1994 WAFL season

Last updated

1994 WAFL season
Teams8
Premiers East Fremantle
28th premiership
Minor premiers Claremont
11th minor premiership
Sandover Medallist Ian Dargie (Subiaco)
Bernie Naylor Medallist Brenton Cooper (Perth)
Matches played90
←  1993
1995  →

The 1994 WAFL season was the 110th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations.

Contents

It was the final season before, to stem fears of dominance by the Eagles of the AFL, a second Western Australian team, the Fremantle Dockers was added to the national competition. Along with financial difficulties faced by perennial stragglers Perth and to a lesser extent West Perth, East Perth, [1] Swan Districts and on-field power club Claremont, [2] this made the league consider substantial measures to deal with the declining popularity of the competition. The 1994 season did see two home-and-away attendances of over ten thousand for the last time in the competition's history.

With president Tom James admitting that if the Falcons remained based in the aging districts of Daglish and Shenton Park, the club would be extinct by 2000, [3] West Perth took the league to the rapidly growing northwestern suburbs of the city by moving to Arena Joondalup in a newly developing region of the city, vacating Leederville Oval for six seasons until the redevelopment of Perth Oval as a rectangular soccer field for the Perth Glory forced the Falcons’ traditional rivals East Perth to move there. The 1994 season also saw the last WAFL games at the WACA Ground until 2022, due to redevelopment of the drainage and grandstands of Subiaco Oval during this and the early part of the 1995 season.

Another notable feature was the first converts to Australian Rules from basketball, Daniel Bandy and Leon Harris, who debuted for Perth and East Perth respectively. Bandy was to be a mainstay for the Dockers during their early years in the AFL.

Home-and-away season

Round 1 (Easter weekend)

Round 1
Saturday, 2 April Perth 22.16 (148)def. Subiaco 17.11 (113) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2735)
Saturday, 2 April Claremont 11.12 (78)def. West Perth 9.15 (69) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3039)
Monday, 4 April East Perth 11.13 (79)def. Swan Districts 9.12 (66) Perth Oval (crowd: 4004)
Monday, 4 April East Fremantle 17.17 (119)def. South Fremantle 14.15 (99) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5905)

With recruit Brenton Cooper kicking seven goals, Perth score a surprise win for new coach David Glascott. [4]

Round 2

Round 2
Saturday, 9 April East Perth 9.10 (64)def. by East Fremantle 16.17 (113) WACA (crowd: 2802)
Saturday, 9 April Swan Districts 21.10 (136)def. Perth 13.11 (89) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2453)
Saturday, 9 April Subiaco 6.12 (48)def. by Claremont 17.10 (112) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2291)
Sunday, 10 April South Fremantle 11.7 (73)def. by West Perth 12.19 (91) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3597)
  • Metallurgist Leigh Wardell-Johnson shows poise to help overcome a Subiaco team affected by the difference in training methods between WAFL and AFL for seven West Coast Eagle members. [5]
  • The loss of full-back Anthony Reynolds (who held Jon Dorotich extremely well) to a knee reconstruction sours a West Perth win much more convincing than the scoreboard suggested. [6]

Round 3

Round 3
Saturday, 16 April Subiaco 11.9 (75)def. by Swan Districts 12.21 (93) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2424)
Saturday, 16 April East Fremantle 19.6 (120)def. West Perth 16.8 (104) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2805)
Saturday, 16 April Claremont 18.16 (124)def. East Perth 9.18 (72) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2082)
Saturday, 16 April (6:45 pm) Perth 10.11 (71)def. by South Fremantle 15.15 (105) WACA (crowd: 3143)

Round 4 (Anzac Day)

Round 4
Saturday, 23 April South Fremantle 13.11 (89)def. by Subiaco 17.11 (113) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2430)
Saturday, 23 April Perth 11.16 (82)def. by East Fremantle 21.13 (139) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2204)
Saturday, 23 April Swan Districts 14.15 (99)def. by Claremont 17.15 (117) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3230)
Monday, 25 April West Perth 9.7 (61)def. by East Perth 12.10 (82) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 15082)

The Anzac Day match was the first WAFL game at West Perth's new home of Arena Joondalup, and attracted a crowd never equalled at the ground. [7] It also featured a motorcade from old West Perth captains to Joondalup. [3]

Round 5

Round 5
Saturday, 30 April Swan Districts 16.13 (109)def. East Fremantle 12.8 (80) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3357)
Saturday, 30 April (6:45 pm) Claremont 19.10 (124)def. South Fremantle 9.10 (64) WACA (crowd: 2441)
Sunday, 1 May East Perth 14.11 (95)def. Perth 9.8 (62) Perth Oval (crowd: 2714)
Sunday, 1 May Subiaco 10.6 (66)def. by West Perth 23.15 (153) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3853)

West Perth annihilate Subiaco with twelve unanswered goals after an even first half, with ruckman Craig Nelson dominating, and leave the 1993 preliminary finalists last on the ladder. [8]

Round 6

Round 6
Saturday, 7 May West Perth 17.11 (113)def. Perth 14.9 (93) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 3531)
Saturday, 7 May South Fremantle 8.13 (61)def. by Swan Districts 14.10 (94) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2797)
Saturday, 7 May Claremont 15.13 (103)def. East Fremantle 12.6 (78) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2930)
Saturday, 7 May (6:45 pm) East Perth 12.7 (79)def. by Subiaco 23.11 (149) WACA (crowd: 2534)
  • With eventual Sandover winner Dargie sparking their attack, Subiaco make an abrupt return to form. Jason Heatley, after previously failing to live up to his 1993 form, kicks six goals in the first fifteen minutes and finishes with ten for an amazing 27 in three matches against the Royals. [9]
  • Perth lose key Victorian recruit Tony Campbell (who came to seek a place in the Dockers’ squad) with achilles tendon surgery, but press West Perth much more than expected. [10]

Round 7

Round 7
Saturday, 14 May West Perth 10.15 (75)def. by Swan Districts 17.6 (108) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 5217)
Saturday, 14 May East Perth 14.10 (94)def. by South Fremantle 21.9 (135) Perth Oval (crowd: 2367)
Saturday, 14 May East Fremantle 16.8 (104)def. by Subiaco 21.10 (136) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2592)
Saturday, 14 May Perth 13.18 (96)def. by Claremont 24.5 (149) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2133)

Claremont's 53-point win is the biggest in WAFL history by a team with fewer scoring shots. [11]

Round 8

Round 8
Saturday, 21 May Swan Districts 21.15 (141)def. Perth 8.16 (64) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2000)
Saturday, 21 May East Fremantle 19.9 (123)def. East Perth 14.9 (93) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1736) [12]
Saturday, 21 May Claremont 16.13 (109)def. Subiaco 10.10 (70) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2500)
Sunday, 22 May West Perth 14.7 (91)def. by South Fremantle 16.11 (107) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1433)
  • Swan Districts chair 1990 Simpson Medallist Greg Walker off the field after he announces he will move to Woodville-West Torrens due to his work in the wine industry. Shane Strempel, returning from a year in Port Hedland, kicks seven goals. [13]
  • South Fremantle manage a surprising fightback from five goals behind after one quarter in gale-force wind and rain, as the Falcons lack their usual attack on the ball when the rain ceases at half-time. [14]

Round 9

Round 9
Saturday, 28 May Subiaco 8.14 (62)def. by Swan Districts 12.7 (79) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2506)
Saturday, 28 May Perth 12.15 (87)def. by South Fremantle 17.14 (116) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2074) [15]
Saturday, 28 May West Perth 15.13 (103)def. East Fremantle 11.10 (76) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2534)
Saturday, 28 May East Perth 8.10 (58)def. by Claremont 21.15 (141) Perth Oval (crowd: 2228)

East Fremantle suffer an amazing second-half collapse kicking only 1.4 (10) to 9.8 (62), including seven goals by the Falcons into the wind in the last quarter, as the previously out-of-sorts Turley and Mildenhall come to dominate when positioned in the centre. [16]

Round 10 (Foundation Day)

Round 10
Saturday, 4 June Subiaco 19.12 (126)def. Perth 19.10 (124) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1518)
Saturday, 4 June Swan Districts 14.12 (96)def. East Perth 11.14 (80) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2800)
Saturday, 4 June Claremont 11.10 (76)def. West Perth 9.10 (64) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2200)
Monday, 6 June South Fremantle 12.12 (84)def. by East Fremantle 18.14 (122) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 15500)
  • The Foundation Day Fremantle derby was the last WAFL/Westar regular season attendance of over 10,000 until 1999, and the last over 15,000 ever. [17]
  • Gerard Neesham bows out as coach of Claremont with a fourteenth consecutive win despite surrendering a 28 point lead in a low-scoring match. [18]

Round 11

Round 11
Saturday, 11 June West Perth 19.15 (129)def. Subiaco 11.12 (78) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2442)
Saturday, 18 June South Fremantle 14.10 (94)def. by Claremont 20.6 (126) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2503)
Saturday, 18 June Perth 16.14 (110)def. East Perth 11.12 (78) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2361)
Saturday, 18 June East Fremantle 16.7 (103)def. by Swan Districts 18.12 (120) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2500)
  • Perth end a losing run of nine games as forward pocket Malcolm Williams, who immediately afterwards injured his knee, [19] took the pressure off Cooper with nine goals and 17-year-old wingman Troy Cook plays a decisive role as a loose man in defence. [20]
  • This was the first match played for the Greg Brehaut Shield in memory of the former Perth player and East Perth coach who died in 1993.

Round 12

Round 12
Saturday, 25 June Perth 12.10 (82)def. by West Perth 16.10 (106) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2179)
Saturday, 25 June Swan Districts 22.12 (144)def. South Fremantle 13.13 (91) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2800)
Saturday, 25 June East Fremantle 15.10 (100)def. Claremont 7.15 (57) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2286)
Sunday, 26 June East Perth 12.5 (77)def. by Subiaco 19.21 (135) Perth Oval (crowd: 2200)
  • In a Grand Final preview, East Fremantle end Claremont's best-ever start to a season and the first team unbeaten over halfway in since the Sharks of 1985. [21]
  • 35-year-old Mike Richardson, discarded by John Todd at the end of 1993, makes a comeback for West Perth when the Falcons lost key played to AFL duty despite having had no training. [19]

Round 13

Round 13
Saturday, 2 July Claremont 10.19 (79)def. Perth 11.6 (72) Claremont Oval (crowd: 1850) [22]
Saturday, 2 July South Fremantle 9.17 (71)def. East Perth 8.13 (61) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2244)
Saturday, 2 July Subiaco 17.11 (113)def. East Fremantle 9.7 (61) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2196)
Saturday, 2 July West Perth 13.14 (92)def. Swan Districts 10.7 (67) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2265)
  • 19-year-old rookie Scott Crook produces a surprise performance on returning Eagle star Peter Sumich, holding him to one goal in his first WA(S)FL match since 1989 and leaving South a desperate struggle against the cellar-dwellers. [23]
  • For the first time, Subiaco play to the potential expected from them by critics, as midfielders Hampson, Godden, Connell and Snow lead the Lions out of the blocks with six first-quarter goals into the wind – after which the Sharks never get into the game. [24]

Round 14

Round 14
Saturday, 9 July Claremont 11.8 (74)def. East Perth 5.12 (42) Claremont Oval (crowd: 1638)
Saturday, 9 July South Fremantle 6.8 (44)def. by Perth 6.15 (51) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1605)
Saturday, 9 July Swan Districts 10.6 (66)def. by Subiaco 15.14 (104) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1800)
Saturday, 9 July East Fremantle 9.12 (66)def. West Perth 7.6 (48) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2196) [25]
  • In wet conditions, [26] East Perth are the first team goalless in the second half since East Fremantle against Subiaco in 1988.
  • A few stern words from fans at half-time gives rookie Tiger coach Mark Riley valuable experience as he leads the Tigers to a seven-goal second half in the mud. [27]
  • Warren Nicholas’ 150th match sees Adrian Barich and Wayne Allard control play so well that Perth's ineffective forward work cannot give the Bulldogs a win. It was Perth's first win at Fremantle since 1987. [28]

Round 15

Round 15
Saturday, 16 July South Fremantle 13.16 (94)def. by West Perth 19.7 (121) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2400) [29]
Saturday, 16 July East Perth 13.15 (93)def. by East Fremantle 20.11 (131) Perth Oval (crowd: 1400)
Saturday, 16 July Perth 14.12 (96)def. Swan Districts 12.8 (80) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2500) [30]
Saturday, 16 July Subiaco 19.10 (124)def. Claremont 10.7 (67) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2400)

Subiaco's dominance of possession from the centre – 144 possessions from six midfielders as against Claremont's 110 amongst eight – allows it to inflict the Tigers’ worst loss for two seasons, despite losing key forwards Jason Heatley and Karl Langdon early on. [31]

Round 16

Round 16
Saturday, 23 July East Fremantle 15.15 (105)def. South Fremantle 7.8 (50) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3909)
Saturday, 23 July Perth 9.10 (64)def. by Subiaco 14.14 (98) Lathlain Park (crowd: 1934)
Saturday, 23 July East Perth 12.11 (83)def. Swan Districts 8.12 (60) Perth Oval (crowd: 1700)
Saturday, 23 July West Perth 11.12 (78)def. Claremont 8.9 (57) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2064) [32]
  • Former specialist ruckman Paul Harding is unexpectedly shifted into defence and dominates the Bulldog attack, notably Jon Dorotich, to leave the Sharks only 2.7 percent short of third position behind the disappointing Swan Districts. [33]
  • Subiaco's suspect defence – in 1993 it conceded more points than any other team's bar Perth's – led by ex-forward Daniel Metropolis, plays exceptionally well to virtually seal the top five with five rounds remaining. [34]

Round 17

Round 17
Saturday, 30 July West Perth 22.10 (142)def. East Perth 13.13 (91) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2782)
Saturday, 30 July Perth 14.10 (94)def. East Fremantle 14.8 (92) Lathlain Park (crowd: 2029)
Saturday, 30 July South Fremantle 14.15 (99)def. by Subiaco 17.8 (110) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2500)
Saturday, 30 July Swan Districts 14.14 (98)def. Claremont 12.15 (87) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2500)

With a major upset over the eventual premiers, Perth move off the bottom.

Round 18

Round 18
Saturday, 6 August Claremont 20.12 (132)def. South Fremantle 14.8 (92) Claremont Oval (crowd: 1600)
Saturday, 6 August Swan Districts 17.12 (114)def. East Fremantle 12.11 (83) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2116)
Sunday, 7 August East Perth 14.10 (94)def. Perth 7.15 (57) Perth Oval (crowd: 1948)
Sunday, 7 August Subiaco 22.11 (143)def. West Perth 10.8 (68) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4213)

Although without Heatley and with Karl Langdon reported, Subiaco overwhelm West Perth for their seventh consecutive victory, kicking 17.8 (110) to 5.4 (34) to three-quarter time. [35]

Round 19

Round 19
Saturday, 13 August Subiaco 17.14 (116)def. East Perth 15.12 (102) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2369) [36]
Saturday, 13 August West Perth 18.18 (126)def. Perth 11.7 (73) Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2501)
Saturday, 13 August (6:45 pm) South Fremantle 17.9 (111)def. Swan Districts 12.8 (80) Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3500) [37]
Sunday, 14 August Claremont 10.11 (71)def. by East Fremantle 18.14 (122) Claremont Oval (crowd: 3500)

East Fremantle's superb tagging decimate the league-leading Tigers after quarter-time, leaving the Sharks a win from the double chance with two rounds to play – and question marks over the post-Neesham Tigers’ capability of winning the flag. [38]

Round 20

Round 20
Saturday, 20 August East Perth 14.15 (99)def. South Fremantle 14.12 (96) Perth Oval (crowd: 1799)
Saturday, 20 August East Fremantle 23.6 (144)def. Subiaco 6.12 (48) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3000)
Saturday, 20 August Perth 9.8 (62)def. by Claremont 18.14 (122) Lathlain Park (crowd: 1896)
Saturday, 20 August Swan Districts 15.5 (95)def. by West Perth 15.7 (97) Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4073)
  • With Paul Harding seemingly having the field to himself in the ruck, East Fremantle completely crush Subiaco, ending the Lions’ eight-game winning streak and gaining revenge for the 1993 loss that put them out of the finals. [39]
  • Former Subiaco and West Coast premiership player Dwayne Lamb plays his 300th game of senior football in the Lions’ debacle.
  • West Perth produce a stunning escape with six of the last seven goals to consign Swan Districts to the sudden-death elimination final. [40]
  • South Fremantle just fail to fight back from six goals down at half-time when fired up by the report of spearhead Dorotich for threatening language to field umpire Mark Warren, [41] and East Perth effectively assure Perth of a second consecutive wooden spoon.

Round 21

Round 21
Saturday, 27 August East Perth 9.9 (63)def. by West Perth 14.10 (94) Perth Oval (crowd: 3,800)
Saturday, 27 August Subiaco 30.23 (203)def. South Fremantle 12.10 (82) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2441)
Saturday, 27 August Claremont 14.11 (95)def. Swan Districts 8.8 (56) Claremont Oval (crowd: 2108)
Saturday, 27 August East Fremantle 21.19 (145)def. Perth 8.7 (55) East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2045)

With Lamb playing his 150th game for the Lions and Heatley kicking 10.1, [42] Subiaco fail by a single point to equal their highest score from ten years beforehand against Perth [43]

Ladder

1994 ladder
PosTeamPldWLDPFPAPPPts
1 Claremont 21165021001658126.764
2 East Fremantle (P)21138022261840121.052
3 West Perth 21138020251788113.352
4 Subiaco 21138022302049108.852
5 Swan Districts 21129020011824109.748
6 South Fremantle 2161501857223883.024
7 East Perth 2161501679215677.924
8 Perth 2151601732229775.420
Source: WAFL Footy Facts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

Elimination and Qualifying Finals

Qualifying Final
Saturday, 3 September (2:30 pm) East Fremantle 14.11 (95)def. West Perth 9.13 (67) WACA (crowd: 11,835)
Elimination Final
Saturday, 3 September (5:30 pm) Subiaco 13.11 (89)def. Swan Districts 11.7 (73) WACA (crowd: 11,835)
  • Since the two finals were played at the same venue on the same day, the attendance figure is the same.
  • These were the last WAFL games at the WACA Ground until 2022, used because improvements to Subiaco Oval reduced its capacity and to help reduce the stress on its surface, which needed re-digging to improve drainage. [44]

Semi-finals

First semi-final
Saturday, 10 September (2:30 pm) West Perth 9.13 (67)def. Subiaco 10.4 (64) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 7,100)

West Perth manage to always stay a kick in front during a thrilling finish in sloppy conditions. [45]

Second semi-final
Saturday, 10 September (5:30 pm) Claremont 17.13 (115)def. East Fremantle 11.2 (68) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 7,100)
  • Since the two semi-finals were played at the same venue on the same day, the attendance figure is the same.
  • With Paul Morgan kicking eight goals and Daniel Panizza [46] keeping Andrew Lockyer to 0.2 (2), Claremont are never troubled to make their way into the Grand Final

Preliminary final

Preliminary final
Saturday, 17 September East Fremantle 15.11 (101)def. West Perth 11.18 (84) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 8,286)

Several major moves by Shark coach Ken Judge, including veteran Malaxos from defence to the ball and Paul Harding to defence, completely break down the system of West Perth, who score only 2.3 (15) to 11.8 (74) in the second half. [47]

Grand Final

1994 WAFL Grand Final
Saturday, 24 September Claremont def. by East Fremantle Subiaco Oval (crowd: 17,594) [48]
1.3 (9)
3.4 (22)
3.7 (25)
10.10 (70)		Q1
Q2
Q3
Final		3.2 (20)
10.4 (64)
12.8 (80)
13.13 (91)		Umpires: Greg Scroop, Sam Kronja
Simpson Medal: Mark Amaranti (East Fremantle)
Gary Edwards 3, Wardell-Johnson 2, Morgan 2, Green, Sheldrick, MerilloGoalsAmaranti 4, Lally 2, Bilcich 2, Lockyer, Davidson, Dhurrkay, Pobjoy, Harding
Panizza, Merillo, Leach, Jones, Wira, Scott EdwardsBestAmaranti, Treleven, Sanders, Condon, Harding, Davies

An opening skirmish between Damien Condon and second semi hero Morgan shows East Fremantle mean business as they completely break down Claremont's attack for three quarters in hot weather.

Related Research Articles

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 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 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 1979 WANFL season was the 95th season of the West Australian National Football League in its various incarnations, and the last of forty-nine under that moniker.

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 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 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 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. ↑ East, Alan (2005); From Redlegs to Demons: A History of the Perth Football Club from 1899, p. 165
  2. ↑ See Casey, Kevin (1995); The Tigers’ Tale: the origins and history of the Claremont Football Club, p. 201. ISBN   0646264982
  3. 1 2 Casellas, Ken; ‘Falcons Nestled in Promised Land’; The West Australian , 25 April 1994, p. 61
  4. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Glascott Savours Demons’ First-Up’; The West Australian, 4 April 1994, p. 51
  5. ↑ Casellas, Ken; ‘Wardell-Johnson Has What It Takes’; The West Australian, 11 April 1994, p. 69
  6. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Falcons Far Too Good’; The West Australian, 11 April 1994, p. 69
  7. ↑ "WAFL Footy Facts: Arena Joondalup". Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Falcons Rout Subiaco’; The West Australian, 2 May 1994, p. 68
  9. ↑ ‘Dargie the Spark as Subiaco Crush Royals’; The West Australian 9 May 1994, p. 73
  10. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Campbell Out for Year’; The West Australian, 9 May 1994, p. 73
  11. ↑ "WAFL Footy Facts: Biggest Wins with Less Scoring Shots". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  12. ↑ Reid, Russell; ‘Treleven on Target for Second Shot at AFL’; The West Australian, 23 May 1994, p. 70
  13. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Swan Salute for Walker’; The West Australian, 23 May 1994, p. 70
  14. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Dogged Fightback Sinks Tame Falcons’; The West Australian, 23 May 1994, p. 70
  15. ↑ Reid, Russell; ‘Pressure Off as Watson Finds Winning Formula’; The West Australian, 30 May 1994, p. 72
  16. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Emotion Stirs Falcons’; The West Australian, 30 May 1994, p. 72
  17. ↑ "West Australian Football League: Biggest Home-and-Away Crowds". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  18. ↑ Stocks, Gary. ‘Neesham Bows Out’; The West Australian, 6 June 1994, p. 64
  19. 1 2 Tennison, Max; ‘Richardson Strikes Chord with Falcons’; The West Australian, 27 June 1994, p. 76
  20. ↑ Tennison, Max; ‘Glascott's Babes out of Woods’; The West Australian, 20 June 1994, p. 73
  21. ↑ "WAFL Footy Facts: Consecutive Games Won". Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  22. ↑ Tennison, Max; ‘Burton Back from Adversity’; The West Australian, 4 July 1994, p. 69
  23. ↑ Acott, Kent; ‘Crook Handcuffs Sumich’; The West Australian, 4 July 1994, p. 68
  24. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Sharks Stunned by Subiaco Midfield’; The West Australian, 4 July 1994, p. 68
  25. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Sharks Put sleeper Hold on Falcons’; The West Australian, 11 July 1994, p. 72
  26. ↑ Perth Metro (Mount Lawley) July 1994 rainfall
  27. ↑ Tennison, Max; ‘‘Stand Critics Play a Part in Tigers’ Revival’; The West Australian, 11 July 1994, p. 71
  28. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Barich and Allard Make Light of Mud’; The West Australian, 11 July 1994, p. 72
  29. ↑ Tennison, Max; ‘Barrows Adds Bite to Falcon Forward Line’; The West Australian, 18 July 1994, p. 76
  30. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Swans Lose Plot Against Resurgent Perth’; The West Australian, 18 July 1994, p. 76
  31. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Tough at the Top for Riley’; The West Australian, 18 July 1994, p. 76
  32. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Falcons Soar as Lambourn Romps in Rain’; The West Australian, 25 July 1994, p. 72
  33. ↑ Reid, Russell; ‘Sanders Tips Out Big Guns’; The West Australian, 25 July 1994, p. 71
  34. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Tight-Knit Lion Defenders Hold Sway’; The West Australian, 25 July 1994, p. 72
  35. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Aggressive Lions Overrun Falcons’; The West Australian, 8 August 1994, p. 79
  36. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘A Royals Scare Stirs Up Lions for Victory’; The West Australian, 15 August 1994, p. 68
  37. ↑ Reid, Russell; ‘Bulldogs Hit Straps’; The West Australian, 15 August 1994, p. 69
  38. ↑ Stocks, Gary; ‘Amaranti Inspires Sharks’; The West Australian, 15 August 1994, p. 68
  39. ↑ Reid, Russell; ‘Sharks Bare Their Teeth’; The West Australian, 22 August 1994, p. 83
  40. ↑ Stocks, Gary; “Falcons Sneak Home”; The West Australian, 22 August 1994, p. 82
  41. ↑ Casellas, Ken; ‘Bulldogs Fume Over Dorotich’; The West Australian, 22 August 1994, p. 82
  42. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Subiaco Does it for Lamb’; The West Australian, 29 August 1994, p. 89
  43. ↑ "WAFL Footy facts: Subiaco Highest Scores For". Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  44. ↑ Lague, Steve; ‘Finals Moved to Avoid Clash with Eagles’; The West Australian, 15 August 1994, p. 69
  45. ↑ ‘Falcons Fight off Subiaco’; in The West Australian , 12 September 1994, p. 75
  46. ↑ Reid, Russell; ‘Tigers Dust off Sharks’; in The West Australian, 12 September 1994, p. 75
  47. ↑ ‘Judge Wild Cards Help Steal Kitty’; in The West Australian, 19 September 1994, p. 76
  48. ↑ Stocks, Gary; “Condon Gets Tough for Sharks’ Cause”; in The West Australian, 26 September 1994; p. 82
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.