West Perth Football Club

 

 

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] In 1891, a meeting of footballers was held to form a new team, to be called West Perth, which embraced the members of the then-defunct Metropolitan Football Club.^[7][8] The new club was immediately granted entry into the WA Football Association (later called the WA Football League) and won its first premiership in 1897.

In 1915 the team became the original tenant of the newly built Leederville Oval where it would remain based until 1993, at which time 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 five premierships from nine grand finals, the most recent flag coming in 2022.

In 2022 the club became the seventh active club to participate in the WAFL Women's (WAFLW), the premier state-based competition for female footballers.^[9]

Since joining the WAFLW competition, the club celebrated real success with a Preliminary Final appearance in just their third season in the competition. Marking West Perth Football Clubs' Women's WAFLW side as the most successful expansion side since the WAFLW began.

West Perth Football Clubs' Rogers Cup side (U19s competition) is amongst some of the most successful teams in Australian sporting history. Winning the flag in an undefeated season in 2021, this was backed up by 2-undefeated seasons in 2023 and 2024, culminating in a further 2 premierships for the club. As at August 2024, the Rogers Cup team sit at 34 wins in a row - An impressive undefeated streak.

"It's a Grand Old Flag"

"(Sung to the tune of "You're 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!

Sandover Medallists: (12 total)

Simpson Medallists: (11 total)

Bernie Naylor Medalists: (20 total)

All-Australians:

1961: Ray Gabelich

1972: Alan Watling

300 games

Mel Whinnen (371)

Bill Dempsey (343)

200 games:

(*) Indicates current listed players

Highest score:

Round 10, 1981, 37–17 (239) vs. East Fremantle at Leederville Oval

Round 10, 1987, 37–17 (239) vs. South Fremantle at Leederville Oval

Lowest score:

Round 1, 1912, 0.3 (3) vs. Subiaco at WACA

Most games:

Mel Whinnen 367^[10] (1960–1977)

Highest goal kicker (season):

E. Tyson 143 goals (1934)

R. Scott 143 goals (1953)

Highest goal kicker (game):

E. Tyson 17 goals v. Swan Districts (1934)

Highest goal kicker (career):

E. Tyson 1196 goals

Longest serving captain:

Les Fong, 7 Seasons (1980–1986)

Longest serving coach:

Bill Monaghan, 10 Seasons (2009 – 2018)

Most club champion awards won:

Mel Whinnen, 9

Record home attendance:

Round 21, 1978, 24,567 vs. East Perth at Leederville Oval

Record finals attendance:

1975 Grand Final, 52,322 vs. South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval

West Perth players who have been inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame:

As of October 2022:

{{Aussie rules team | title = Team of the Century | backpocket1 = Wally Price | fullback = Ray Schofield | backpocket2 = Bill Dempsey | halfbackflank1 = [[Harold Boyd (footballer, born 1900)|Harold Bo | centrehalfback = Brian France | halfbackflank2 = Ted Flemming | wing1 = Peter Menaglio | centre = Mel Whinnen | wing2 = Stan Heal | halfforwardflank1 = John Loughridge | centrehalfforward = Fred Buttsworth | halfforwardflank2 = Don Marinko, Sr. | forwardpocket1 = Bill Valli | fullforward = Ted Tyson | forwardpocket2 = Brian Foley | ruck = Graham Farmer | ruckrover = Ed O'Keefe | rover = Les Fong | interchange1 = Ken Ashdown | interchange2 = Jim Craig | interchange3 = Jim Gosnell | interchange4 = Jack McDiarmid | interchange5 = Ray Scott | interchange6 = Max Tetley
Alan Watling | coach = Stan Heal }}

This is a list of West Perth players who have played at AFL/VFL level:

• West Perth players

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Perth Football Club.

• Official website  
• AustralianFootball.com: History of West Perth
• Team of the Century