2006 WAFL season | |
---|---|
Teams | 9 |
Premiers | Subiaco 9th premiership |
Minor premiers | Subiaco 11th minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | Matt Priddis (Subiaco) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Troy Wilson (East Perth) |
Matches played | 94 |
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 (except the Grand Final) at the home ground of the club higher on the ladder.
It saw the three top clubs of 2005 – Subiaco, South Fremantle and Claremont – intensify their dominance of the competition, being five games and a large percentage ahead of the remaining six clubs and losing only four games to any of the other six clubs. The only major disappointment on-field was East Perth, who for their centenary season invested considerably in recruiting but won only one extra match vis-à-vis 2005 despite widespread expectation the Royals would be the main threat to the power clubs. [1] The Royals had numerous injury problems with their recruits and coach Warren Mahoney resigned after the club lost its first seven games for its longest losing streak since 1929. [2] West Perth after a poor pre-season [3] comfortably took the final place in the four, and Peel Thunder, who suffered from predictions of extreme doom despite having won the past two colts premierships, [4] doubled their 2005 win tally with some excellent football in July and August. Swan Districts, finalists in 2004 and 2005, began well but a horror run with injuries after May [5] whereby they lost sole ruckman Taylan Ames, [6] Shane Beros, Craig Callaghan and Daniel Wulf [7] meant that after inflicting the first defeat upon Subiaco the Swans could win only one of their final eleven matches, losing many of the others in spectacular fashion.
A record dry year [8] [9] helped produce a marked increase in scoring compared with the past decade, with the average score of 99.41 points per team per game as much as thirteen points higher than the previous season and the highest in the WAFL or Westar Rules since 1991. Included in this was a record half-time margin and the highest score in the WAFL since 1987 by South Fremantle against their struggling derby rivals, who took their second wooden spoon in three years as a dwindling support base and severe financial deficits meant the Sharks could not compete for the best players with the stronger clubs. [10] [11]
Round 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 25 March (2:15 pm) | East Perth 10.11 (71) | def. by | West Perth 10.16 (76) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2585) | |
Saturday, 25 March (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 5.10 (40) | def. by | South Fremantle 20.18 (138) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2736) | [12] |
Saturday, 25 March (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 17.9 (111) | def. | Perth 13.9 (87) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1137) | |
Saturday, 25 March (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 12.16 (88) | def. by | Subiaco 18.9 (117) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2048) | [13] |
Bye Claremont | |||||
|
Round 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 31 March (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 14.13 (97) | def. | East Perth 11.5 (71) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2183) | |
Saturday, 1 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 17.22 (124) | def. | Peel Thunder 10.8 (68) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1639) | [15] |
Saturday, 1 April (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 16.9 (105) | def. | Claremont 8.9 (57) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2286) | |
Saturday, 1 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 17.21 (123) | def. | East Fremantle 8.11 (59) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1375) | |
Bye Swan Districts | |||||
|
Round 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 16.14 (110) | def. | Swan Districts 16.7 (103) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1447) | |
Saturday, 8 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 13.10 (88) | def. by | Subiaco 24.10 (154) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1585) | |
Saturday, 8 April (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 6.16 (52) | def. by | South Fremantle 19.20 (134) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1571) | [18] |
Saturday, 8 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 20.14 (134) | def. | East Perth 7.15 (57) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1319) | |
Bye West Perth | |||||
|
Round 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 15 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 17.10 (112) | def. by | Swan Districts 18.13 (121) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2543) | [21] |
Saturday, 15 April (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 20.16 (136) | def. | East Fremantle 15.7 (97) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1666) | [22] |
Monday, 17 April (2:15 pm) | East Perth 7.11 (53) | def. by | Claremont 16.14 (110) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2620) | |
Monday, 17 April (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 20.19 (139) | def. | Perth 9.9 (63) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2342) | |
Bye Subiaco | |||||
|
Round 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 21 April (6:45 pm) | Subiaco 19.15 (129) | def. | East Fremantle 2.5 (17) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2067) | |
Saturday, 22 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 13.9 (87) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.18 (114) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1731) | |
Saturday, 22 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 18.9 (117) | def. | East Perth 11.13 (79) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2256) | [26] |
Saturday, 22 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 21.7 (133) | def. | Peel Thunder 10.16 (76) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1257) | [27] |
Bye Perth | |||||
|
Round 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 28 April (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 23.10 (148) | def. | Swan Districts 12.12 (84) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2202) | |
Friday, 28 April (6:45 pm) | East Perth 10.14 (74) | def. by | Subiaco 14.8 (92) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2279) | |
Saturday, 29 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 5.15 (45) | def. by | Claremont 18.11 (119) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1544) | |
Saturday, 29 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 16.5 (101) | def. by | West Perth 19.7 (121) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1350) | [31] |
Bye Peel Thunder | |||||
|
Round 7 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 5 May (6:45 pm) | Subiaco 28.9 (177) | def. | Peel Thunder 8.7 (55) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1514) | |
Saturday, 6 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 13.17 (95) | def. | East Fremantle 11.8 (74) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1599) | [35] |
Saturday, 6 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 15.11 (101) | def. | West Perth 15.8 (98) | Mukinbudin (crowd: 2008) | [36] |
Sunday, 7 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 19.13 (127) | def. | South Fremantle 6.10 (46) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2182) | |
Bye East Perth | |||||
|
Round 8 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 12 May (6:45 pm) | Subiaco 20.18 (138) | def. | West Perth 14.6 (90) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2325) | |
Saturday, 13 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 15.9 (99) | def. by | Claremont 21.15 (141) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1129) | [39] |
Saturday, 13 May (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 12.12 (84) | def. by | Swan Districts 27.19 (181) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1169) | |
Saturday, 13 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 19.12 (126) | def. | East Perth 11.9 (75) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1663) | |
Bye South Fremantle | |||||
|
Round 9 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 19 May (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 19.7 (121) | def. by | Subiaco 19.14 (128) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2125) | |
Saturday, 20 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 16.18 (114) | def. | West Perth 8.12 (60) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1535) | |
Saturday, 20 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 17.17 (119) | def. | Perth 12.10 (82) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2101) | |
Saturday, 20 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 22.14 (146) | def. | Peel Thunder 12.11 (83) | Manjimup (crowd: 1965) | |
Bye East Fremantle | |||||
East Perth’s strong forward give them an easy first win for 2006 under new coach Peos. Troy Wilson scores nine goals to justify his state selection, but Andrew Merrington and Ben McKinley play equally well. [42] |
Round 10 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 3 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 18.7 (115) | def. by | Swan Districts 21.11 (137) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1953) | [5] |
Saturday, 3 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 20.14 (134) | def. | Peel Thunder 9.6 (60) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1815) | [43] |
Monday, 5 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 11.7 (73) | def. by | East Perth 14.12 (96) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 6477) | [44] |
Monday, 5 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 35.13 (223) | def. | East Fremantle 9.12 (66) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 8129) | [45] |
Bye Claremont | |||||
|
Round 11 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 10 June (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 12.13 (85) | def. by | West Perth 20.16 (136) | Rushton Park (crowd: 955) | |
Saturday, 10 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 14.12 (96) | def. | Subiaco 12.8 (80) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 2724) | [50] |
Saturday, 10 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.13 (67) | def. by | Perth 10.13 (73) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1313) | [51] |
Saturday, 10 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 12.8 (80) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.12 (108) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1808) | |
Bye Swan Districts | |||||
|
Round 12 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 16 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 22.10 (142) | def. | Peel Thunder 11.14 (80) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1068) | |
Saturday, 17 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 11.16 (82) | def. by | Claremont 23.14 (152) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1674) | |
Saturday, 17 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 19.13 (127) | def. | Perth 13.7 (85) | Kambalda (crowd: 1529) | |
Saturday, 17 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 18.16 (124) | def. | East Fremantle 14.14 (98) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1449) | [53] |
Bye West Perth | |||||
|
Round 13 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 24 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 22.13 (145) | def. | Peel Thunder 7.9 (51) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1893) | |
Saturday, 24 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 11.3 (69) | def. by | West Perth 20.21 (141) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 4314) | |
Saturday, 24 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 15.8 (98) | def. by | East Perth 19.6 (120) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1853) | |
Saturday, 24 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 12.15 (87) | def. | South Fremantle 8.8 (56) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1605) | |
Bye Subiaco | |||||
|
Round 14 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 1 July (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 13.11 (89) | def. by | Claremont 14.11 (95) | Rushton Park (crowd: 936) | |
Saturday, 1 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.16 (136) | def. | Swan Districts 8.9 (57) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2804) | |
Saturday, 1 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 15.10 (100) | def. | West Perth 10.18 (78) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1814) | |
Saturday, 1 July (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 11.4 (70) | def. by | Subiaco 21.21 (147) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1380) | [57] |
Bye Perth | |||||
|
Round 15 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 8 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 16.15 (111) | def. | East Fremantle 14.15 (99) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1245) | |
Saturday, 8 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 14.10 (94) | def. by | South Fremantle 18.14 (122) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1956) | [61] |
Saturday, 8 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 17.13 (115) | def. | East Perth 8.17 (65) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2623) | |
Saturday, 8 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 22.17 (149) | def. | Perth 9.6 (60) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1525) | [62] |
Bye Peel Thunder | |||||
|
Round 16 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 14 July (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 9.11 (65) | def. | Claremont 9.8 (62) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2859) | |
Saturday, 15 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 7.10 (52) | def. by | West Perth 16.20 (116) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1809) | |
Saturday, 15 July (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 10.11 (71) | def. by | Subiaco 15.8 (98) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1172) | |
Saturday, 15 July (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 29.7 (181) | def. | Swan Districts 12.9 (81) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1573) | [65] |
Bye East Perth | |||||
|
Round 17 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 22 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 13.15 (93) | def. by | Subiaco 21.9 (135) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1901) | [71] |
Saturday, 22 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 13.15 (93) | def. by | Perth 16.9 (105) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1887) | |
Saturday, 22 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 23.8 (146) | def. | East Fremantle 9.9 (63) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1622) | [72] |
Saturday, 22 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 12.10 (82) | def. by | Peel Thunder 14.15 (99) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1458) | [73] |
Bye South Fremantle | |||||
|
Round 18 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 29 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 16.10 (106) | def. | South Fremantle 13.10 (88) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1215) | [76] |
Saturday, 29 July (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 16.14 (110) | def. | East Perth 9.11 (65) | Rushton Park (crowd: 911) | [77] |
Saturday, 29 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 9.11 (65) | def. by | Swan Districts 16.13 (109) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1517) | |
Saturday, 29 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 15.3 (93) | def. | Claremont 12.12 (84) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1198) | |
Bye East Fremantle | |||||
|
Round 19 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 5 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 12.7 (79) | def. by | South Fremantle 15.11 (101) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1740) | |
Saturday, 5 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 12.9 (81) | def. by | West Perth 23.17 (155) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2228) | |
Saturday, 5 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 10.10 (70) | def. by | Subiaco 18.15 (123) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1318) | |
Saturday, 5 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 22.17 (149) | def. | Swan Districts 13.12 (90) | Broome (crowd: 3950) | [81] |
Bye Peel Thunder | |||||
|
Round 20 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 11 August (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 22.14 (146) | def. | Peel Thunder 8.6 (54) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1557) | |
Saturday, 12 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.14 (68) | def. by | East Perth 21.9 (135) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1212) | [84] |
Bye Claremont, Perth, Subiaco, Swan Districts, West Perth | |||||
Debutant Callum Wilson’s five goals leads South Fremantle to a brilliant win after having trailed by fifteen points early in the second quarter. [85] |
Round 21 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 19 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 8.15 (63) | def. by | Peel Thunder 11.11 (77) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1022) | |
Saturday, 19 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 8.8 (56) | def. by | South Fremantle 11.11 (77) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1288) | [86] |
Saturday, 19 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 16.11 (107) | def. | Claremont 8.14 (62) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1351) | |
Saturday, 19 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 6.10 (46) | def. by | East Fremantle 17.15 (117) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1109) | |
Bye East Perth | |||||
|
Round 22 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 26 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 26.17 (173) | def. | East Fremantle 13.7 (85) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1826) | [91] |
Saturday, 26 August (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 14.16 (100) | def. | Perth 11.11 (77) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1076) | [92] |
Saturday, 26 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 19.12 (126) | def. | Swan Districts 7.12 (54) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1531) | |
Saturday, 26 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 22.15 (147) | def. | East Perth 10.9 (69) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1722) | |
Bye South Fremantle | |||||
Eight goals from in-form Mark LeCras – an Eagle emergency in Brisbane when the Falcons lost to Peel – fails to add confidence because of the prospect of a permanent AFL call-up weakening the club. [93] |
Round 23 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friday, 1 September (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 17.11 (113) | def. | West Perth 5.16 (46) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1989) | |
Saturday, 2 September (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 11.11 (77) | def. by | Subiaco 22.17 (149) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1661) | [94] |
Saturday, 2 September (2:15 pm) | East Perth 24.8 (152) | def. | Perth 13.10 (88) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1764) | [95] |
Saturday, 2 September (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 18.13 (121) | def. by | Claremont 20.14 (134) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1116) | |
Bye East Fremantle | |||||
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Subiaco (P) | 20 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 2515 | 1589 | 158.3 | 72 |
2 | South Fremantle | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2278 | 1540 | 147.9 | 64 |
3 | Claremont | 20 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2285 | 1626 | 140.5 | 60 |
4 | West Perth | 20 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1999 | 1873 | 106.7 | 40 |
5 | East Perth | 20 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 1842 | 2057 | 89.5 | 28 |
6 | Swan Districts | 20 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 1896 | 2318 | 81.8 | 28 |
7 | Perth | 20 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 1657 | 2143 | 77.3 | 28 |
8 | Peel Thunder | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 1662 | 2396 | 69.4 | 24 |
9 | East Fremantle | 20 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 1759 | 2351 | 74.8 | 16 |
First semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, 10 September (2:15 pm) | Claremont 21.18 (144) | def. | West Perth 8.10 (58) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 3,302) | |
This was the first final ever played at Claremont Oval, and underlined the superiority of the top three with the Falcons’ heaviest defeat since 1997, [100] despite Claremont losing Paul Medhurst to the AFL. [101] |
Second semi-final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, 10 September (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 15.7 (97) | def. | South Fremantle 12.18 (90) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 5,084) | |
|
Preliminary final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunday, 17 September (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 16.13 (109) | def. | Claremont 16.10 (106) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 4,811) | |
South Fremantle hang on when a Claremont kick on the siren does not make the distance but have problems with the availability of key players Andrew Siegert, Ashton Hams, Travis Gaspar and Daniel Gilmore. [104] |
2006 WAFL Grand Final | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 23 September | Subiaco | def. | South Fremantle | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 21,291) | [105] |
5.0 (30) 9.2 (56) 14.5 (89) 24.9 (153) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.6 (24) 5.8 (38) 8.9 (57) 10.10 (70) | Umpires: Greg Bandy, Gareth Parker, Todd Keating Simpson Medal: Marc Webb (Subiaco) | ||
Larkins 7, Keevers 3, Mapleston 3, Hall 2, Cossom, Holmes, Haynes, Hayes, Webb, Schofield, Broughton, Pickett, Robbins | Goals | Sampi 3, White 2, McGrath 2, Hewitt, Ashton Hams, Adams | |||
Newick, Webb, Parker, Randall, Schofield, Haynes, Larkins | Best | Duffield, Jones, Head, Thornton, Adams, Kyle Hams | |||
Reports | David Gault for unduly rough play | ||||
Subiaco completely dominate against a Bulldog side with Gaspar, Siegert and Gilmore under fitness clouds, kicking 15.7 (97) to 5.2 (32) after half-time. |
a Their sole lower score in this period was 2.4 (16) at Lathlain Park in Round 15 of 1967, when Old Easts did not score between the first and last ten minutes of the match.
b Had Malseed been able to kick the goal, he would have produced Perth's first draw since the opening round of 1986, the first draw between the two clubs since 1923, and East Fremantle's first home-and-away draw since the third round of 1974. The latter two streaks remain unbroken as of 2014.
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 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 2007 WAFL season was the 123rd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. The season saw Subiaco, confounding the critics who expected them to slip after winning their second premiership in three years, win their second consecutive premiership for the first time in ninety-four seasons, with injury-plagued forward Brad Smith overcoming two reconstructions that wiped out 2005 and 2006 to kick 126 goals for the season, the most in the WAFL since Warren Ralph kicked 128 for Claremont in 1983. Smith also achieved the unique feat for a full-forward of winning the Simpson Medal in the Grand Final.
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 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.
Zane Parsons is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the South Fremantle Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). From Wagin, Parsons played most of his career in the forward line, and was South Fremantle's leading goalkicker in 1998, 2002, and 2003. In 2002, he kicked 65 goals to win the Bernie Naylor Medal as the competition's leading goalkicker, and additionally won South Fremantle's best and fairest award, the W. J. Hughes Medal. Parsons was hampered by injury throughout his career, playing only 74 games in ten seasons at the club, from which he kicked 179 goals. He also represented Western Australia twice in interstate matches.