West Perth Football Club
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia. West Perth competes in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia.[2] Originally located at Leederville Oval, the team was relocated in 1994 to Arena Joondalup, a sports complex in the northern suburbs of Perth. The team's club song is "It's a Grand Old Flag" and its traditional rivals are East Perth.
West Perth | ||
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Names | ||
Full name | West Perth Football Club | |
Former name(s) | Victorians Football Club (1885–91) Metropolitans Football Club (1891–92) | |
Nickname(s) | Falcons, Cardinals, Garlic Munchers | |
Motto | "Does Your Heart Beat True?" | |
2018 season | ||
After finals | Grand Finalists | |
Home-and-away season | 3rd | |
Leading goalkicker | Andrew Strijk and Tyler Keitel (43 goals) | |
Club details | ||
Founded | 1885 | |
Colours | Red Blue | |
Competition | West Australian Football League | |
President | Neale Fong[1] | |
Coach | Geoff Valentine[1] | |
Captain(s) | Aaron Black | |
Premierships | List
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Ground(s) | Arena Joondalup (capacity: 16,000) | |
Uniforms | ||
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Other information | ||
Official website | westperthfc.com.au |
History
The Victorian Football Club was established at a meeting on 2 May 1885. The new team was to play its games at the Recreation Ground (now Esplanade Reserve) and wear the colours cardinal and navy.[3] Two weeks after the establishment of the new club it formed the WAFA together with Rovers and Fremantle. The three clubs, along with High School (now Hale School) were to play out the 1885 season, however High School dropped out after just two rounds.[4]
The West Australian Football Club was established in 1886 and were admitted to the competition for the 1887 season.[5] At a meeting of the two clubs on 16 April 1889, it was unanimously decided to amalgamate the two clubs – West Australian and Victorians – into a single club known as the Metropolitan Football Club for the 1889 season. The West Australian colours of black and red were to be maintained for the new club.[6] The team changed its name to West Perth after two seasons as Metropolitans and in 1897 won its first premiership.
In 1915 the team became the original tenant of the newly built Leederville Oval where it would remain based until 1993, at which the team moved to Joondalup to play games at Arena Joondalup from the 1994 season onwards. Since relocating the Falcons have enjoyed relative success with four premierships from seven grand finals, the most recent of which was in 2013.
Club song
- "It's a Grand Old Flag"
- It's a grand old flag it's a high flying flag,
- It's the emblem for me and for you,
- It's the emblem of the team we love,
- The team of the red and the blue,
- Every heart beats true for the red and the blue,
- And we sing this song to you,
- Should old acquaintance be forgot,
- Keep your eye on the red and the blue...
Honours
- WAFL
- Premiers (19): 1897, 1899, 1901, 1905, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1941, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2013
- Runners-up (15): 1898, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1973, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018
- Reserves premierships (7):[7] 1927, 1930, 1947, 1956, 1960, 2014, 2019
- Colts (U-19) premierships (2):[8] 1968, 1990
- Rodriguez Shield (3): 1960, 1999, 2002
Individual honours
Sandover Medallists: (12 total)
- 1922: Harold Boyd
- 1924: Jim Gosnell
- 1927: Jim Craig
- 1930: Ted Flemming
- 1940: Terence O'Keefe
- 1942: Laurie Bowen
- 1946: John Loughridge
- 1951: Fred Buttsworth
- 1959: Brian Foley
- 1992: Robert West
- 1993: Neil Mildenhall
- 2014: Aaron Black
Simpson Medallists: (11 total)
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Bernie Naylor Medalists: (18 total)
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All-Australians:
- 1961: Ray Gabelich
- 1972: Alan Watling
300 games
- Mel Whinnen (371)
- Bill Dempsey (343)
200 games:
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(*) Indicates current listed players
Club records
Highest score:
Lowest score:
Most games:
Highest goal kicker (season):
Highest goal kicker (game):
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Highest goal kicker (career):
Longest serving captain:
Longest serving coach:
Most club champion awards won:
Record home attendance:
Record finals attendance:
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WA Football Hall of Fame
West Perth players who have been inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame:
Player | Year inducted |
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Fred Buttsworth | 2004 |
Bill Dempsey | 2004 |
Brian Foley | 2004 |
Barney Grecian | 2004 |
Stan Heal | 2004 |
Fred McDiarmid | 2004 |
Ray Schofield | 2004 |
Ray Scott | 2004 |
Max Tetley | 2004 |
Ted Tyson | 2004 |
Mel Whinnen | 2004 |
Jim Craig | 2005 |
Les Fong | 2006 |
Brian France | 2006 |
Jim Gosnell | 2007 |
Alan Watling | 2009 |
Wally Price | 2010 |
Don Marinko, Sr. | 2011 |
Frank Hopkins | 2013 |
John Wynne | 2015 |
Derek Kickett | 2017 |
John Loughridge | 2019 |
Premierships
Grand finals
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Last premiership team
B: | Jordan Jones | Daniel Hunt | Laine Rasmussen |
HB: | Andrew Strijk | Shaun Marusic | Steven Browne |
C: | Matt Guadagnin | Chris Keunen | Jay Van Berlo |
HF: | Jason Salecic (c) | Nicholas Rodda | Joshua Mellington |
F: | Marc Crisp | Matt Fowler | Kody Manning |
Foll: | Mark Hutchings | Rohan Kerr | Aaron Black |
Int: | Ray Bartholomew (vc) | Steve Potente | Shane Nelson |
Luke Tedesco | |||
Coach: | Bill Monaghan |
Club coaches
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Club captains
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Current squad
As of May 2018:
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Team of the Century
B: | Wally Price | Ray Schofield | Bill Dempsey |
HB: | Harold Boyd | Brian France | Ted Flemming |
C: | Peter Menaglio | Mel Whinnen | Stan Heal |
HF: | John Loughridge | Fred Buttsworth | Don Marinko, Sr. |
F: | Bill Valli | Ted Tyson | Brian Foley |
Foll: | Graham Farmer | Ed O'Keefe | Les Fong |
Int: | Ken Ashdown | Jim Craig | Jim Gosnell |
Jack McDiarmid | Ray Scott | Max Tetley Alan Watling | |
Coach: | Stan Heal |
AFL/VFL players (including rookies)
This is a list of West Perth players who have played at AFL/VFL level:
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References and notes
- "Board of Directors, Staff and Volunteers". West Perth Football Club. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- "West Perth – Part One: 1885 to 1944". AustralianFootball.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
- http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2998024
- FOOTBALL. – The West Australian. Published Wednesday, 13 May 1885. Retrieved from Trove, 1 July 2012.
- NEWS OF THE DAY. – The Daily News. Published Saturday, 17 July 1886. Retrieved from Trove, 27 June 2012.
- FOOTBALL. – Western Mail. Published Saturday, 27 April 1889. Retrieved from Trove, 27 June 2012.
- from 1925
- from 1957
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Perth Football Club. |
See also
- West Perth players