perth 15.21 (111) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3547) [48]
  • Claremont record their seventh consecutive unbeaten match against Subiaco as Neesham’s cunning in short spells flatters the depleted Lions, who have only 3.6 (24) to 12.12 (84) on the board at three-quarter time. [49]
  • Boyup Brook recruit Andrew Embry completely destroys young Bulldog star Scott Watters to lead East Perth to a second win and a position only a game behind West Perth and Swan Districts. [50]

Round 12

Round 12
Saturday, 18 June Subiaco 11.8 (74)def. by West Perth 16.19 (115) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3769) [51]
Saturday, 18 June Perth 18.13 (121)def. East Perth 17.11 (113) WACA (crowd: 3177)
Saturday, 18 June Claremont 18.18 (126)def. South Fremantle 11.9 (75) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3819)
Saturday, 18 June East Fremantle 18.17 (125)def. Swan Districts 18.6 (114) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2878) [52]
  • For the third consecutive round South Fremantle lose a player (Craig Edwards) within the opening five minutes – with the result that the Bulldogs cannot threaten Claremont, whose defence marks superbly. [9]
  • Forwards Mick Rea and Wayne Ryder recapture their form of 1986 for the first time this season to kick four goals apiece and hold off the rapidly improving Royals and leave Perth two wins clear inside the four. [53]

Round 13

Round 13
Saturday, 25 June West Perth 17.22 (124)def. South Fremantle 8.9 (57) Leederville Oval (crowd: 2813)
Saturday, 25 June Perth 9.19 (73)def. Subiaco 9.8 (62) WACA (crowd: 4297)
Saturday, 25 June Swan Districts 11.10 (76)drew with Claremont 10.16 (76) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2263)
Saturday, 25 June East Perth 13.12 (90)def. by East Fremantle 22.24 (156) WACA (crowd: 4297) [54]
  • The match between Swan Districts and Claremont is the only WAFL draw on Round 13. There have been draws on every other pre-1997 WAFL round except Round 17. [55]
  • For the third time in twenty-seven matches Peter Melesso saves Claremont from defeat with a kick after the siren. [56]
  • Former forward Phil “Spock” Bradmore’s hard defence crushes South Fremantle in a fiery match where the frustrated Mark Bayliss remonstrates with several West Perth members during play after jumping the fence. [57]

Round 14

Round 14
Saturday, 2 July South Fremantle 21.10 (136)def. Subiaco 17.8 (110) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3000)
Saturday, 2 July Swan Districts 13.21 (99)def. by Perth 18.15 (123) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3100) [58]
Saturday, 2 July East Perth 15.11 (101)def. by West Perth 18.12 (120) Perth Oval (crowd: 2995) [59]
Saturday, 2 July East Fremantle 14.10 (94)def. by Claremont 17.19 (121) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4514)
  • The physical power of Bayliss and Sumich allows South Fremantle a surprise win over Subiaco, aided by the dominance of returning ruckman Edwards around the ground. [60]
  • Claremont overcome a major test by beating East Fremantle despite numerous injuries and being nineteen points behind early in the second quarter. Future Fremantle backline mainstay Dale Kickett in his second match proves outstanding up forward. [61]

Round 15

Round 15
Saturday, 9 July Swan Districts 20.22 (142)def. West Perth 11.12 (78) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3106)
Saturday, 9 July East Perth 9.17 (71)def. by South Fremantle 10.12 (72) WACA (crowd: 2600) [62]
Saturday, 9 July Claremont 17.15 (117)def. by Subiaco 18.11 (119) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3682)
Saturday, 9 July East Fremantle 21.14 (140)def. Perth 13.20 (98) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3626) [63]
  • Subiaco jump Claremont with 7.2 (44) to one goal in the opening 22 minutes and hold on to win a thriller after four consecutive defeats. Claremont player/coach Neesham was reported by three umpires and by Subiaco after he broke Glen Hutcheson’s jaw in another incident – being ultimately suspended for three matches. [64]
  • South Fremantle produce an amazing comeback to win from 35 points down after scoring only three goals in the first three quarters, [65] to the violent anger of Royal coach Gerard McNeill, who became upset at how defensive his team turned in that last quarter.
  • The dominance of a hard-running defence helps Swan Districts continue its improved form, as they keep West Perth goalless for the first 45 minutes to end any Falcon finals hopes. Grasso, Joe Cormack and Troy Ugle dominate for Swans. [66]

Round 16

Round 16
Saturday, 16 July South Fremantle 25.6 (156)def. Swan Districts 17.13 (115) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3260) [67]
Saturday, 16 July Subiaco 18.18 (126)def. East Perth 13.3 (81) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2928) [68]
Saturday, 16 July Perth 13.16 (94)def. by Claremont 23.17 (155) WACA (crowd: 3685)
Saturday, 16 July West Perth 17.19 (121)def. East Fremantle 13.10 (88) Leederville Oval (crowd: 2624)

Despite one brilliant mark by Mick Rea, Perth are overwhelmed apart from a 6.3 (39) to 4.7 (31) second quarter by a strengthened Tiger team that produces its best team football of 1988. [69]

Round 17

Round 17
Saturday, 23 July South Fremantle 13.13 (91)def. Perth 10.12 (72) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2700)
Saturday, 23 July East Perth 10.12 (72)def. Swan Districts 6.8 (44) WACA (crowd: 1766)
Saturday, 23 July West Perth 7.7 (49)def. Claremont 4.6 (30) Leederville Oval (crowd: 2153) [70]
Saturday, 23 July Subiaco 6.7 (43)def. East Fremantle 3.9 (27) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2717) [71]
  • On Perth’s wettest football day since 9 June 1945 with 69.0 millimetres (2.72 in) [72] of rain, East Fremantle score just one goal after the two-minute mark of the first quarter, and their score is the lowest conceded by Subiaco since 2 July 1932. [73]
  • With Wally Matera’s speed on a heavy ground and Perth’s wastefulness early in the opening quarter when they had the wind and conditions were easiest, South draw level with the Demons in fourth after a high-standard match for the conditions – where club colours were unrecognisable in the mud and darkness. [74]
  • Swan Districts fail to seal the wooden spoon as East Perth play much superior wet-weather football – especially in the third quarter when they score five goals – and the black and whites lose Allan Sidebottom to a back rupture. [75]

Round 18

Round 18
Saturday, 30 July Swan Districts 15.7 (97)def. by Subiaco 15.18 (108) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3103) [76]
Saturday, 30 July West Perth 13.8 (86)def. by Perth 19.14 (128) Leederville Oval (crowd: 4568)
Saturday, 30 July East Perth 11.6 (72)def. by Claremont 20.21 (141) WACA (crowd: 2757)
Saturday, 30 July East Fremantle 13.13 (91)def. by South Fremantle 26.20 (176) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6682)
  • Stan Magro, following his thirty-third birthday during the week, sees South Fremantle produce a brilliant display and defeat Perth, on percentage, for fourth position. Although young Sumich scored five goals nine behinds, Craig Edwards with an outstanding eighteen marks and twenty kicks and centre half-back John McDonald were the stars. [77]
  • A dramatic second-half fadeout by West Perth – following upon a first quarter where they obtained 78 kicks to 30 and 28 marks to just four – results from Perth’s switch of former Richmond premiership player Stephen Mount to centre half-forward. After that move the Demons score 16.11 (107) to 4.3 (27). [78]

Round 19

Round 19
Saturday, 6 August South Fremantle 22.7 (139)def. West Perth 16.15 (111) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4622) [79]
Saturday, 6 August Perth 15.12 (102)def. by Subiaco 18.21 (129) WACA (crowd: 4187)
Saturday, 6 August Claremont 18.16 (124)def. Swan Districts 11.7 (73) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2727) [80]
Saturday, 6 August East Fremantle 13.15 (93)def. by East Perth 16.15 (111) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2391)

East Fremantle – clear second in mid-July – become in danger of losing fourth position by losing to last-placed East Perth, who make many mistakes to skilfully exploit the Sharks’ poor discipline in a rough match. [81] Top rover David Bushell – the worst offender – obtained three weeks' suspension plus a nominal fine of one dollar at Monday night’s tribunal session. [82]

Round 20

Round 20
Sunday, 14 August (11:40 am) Claremont 13.20 (98)def. by South Fremantle 16.9 (105) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6486)
Sunday, 14 August (2:15 pm) Subiaco 20.20 (140)def. West Perth 7.17 (59) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6486) [83]
Sunday, 14 August (2:15 pm) Perth 16.12 (108)def. East Perth 15.13 (103) WACA (crowd: 2632)
Sunday, 14 August (2:15 pm) East Fremantle 16.19 (115)def. Swan Districts 11.13 (79) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2335) [84]
  • South Fremantle hold off an inaccurate Claremont – for whom Melesso kicked 2.6 (18) – to be in the box seat for a first finals berth since 1983, standing 2.04 percent ahead of East Fremantle and a game and 3.6 percent ahead of Perth. [85]
  • Wayne Ryder boots Perth into a possible finals place via a brilliant after-the-siren goal from fifty metres out on the boundary line, after the Royals put a hurried kick from a congested pack out on the full. [86]

Round 21

Round 21
Saturday, 20 August South Fremantle 16.19 (115)def. Subiaco 11.12 (78) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6618) [87]
Saturday, 20 August Swan Districts 17.11 (113)def. by Perth 26.13 (169) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3541) [88]
Saturday, 20 August West Perth 15.17 (107)def. by East Perth 16.17 (113) Leederville Oval (crowd: 2468) [89]
Saturday, 20 August Claremont 12.16 (88)def. by East Fremantle 18.14 (122) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3871)
  • For the second successive season, East Perth avoid the wooden spoon with a last round win.
  • Perth keep pressure on all through, including a huge-scoring last quarter that sees 19.5 (120) kicked, only to realise that wins by the two Fremantle clubs had ensured the Demons miss the finals and ended the career of Mick Rea – who kicked 14 goals in the reserves. [90]
  • Debutant ruckman Clinton Wolf combines with key forwards Clinton Browning and Colin Waterson to produce East Fremantle’s finest display of 1988 and unexpectedly stay fourth against the Perth challenge. [91]

Ladder

1988 ladder
PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPts
1 Claremont 21146123541796131.158
2 Subiaco (P)21147022961916119.856
3 South Fremantle 21138023062137107.952
4 East Fremantle 21138022262104105.852
5 Perth 21129023972280105.148
6 West Perth 2181301992220190.532
7 East Perth 2151601905240879.120
8 Swan Districts 2141611991262575.818
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, 27 August South Fremantle 14.20 (104)def. by East Fremantle 24.14 (158) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 19,668) [92]

South Fremantle, playing in the finals for the first time since 1983 and with only three players having previous experience therein, do not cope with the pressure. Boom forward Sumich scores 1.7 (13).

Second semi-final

Second semi-final
Sunday, 4 September Claremont 22.12 (144)def. Subiaco 17.17 (119) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 11,175)
  • To accommodate televising the Eagles’ first VFL final to Perth, the last three WAFL finals were played on the Sunday for the first time.
  • Peter Melesso kicks nine goals in Claremont’s 17.5 (107) to 5.7 (37) first half, before going on what he terms “walkabout” and not adding to his tally, as Claremont’s fade-out proves ominous for the “big one”. [93]

Preliminary final

Preliminary final
Sunday, 11 September Subiaco 19.10 (124)def. East Fremantle 17.19 (121) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 13,112)

Lion rookie Gary Kemp goals with thirty seconds remaining to win a fluctuating match where Subiaco score only 4.5 (29) to 13.11 (89) in the second and third quarters. Key Shark defender Shane Ellis was injured and could not counter John Georgiades, who kicks three goals in each of the first and final quarters. [94]

Grand Final

1988 WAFL Grand Final
Sunday, 18 September Claremont def. by Subiaco Subiaco Oval (crowd: 28,183) [95]
2.3 (15)
5.6 (36)
5.9 (39)
8.12 (60)		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final		3.3 (21)
6.4 (40)
10.7 (67)
19.8 (122)		Umpires: Phil O‘Reilly, David Johnson
Simpson Medal: Mick Lee (Subiaco)
Malaxos 3, Brayshow 2, Ahmat, Allan, NeeshamGoals Georgiades 6, Cocker 3, McDougall 2, Jones 2, Breman 2, Jennings, Brian Taylor, Lee, Carpenter
Neesham, Pyke, David O‘Connell, Beers, Scott, ThorneBestKeene, Georgiades, Brian Taylor, Breman, Carpenter, Neil Taylor, Willet, Lee
Peter Melesso for striking Rod Willet in first quarter (three umpires)
Peter Melesso for striking Ian Dargie in first quarter
Dale Kickett for unduly rough play toward Clint Brown in first quarter		Reports Ian Dargie for striking Peter Thorne in first quarter

Subiaco, aided controversially by Eagle Laurie Keene and providing a more traditional style against Neesham’s innovative “chip and draw” which had demolished all opponents during the previous season, run away with the game after half-time in hot 31 °C (88 °F) weather. [1]

Notes

  1. ↑ In 1987 Bunton had been rumoured to be going to Fitzroy as a replacement for David Parkin
  2. ↑ The only other clubs to finish last in all three grades since 1957 have been Peel Thunder in their inaugural 1997 season and West Perth in 1992. No club would win premierships in all three grades until Subiaco in 2018 won all three premierships.
  3. ↑ Billy was the younger brother of former Tiger stars – then with North Melbourne – Jimmy and Phil Krakouer.
  4. ↑ As in the VFL, handballing after a free kick was banned in the 1988 and 1989 WAFL seasons, with a ball-up occurring for breaches.

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The 1986 WAFL season was the 102nd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. It was the last season before the introduction of the West Coast Eagles in the VFL which would relegate the WAFL to a second-level league from 1987, and already all WAFL clubs were in severe financial difficulties as attendances were stagnant at best since 1970 and the financial power of wealthy VFL clubs drew most top players away and left below-market transfer fees as WAFL clubs' inadequate main income source.

The 1987 WAFL season was the 103rd season of the West Australian Football League in its various iterations. This season saw a Western Australia-based team, West Coast, that was one of two interstate teams to make their debut in the Victorian Football League (VFL), which had profound effects on the WAFL competition. The Eagles took away thirty-five of the competition's best players, severely reducing attendances and club revenue, the latter of which was further affected by the payment of the Eagles’ licence fee to the VFL. The WAFL budgeted for a 30 percent decline in attendances, but the observed decline was over fifty percent, and they were also hit by Channel Seven telecasting the Round 17 Hawthorn versus Footscray match, breaching agreements to not telecast non-Eagles VFL matches to Perth.

The 1998 Westar Rules season was the second season of ‘Westar Rules’ and the 114th season of the various incarnations of senior football in Perth. The season opened on 29 March and concluded on 20 September with the 1998 Westar Rules Grand Final contested between East Fremantle and West 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 1997 Westar Rules season was the 113th season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia. It featured a number of dramatic changes to a competition whose popularity had been dramatically reduced by the drain of players to the Eagles and Dockers of the AFL. The competition's name was changed from the prosaic ‘West Australian Football League’ to ‘Westar Rules’ in an attempt to update the local competition for a more sophisticated audience. However, this change became regarded as unsuccessful and was reversed as per recommendations of the “Fong Report” after four seasons. West Perth also changed their name to Joondalup to recognise their location in Perth's growing northwestern suburbs, but changed back after the ninth round.

The 1996 WAFL season was the 112th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.

The 1995 WAFL season was the 111th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. Already depleted in strength by the rise of the West Coast Eagles, the WAFL suffered a further blow to its popularity and standard when the AFL, to counter the Eagles’ dominance of the early 1990s with a champion defence and vast player depth, introduced the Fremantle Dockers as a second Western Australian club.

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 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 2001 WAFL season was the 117th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. Following the off-season “Fong Report” by WAFC President Neale Fong which was written as a response to the problems then faced on-and off-field by AFL and domestic football in Western Australia, the league reverted to calling itself the ‘WAFL’ because it was acknowledged ‘Westar Rules’ was painfully contrived and did not reflect the history or traditions of the local game.

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 1991 WAFL season was the 107th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. With the West Coast Eagles still pushing attendances down and club finances into the red, the league made further experiments. Following on from the VFL and SANFL it introduced a ‘final five’ to replace the final four in use since 1905, but this did not produce the hoped-for financial benefits and was abandoned after four seasons. A more enduring result of this chance was a ‘double-header’ system of playing finals, whereby the two senior semi-finals were played at Subiaco Oval on the same day, with the first game starting just before noon and the second at the traditional time for playing finals. As a consequence of the double-headers, reserves finals were played at Fremantle Oval and colts at Bassendean.

The 2006 WAFL season was the 122nd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. Owing to low crowds making the city's traditional big-match venue, Subiaco Oval, uneconomic due to high overheads, the WAFL followed the AFL since 1991 by scheduling finals at the home ground of the club higher on the ladder.

The 2003 WAFL season was the 119th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. For this season the WAFL reverted briefly to playing its semi-finals as a “double-header”, a policy abandoned for good at the end of the 2005 season, and also reverted to a twenty-game home-and-away season with three byes which has continued to this day.

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 2005 WAFL season was the 121st season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. It saw reigning premiers Subiaco's third consecutive minor premiership, despite the loss of key forward Brad Smith to the West Coast Eagles and knee surgery. Thirty-year-old reserves spearhead Lachlan Oakley proved a perfect replacement and scored eighty goals in his only full season before moving to Victoria and playing with Parkdale Vultures in the VAFA. The Lions were widely tipped to finish the season undefeated with their perceived depth, discipline and motivation, but after suffering only two defeats in the home-and-away season, the Lions collapsed severely in the finals for South Fremantle to claim their first premiership since 1997. The premiership was a wonderful finalé for Toby McGrath, who retired for an army career after the 2004 season, but returned to WA in February and rejoined the Bulldogs to win both the Sandover and Simpson Medals.

The 2004 WAFL season was the 120th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Devaney, John (4 June 2024). Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion. Full Points Publications. p. 278. ISBN   978-0-9556897-1-0.
  2. ↑ Stocks, Gary (27 June 1988). "Vancouver Match Angers Cumminsky". The West Australian . p. 116.
  3. ↑ Denham, Greg; Stocks, Gary (12 July 1988). "New Draft Puts WAFL Clubs "on Death Row"". The West Australian. pp. 100, 98.
  4. ↑ Stocks, Gary (8 September 1988). "Keene Puts Spring in Subiaco Training". The West Australian. p. 128.
  5. 1 2 Stocks, Gary (6 June 1988). "Swans Face a Testing Period". The West Australian. p. 79.
  6. ↑ "WAFL Reserves Ladder Positions". West Australian Football League. (download)
  7. ↑ "WAFL Colts Ladder Positions". West Australian Football League. (download)
  8. 1 2 McDonald, Ron (11 April 1988). "Bulldogs Baffled". The West Australian. p. 96.
  9. 1 2 McDonald, Ron (20 June 1988). "Injuries Continue to Take Toll at South". The West Australian. p. 94.
  10. ↑ Stocks, Gary (5 April 1988). "Claremont Con Trick: Subiaco Fall for Neesham Sting". The West Australian. p. 108.
  11. ↑ Stocks, Gary (5 April 1988). "Crowd Figures Delight WAFL". The West Australian. p. 108.
  12. ↑ Lewis, Ross (5 April 1988). "Bulldogs Come Out Biting". The West Australian. p. 106.
  13. ↑ McDonald, Ron (5 April 1988). "King the Ruler for Falcons". The West Australian. p. 107.
  14. ↑ Denham, Greg (11 April 1988). "A Victory, but Not So Sweet for the Lions". The West Australian. p. 97.
  15. ↑ Stocks, Gary (11 April 1988). "Christie – the Reluctant Hero". The West Australian. p. 97.
  16. ↑ Lewis, Ross (11 April 1988). "Wiley's Perth Plan Pays Off". The West Australian. p. 96.
  17. ↑ Casellas, Ken (18 April 1988). "Falcons' Talent Spread too Thinly". The West Australian. p. 87.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Ross (18 April 1988). "New Home but Same Old Story". The West Australian. p. 86.
  19. ↑ Stocks, Gary (18 April 1988). "Bayliss – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". The West Australian. p. 86.
  20. ↑ McDonald, Ron (18 April 1988). "Subiaco Big Men Sound Warning". The West Australian. p. 87.
  21. ↑ See Marsh, David (19 April 1988). "Four-Week Suspension for Owens". The West Australian. p. 83.
  22. ↑ Subiaco: Biggest Wins
  23. ↑ McDonald, Ron (25 April 1988). "Sharks Attacked: Boom Side's Unbeaten Run Comes to an End". The West Australian. p. 68.
  24. ↑ Lewis, Ross (26 April 1988). "Fighting Swans Move Up". The West Australian. p. 111.
  25. ↑ Stocks, Gary (26 April 1988). "Same Old Story for Bulldogs". The West Australian. p. 111.
  26. 1 2 "WAFL Footy Facts: Perth Highest Scores For". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  27. ↑ Lewis, Ross (2 May 1988). "Edgar Makes Happy Return". The West Australian. p. 87.
  28. ↑ Stocks, Gary (2 May 1988). "Dargie Does It His Way". The West Australian. p. 88.
  29. ↑ McDonald, Ron (2 May 1988). "Rioli's Absence No Real Worry". The West Australian. p. 87.
  30. ↑ Lewis, Ross (9 May 1988). "Young Sharks Pass Test". The West Australian. p. 83.
  31. ↑ McDonald, Ron (9 May 1988). "Tigers in 1987 Revisited: Premiership Qualities Rise in Pressure Win". The West Australian. p. 82.
  32. ↑ Casellas, Ken (9 May 1988). "Rea's Side-Show Does Little for Perth's Hopes". The West Australian. p. 88.
  33. ↑ Lewis, Ross (16 May 1988). "Monteath to Bring Out the Axe". The West Australian. p. 95.
  34. ↑ Stocks, Gary (16 May 1988). "Tigers Find a Hero in Mal". The West Australian. p. 96.
  35. ↑ Casellas, Ken (16 May 1988). "Caldow Grabs His Chance This Time". The West Australian. p. 95.
  36. ↑ McDonald, Ron (16 May 1988). "Red-Hot Demons Rolling Toward Promised Land". The West Australian. p. 95.
  37. ↑ "Eagles Duo Sink a Royal Challenge". The West Australian. 23 May 1988. p. 105.
  38. ↑ Stocks, Gary (23 May 1988). "Jackpot Result for Baxter Gamble". The West Australian. p. 104.
  39. ↑ "Relief as Bulldogs Stay in Touch". The West Australian. 23 May 1988. p. 104.
  40. ↑ Lewis, Ross (30 May 1988). "Sumich and Sanbrailo Show Way". The West Australian. p. 101.
  41. ↑ McDonald, Ron (30 May 1988). "Demons Flounder on the Claremont Rock". The West Australian. p. 100.
  42. ↑ Marsh, David (30 May 1988). "No Disgrace as Falcons Go Down Fighting". The West Australian. p. 100.
  43. ↑ Stocks, Gary (30 May 1988). "Elusive Subiaco Find the Answers". The West Australian. p. 101.
  44. ↑ McDonald, Ron (6 June 1988). "Perth Cruise In against Falcons". The West Australian. p. 79.
  45. ↑ Lewis, Ross (6 June 1988). "Half-Time Blues Sink East Perth". The West Australian. p. 78.
  46. ↑ Stocks, Gary (7 June 1988). "Bulldogs End the Derby Drought". The West Australian. p. 103.
  47. ↑ Marsh, David (13 June 1988). "Sad Swans Easy Prey for Falcons". The West Australian. p. 94.
  48. ↑ McDonald, Ron (13 June 1988). "Sharks Find the Magic Blood". The West Australian. p. 95.
  49. ↑ Stocks, Gary (13 June 1988). "Lions Feel Bite of the Spiderman". The West Australian. p. 94.
  50. ↑ Lewis, Ross (13 June 1988). "Tagger Embry Sets Up Royals". The West Australian. p. 95.
  51. ↑ Lewis, Ross (20 June 1988). "Mifka Gives Eagles Food for Thought". The West Australian. p. 94.
  52. ↑ Marsh, David (20 June 1988). "Force Is with Swans Again". The West Australian. p. 95.
  53. ↑ Stocks, Gary (20 June 1988). "Rea Bounces Back to Set Up Victory". The West Australian. p. 94.
  54. ↑ Lewis, Ross (27 June 1988). "Sharks Merciless in Massacre: Bushell Batters Royals". The West Australian. p. 114.
  55. ↑ "WAFL Footy Facts: Round 13". Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  56. ↑ Marsh, David (27 June 1988). "Melesso's Rescue Cheers Neesham". The West Australian. p. 115.
  57. ↑ McDonald, Ron (27 June 1988). ""Speck" in a New Voyage of Discovery". The West Australian. p. 114.
  58. ↑ Lewis, Ross (4 July 1988). ""Old" Team Link Up To Sink Swans". The West Australian. p. 107.
  59. ↑ Thompson, Brad (4 July 1988). "Former Royal Returns to Haunt His Old Club". The West Australian. p. 107.
  60. ↑ McDonald, Ron (4 July 1988). "Bulldogs Pull One from Hat for Mr. Magic". The West Australian. p. 106.
  61. ↑ Stocks, Gary (4 July 1988). "Sharks Beached – Third-Term Burst Proves Decisive". The West Australian. p. 107.
  62. ↑ Lewis, Ross (11 July 1988). "Torment as Royals Throw It All Away". The West Australian. p. 91.
  63. ↑ Stocks, Gary (11 July 1988). "Baxter's Patience Pays Off". The West Australian. p. 92.
  64. ↑ Marsh, David (12 July 1988). "Neesham banned Three Weeks". The West Australian. p. 98.
  65. ↑ "WAFL Footy Facts: Won from Third Quarter Deficit". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  66. ↑ Thompson, Brad (11 July 1988). "Grasso Puts Block on the Falcons". The West Australian. p. 91.
  67. ↑ Thompson, Brad (18 July 1988). "South Treat Small Crowd". The West Australian. p. 95.
  68. ↑ "Mis-Casting Pays Off for Lions". The West Australian. 18 July 1988. p. 96.
  69. ↑ McDonald, Ron (18 July 1988). "Sad Demons Will Recall Key Players". The West Australian. p. 94.
  70. ↑ Lewis, Ross (25 July 1988). "Falcons a Big Threat". The West Australian. p. 93.
  71. ↑ McDonald, Ron (25 July 1988). "The Lions Are Roaring Again". The West Australian. p. 92.
  72. ↑ "Perth Regional Office (009034) July 1988 rainfall". Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
  73. ↑ Subiaco: Lowest Scores Conceded
  74. ↑ Stocks, Gary (25 July 1988). "Little Matera Is a Muddy Marvel". The West Australian. p. 91.
  75. ↑ Thompson, Brad (25 July 1988). "Bad News for Swans as Royals Rejoice". The West Australian. p. 91.
  76. ↑ Thompson, Brad (1 August 1988). "Bunton Sees Benefit from Tight Encounter". The West Australian. p. 99.
  77. ↑ McDonald, Ron (1 August 1988). "A Birthday to Savour". The West Australian. p. 101.
  78. ↑ Stocks, Gary (1 August 1988). "Falcons Flop and No Two Ways about It". The West Australian. p. 100.
  79. ↑ Lewis, Ross (8 August 1988). "Bulldogs' Win Is Just what Doctor Ordered". The West Australian. p. 97.
  80. ↑ Marsh, David (8 August 1988). "Swans' Plight No Laughing Matter". The West Australian. p. 96.
  81. ↑ Thompson, Brad (8 August 1988). "Bushell Smacks Himself in the Face". The West Australian. p. 97.
  82. ↑ "Three Weeks and $1". The West Australian. 9 August 1988. p. 92.
  83. ↑ McDonald, Ron (15 August 1988). "The Happy Wanderer Runs riot". The West Australian. p. 127.
  84. ↑ Denham, Greg (15 August 1988). "Some You Win, Some You Lose". The West Australian. p. 128.
  85. ↑ Stocks, Gary (15 August 1988). "Magnificent Seven Save the Bulldogs". The West Australian. p. 128.
  86. ↑ Lewis, Ross (15 August 1988). "Ryder Boots Perth Home". The West Australian. p. 129.
  87. ↑ Thompson, Brad (22 August 1988). "Cruising Bulldogs Ease Past Lions". The West Australian. p. 116.
  88. ↑ McDonald, Ron (22 August 1988). "Scoreboard Drama Ends Demons' Joy". The West Australian. p. 117.
  89. ↑ Lewis, Ross (22 August 1988). "Time To Reflect as Royals Escape the Spoon". The West Australian. p. 116.
  90. ↑ McDonald, Ron (22 August 1988). "Rea Is Ready to Bow Out". The West Australian. p. 117.
  91. ↑ Stocks, Gary (22 August 1988). "Wolf Sheds Tears of Joy". The West Australian. p. 116.
  92. ↑ Stocks, Gary (29 August 1988). "Sharks on Course for Final". The West Australian. p. 125.
  93. ↑ Stocks, Gary (5 September 1988). "Melesso Magic". The West Australian. p. 124.
  94. ↑ Stocks, Gary (12 September 1988). "Lions Again Deny Ellis His Moment". The West Australian. p. 124.
  95. ↑ Stocks, Gary (19 September 1988). "Keene Mauls Tigers". The West Australian. p. 144.
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