1992 WAFL season | |
---|---|
Teams | 8 |
Premiers | East Fremantle 27th premiership |
Minor premiers | East Fremantle 31st minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | Robbie West (West Perth) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Craig Edwards (South Fremantle) Kevin Caton (Swan Districts) |
Matches played | 90 |
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. [1] The Tigers, whose guernsey reverted from the gold sash to the CFC monogram, which they wore during their miraculous premiership success in 1964, [2] 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. [3] 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 (after being outside the five for most of the season) to narrowly miss their first Grand Final since winning the 1978 premiership.
After Ian Dargie’s drought-breaking Sandover win for Subiaco in 1991, West Perth, despite suffering the rare ignominy of finishing last in all three grades [4] [5] [a] and having their colts lose fifteen matches in succession after winning their first six, [6] ended the second-longest club drought in Sandover history with the Falcons’ first win since Brian Foley in 1959.
Off the field, the WAFL was hit by the unwillingness of financially crippled Perth to accept relocation to Kelmscott as an integral part of its future development plan [7] – indeed there was an aggressive debate during the pre-season about whether Perth or East Perth should have been the team to make this move. [6] The reluctance of West Perth to move to the northwestern suburbs despite incentive payments from the WAFL totalling $390,000 also affected the league, [8] although unlike the Demons West Perth announced mid-season they would move to Joondalup for 1994. [6]
Round 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 4 April (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 17.12 (114) | def. | Perth 12.10 (82) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3545) | [9] |
Saturday, 4 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 13.20 (98) | def. | East Perth 13.12 (90) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 3099) | |
Saturday, 4 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 17.13 (115) | def. | Subiaco 13.8 (86) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2771) | |
Saturday, 4 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 16.12 (108) | def. | East Fremantle 10.10 (70) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3299) | |
|
Round 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 11 April (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 18.17 (125) | def. | West Perth 8.12 (60) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2973) | |
Saturday, 11 April (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.13 (133) | def. | Swan Districts 14.16 (100) | Perth Oval (crowd: 2893) | |
Saturday, 11 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.17 (71) | def. by | South Fremantle 11.12 (78) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5721) | |
Saturday, 11 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 21.13 (139) | def. | Claremont 12.14 (86) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 2588) | [11] |
|
Round 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 18 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 16.15 (111) | def. | West Perth 7.8 (50) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2897) | |
Saturday, 18 April (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 11.15 (81) | def. by | East Perth 15.16 (106) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3500) | |
Saturday, 18 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 17.16 (118) | def. | Subiaco 13.13 (91) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 2529) | |
Saturday, 18 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 10.8 (68) | def. by | East Fremantle 12.16 (88) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2274) | |
|
Round 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 25 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 19.16 (130) | def. | Subiaco 15.9 (99) | WACA (crowd: 4144) | [17] |
Monday, 27 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 10.10 (70) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.14 (116) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 3369) | |
Monday, 27 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 13.12 (90) | def. | Perth 7.11 (53) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4194) | |
Monday, 27 April (2:15 pm) | East Perth 8.15 (63) | def. | Claremont 7.11 (53) | Perth Oval (crowd: 3808) | |
|
Round 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 1 May (6:45 pm) | Perth 18.11 (119) | def. | West Perth 10.18 (78) | WACA (crowd: 3070) | |
Saturday, 2 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 8.12 (60) | def. by | South Fremantle 19.19 (133) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3026) | [20] |
Saturday, 2 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 15.17 (107) | def. | East Perth 8.7 (55) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3500) | |
Saturday, 2 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 6.15 (51) | def. by | Swan Districts 15.20 (110) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 3280) | |
|
Round 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 9 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 13.19 (97) | def. | Perth 11.15 (81) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3456) | |
Saturday, 9 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 16.15 (111) | def. by | Subiaco 19.12 (126) | Perth Oval (crowd: 2731) | |
Saturday, 9 May (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 11.10 (76) | def. by | Claremont 14.7 (91) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3863) | |
Saturday, 9 May (2:15 pm) | West Perth 9.8 (62) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.15 (135) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2424) | |
|
Round 7 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 15 May (6:45 pm) | West Perth 15.11 (101) | def. | Claremont 11.8 (74) | WACA (crowd: 2160) | [26] |
Saturday, 16 May (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 16.10 (106) | def. | Swan Districts 10.16 (76) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3395) | |
Saturday, 16 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 13.15 (93) | def. by | East Perth 21.9 (135) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 2292) | |
Saturday, 16 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 13.12 (90) | def. by | East Fremantle 16.11 (107) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2302) | |
Paul Harding, recruited from St. Kilda to improve the Eagles’ ruck strength, performs so well for East Fremantle at centre half-forward that there are suggestions he should play there at AFL level. [27] |
Round 8 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 23 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 16.14 (110) | def. | South Fremantle 14.13 (97) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 2241) | |
Saturday, 23 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.12 (132) | def. | West Perth 12.12 (84) | Perth Oval (crowd: 2194) | |
Saturday, 23 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 16.11 (107) | def. | Claremont 11.16 (82) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3086) | |
Saturday, 23 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 19.19 (133) | def. | Swan Districts 6.8 (44) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2582) | |
|
Round 9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 30 May (2:15 pm) | West Perth 10.16 (76) | def. by | Subiaco 20.18 (138) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2772) | |
Saturday, 30 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 13.15 (93) | def. | Perth 12.11 (83) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2170) | |
Monday, 1 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 21.15 (141) | def. | East Perth 9.17 (71) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 7939) | |
Monday, 1 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 12.19 (91) | def. | East Fremantle 10.11 (71) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 18130) | |
|
Round 10 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 6 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 17.19 (121) | def. by | Swan Districts 23.13 (151) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2565) | |
Saturday, 6 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 9.11 (65) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.10 (106) | Perth Oval (crowd: 3051) | |
Saturday, 6 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 15.11 (101) | def. | Perth 12.11 (83) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2565) | |
Saturday, 6 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.16 (70) | def. | Claremont 10.8 (68) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2974) | |
|
Round 11 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 12 June (6:45 pm) | West Perth 12.19 (91) | def. | South Fremantle 9.12 (66) | WACA (crowd: 2329) | |
Saturday, 13 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 17.12 (114) | def. | Subiaco 17.14 (116) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2800) | |
Saturday, 13 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 16.17 (113) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.14 (134) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 3500) | |
Saturday, 13 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 14.11 (95) | def. by | East Perth 16.9 (105) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2100) | |
|
Round 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 20 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 17.20 (122) | def. | Subiaco 11.15 (81) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2195) | |
Saturday, 20 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 13.15 (93) | def. by | Perth 21.9 (135) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1708) | |
Saturday, 20 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 16.6 (102) | def. by | East Fremantle 15.13 (103) | Perth Oval (crowd: 1428) | [40] |
Saturday, 20 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 11.17 (83) | def. by | Claremont 14.13 (97) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2462) | |
|
Round 13 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 27 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 12.11 (83) | def. | Swan Districts 10.17 (77) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1636) | |
Saturday, 27 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 6.11 (47) | def. by | East Perth 9.5 (59) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1798) | |
Saturday, 27 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 9.11 (65) | def. by | South Fremantle 10.13 (73) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1463) | |
Saturday, 27 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 10.12 (72) | def. | West Perth 7.7 (49) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1510) | |
|
Round 14 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 4 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 18.14 (122) | def. | South Fremantle 10.13 (73) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2919) | |
Saturday, 4 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 13.13 (91) | def. by | Perth 17.11 (113) | Perth Oval (crowd: 2071) | |
Saturday, 4 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 13.8 (86) | def. | Claremont 9.8 (62) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1743) | |
Saturday, 4 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 17.18 (120) | def. | East Fremantle 15.7 (97) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2278) | |
|
Round 15 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 11 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 15.11 (101) | def. | Perth 10.9 (69) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3226) | |
Saturday, 11 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 10.14 (74) | def. | West Perth 9.8 (62) | Wanneroo (crowd: 2773) | [50] |
Saturday, 11 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 13.12 (90) | def. by | Subiaco 14.11 (95) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2249) | |
Saturday, 11 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 13.8 (86) | def. by | East Fremantle 19.17 (131) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3354) | [51] |
A depleted Perth drops from fourth to sixth in a game described by South Fremantle coach Mal Brown as the lowest-standard game of the season. [52] |
Round 16 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 18 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 24.11 (155) | def. | West Perth 12.13 (85) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2199) | |
Saturday, 18 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 17.8 (110) | def. by | Swan Districts 20.15 (135) | Perth Oval (crowd: 2302) | |
Saturday, 18 July (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 15.11 (101) | def. by | South Fremantle 22.11 (143) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 7401) | |
Saturday, 18 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 12.11 (83) | def. by | Claremont 23.16 (154) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 2235) | |
|
Round 17 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 25 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 13.16 (94) | def. | West Perth 13.11 (89) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2011) | |
Saturday, 25 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 15.14 (104) | def. | East Perth 13.10 (88) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2367) | |
Saturday, 25 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 21.14 (140) | def. | Subiaco 8.10 (58) | Kelmscott (crowd: 1675) | |
Saturday, 25 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 9.8 (62) | def. by | East Fremantle 16.18 (114) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1754) | [55] |
|
Round 18 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 1 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 23.22 (160) | def. | Swan Districts 11.8 (74) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2878) | |
Saturday, 1 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 15.9 (99) | def. | South Fremantle 13.18 (96) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1999) | [58] |
Saturday, 1 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 21.9 (135) | def. | Perth 11.16 (82) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2388) | |
Saturday, 1 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 9.11 (65) | def. by | Claremont 16.12 (108) | Perth Oval (crowd: 2011) | |
|
Round 19 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 9.12 (66) | def. by | South Fremantle 14.10 (94) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2212) | [61] |
Saturday, 8 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 9.14 (68) | def. by | West Perth 20.12 (132) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1854) | |
Saturday, 8 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 12.12 (84) | def. by | East Perth 12.16 (88) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1905) | |
Saturday, 8 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 11.15 (81) | def. by | Swan Districts 14.12 (96) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1874) | |
|
Round 20 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 15 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 15.15 (105) | def. | Perth 6.8 (44) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2015) | [64] |
Saturday, 15 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 10.6 (66) | def. by | Subiaco 22.13 (145) | Perth Oval (crowd: 1657) | |
Saturday, 15 August (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 14.19 (103) | def. | Claremont 8.8 (56) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2251) | |
Saturday, 15 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 12.12 (84) | def. | East Fremantle 7.9 (51) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1908) | |
|
Round 21 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 21 August (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 13.9 (87) | def. by | Swan Districts 19.12 (126) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 9067) | |
Saturday, 22 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 12.19 (91) | def. by | East Perth 15.13 (103) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 3701) | |
Saturday, 22 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 15.15 (105) | def. | West Perth 12.14 (86) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2562) | |
Saturday, 22 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 26.13 (169) | def. | Subiaco 12.13 (85) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2955) | |
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Fremantle (P) | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 2133 | 1731 | 123.2 | 56 |
2 | South Fremantle | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 2060 | 1766 | 116.6 | 56 |
3 | Swan Districts | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2180 | 1986 | 109.8 | 52 |
4 | Subiaco | 21 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2151 | 2125 | 101.2 | 44 |
5 | East Perth | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 1912 | 2076 | 92.1 | 40 |
6 | Perth | 21 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1982 | 2165 | 91.5 | 32 |
7 | Claremont | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 1756 | 1912 | 91.8 | 28 |
8 | West Perth | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 1756 | 2169 | 81.0 | 28 |
Elimination Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 August (11:45 am) | Subiaco 10.12 (72) | def. by | East Perth 24.13 (157) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 12,366) | [71] |
East Perth kick 15.9 (99) to 3.4 (22) after an even first half to thrash a sorry Subiaco – in coach Haydn Bunton junior’s last match in Western Australia – as rover Heath East equals Graham Melrose’ 1980 feat of kicking nine goals. [72] |
Qualifying Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 22.19 (151) | def. | Swan Districts 8.11 (59) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 12,366) | |
|
First semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 September (11:45 am) | Swan Districts 12.9 (81) | def. by | East Perth 13.14 (92) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 15,284) | [74] |
East Perth stand up to the “acid test” by twice jumping to a four-goal lead and holding off Swans challenges. |
Second semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 8.9 (57) | def. by | South Fremantle 11.16 (82) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 15,284) | |
|
Preliminary final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 12 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 14.13 (97) | def. | East Perth 14.9 (93) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 12,490) | |
Perth reject Ian Newman fills the big-man “hole” in East Fremantle’s team, winning 40 hit-outs and working tirelessly into the wind in the final quarter. [76] |
1992 WAFL Grand Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 September (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle | def. by | East Fremantle | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 30,130) | [77] |
2.6 (18) 4.6 (30) 9.10 (64) 9.13 (67) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 1.8 (14) 6.14 (50) 7.16 (58) 12.19 (91) | Umpires: Trevor Garrett, Greg Scroop Simpson Medal: Clinton Browning (East Fremantle) | ||
Hepburn 3, Wally Matera, Williams, Herman, Clifford Collard, Campbell, Flugge | Goals | Lockyer 2, Billy Krakouer 2, Neil Lester-Smith 2, Condon, Amaranti, Jeff Davidson, Newman, Nichols, Malaxos | |||
Fimmano, Bradley Collard, Hynes, Hepburn, Grant, Sundtan | Best | Bilcich, Newman, Browning, Malaxos, Nichols, Condon, Moss | |||
Craig Edwards for charging Neil Lester-Smith | Reports | ||||
East Fremantle produce a major upset on a grey and windy day, shutting down South Fremantle’s “engine room” and former spearhead Browning restricting leading goalkicker Edwards to 0.1 (1) and claiming the Simpson Medal. |
a The only other clubs to finish last in all three grades since 1957 have been Peel Thunder in their inaugural 1997 season and Swan Districts in 1988. No club has won premierships in all three grades in this time span.
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 1998 Westar Rules Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between East Fremantle and West Perth on Sunday, 20 September 1998, at Subiaco Oval in Perth, Western Australia to determine the premier team of Westar Rules for the 1998 season. East Fremantle won convincingly by forty-three points, 20.10 (130) to 13.9 (87), taking out their twenty-ninth premiership but their last as of 2022.
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 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 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 2002 WAFL season was the 118th season of the West Australian Football League. It saw East Perth, despite the end of the first host club scheme that was thought to have unfairly favoured the Royals, win their third successive premiership for the first hat-trick in the WA(N)FL since Swan Districts between 1982 and 1984. The Swans themselves had a disastrous season as chronic financial troubles, which had plagued the club for almost a decade were combined with disastrous results on the field. The black and whites were within two points of a winless season in the seniors and did little better in the lower grades.
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 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.