In many respects this season proved the end of an era before the power balance in the WA(N)FL would drastically alter. Although apart from an almost rainless August less dry than the previous two seasons,[1] 1978 saw numerous high-scoring records broken owing to the introduction from the eighth round of the interchange bench (initially called “switch-play”)[2] allowing players to be rotated and create a much faster game than possible when substituted players could not be returned to play. The average score of 113.92 points per team per game was four points higher than the previous record of 1977.
Claremont, after five years as a chopping block due to the absence of Graham Moss with only 28 wins from 105 games with Essendon, and rejuvenated by many young players who would star in their 1981 premiership and/or with VFL clubs began superbly and missed fourth place by a minuscule 0.1 percent after a remarkable final round, whilst West Perth, after a bad start with four losses, won ten in a row to become the frontrunner along with reigning champion Perth. Tailenders Subiaco and Swan Districts were trying desperately to win and avoid the wooden spoon, whilst powerhouses West Perth and East Perth battled with Claremont and South Fremantle for the last three places in the four. A near-record attendance at Leederville saw East Perth, who had won only six of their first fourteen matches, miraculously take the double chance after having been out of the four for almost the entire season as the Tigers and Bulldogs lost.
The finals continued the brilliant performance by East Perth to win by nineteen goals in the preliminary and then the Royals upset frontrunners Perth in a game where the weather seemed to change several times a quarter from sunny to torrential downpours.
Without crippled 84-goal spearhead Gary Fathers, Subiaco nonetheless produce a morale-boosting win led by Brian Douge’s hard tacking, which recalled his Hawthorn days, and Peter Featherby’s 40 possessions.[3]
1977 runners-up East Fremantle have a surprisingly tough struggle to beat an understrength Swan Districts, not getting on top until late in the third quarter.[4]
The brilliant roving of teenage brothers Phil and Jim Krakouer confirms Claremont as the most improved club in the WANFL, with Phil’s burrowing into packs frequently confounding spectators in Graham Moss’ two hundredth WANFL match.[7]
For the second consecutive match East Fremantle have ten goals kicked against them by an opposition full-forward (in this case Archie Duda) and their disorganised backline suggested (correctly) to critics that Old Easts would not challenge for the flag.[8]
East Fremantle set WANFL record for the highest losing score, beaten since only by Swan Districts and West Perth in 1982.[9] West Perth coach Percy Johnson wins the Cardinals their first match for 1978 with four surprise moves in the last quarter that counter Old Easts’ move of Brian Needle into attack.[10]
Despite their biggest win since Round 9, 1969,[11] Subiaco nonetheless disappoint against a Swan Districts team that gave up extremely easily. Malone, returning in the dire need for a forward, kicked eight goals but should have had many more due to inaccuracy.[12]
East Fremantle inflict Perth’s first defeat by moving Brian Peake to ruck-rover and showing that Chester McKean could not compensate for the injured reigning Simpson Medallist Wim Rosbender.[13]
Despite having the majority of midfield play, the winless Swans – with full-forward Mark Olsen in the reserves – kick themselves out of it with 3.17 (35) in first half including 0.8 (8) in second quarter.[14]
South Fremantle set a WAFL record for most scoring shots, beaten later in the season by Claremont against Subiaco[15]
That game also set a record for the highest aggregate score in WANFL history, beating the 309 points by South Fremantle and Claremont from 1970.[16]
In a high-scoring and extremely high-standard shootout, Claremont replace Perth at the top of the ladder, despite Robert Wiley having an amazing thirty-six kicks, with a superb final quarter led by Phil Krakouer and Ross Ditchburn.[17]
11.8 (74) by Mick Malone gives Subiaco a fighting win after being behind all day.Malone beat four opponents and was well supported by centre half-forward Ron Boyens.[18]
Perth’s form slump was ended by a brilliant display from Alan Johnson, who had fifteen possessions in the second quarter. South Fremantle were thirty-six points down at one point but just failed.[19]
East Perth captain-coach Barry Cable moves himself to a half-forward flank and plays a crafty game as Wayne Otway and Alex Hamilton defeat the Krakouer brothers on the ball, thus ending a worrying form slump by the Royals.[20]
The official score at Leederville according to the goal umpires was West Perth 23.9 (147) to Subiaco 10.17 (77), but after the Cardinals submitted a protest backed by video evidence, this was adjusted by the WANFL directors.[5]
In an amazing game in showery and very windy conditions,[21] Subiaco, failing to allow for the strong northwesterly wind when shooting for goal, kick only 1.12 (18) in the first half but 6.5 (41) in third before rain intensifies.[22]
East Fremantle – with Needle back in defence and shutting Archie Duda out completely – recover from their early poor defensive displays with a superb effort in damp conditions.[23]
West Perth achieve a sixth consecutive win as their followers overpower a Perth team that had a bad off-day all round.[24]
East Perth play brilliantly in the first half to kick 16.4 (100) to 2.6 (18), but the game degerates badly into a farce after half-time due to Subiaco’s inept play.[25]
The silky skills of former forward Barry Day and Laurie Richards give West Perth a seventh win on end and leave the Cardinals out of second only by percentage.[26]
The power and pace of West Perth captain John Duckworth decides an exciting, high-scoring game after East Fremantle kicked 16.4 (100) in two quarters.[27]
With Mark Olsen kicking thirteen goals and Subiaco undermined by their persistent short-passing game,[5] Swan Districts record only their second win in twenty-seven matches dating back to the sixth round of 1977.[28]
Despite kicking only a total of 3.17 (35) in the first and final quarters, Stephen Michael’s superb ruck play gives South Fremantle a deserved win after controlling the game until three-quarter time.[29]
Apart from the second quarter East Fremantle kick 22.12 (144) to 3.3 (21) by an unmethodical Subiaco, but still see a major problem against the top clubs at centre half-forward.[30]
Nervousness by Swan Districts forwards cost them a second win as Mark Olsen misses five easy shots whilst South Fremantle play straight down the ground.[31]
Wasteful play by West Perth and superb roving by Neil Randall and Neil Taylor ensures the Cardinals’ first loss since Round 4 and Subiaco’s first win since Round 7[32] – a win that in effect avoided the wooden spoon for Subiaco.
South Fremantle show that they are the best-equipped team for wet weather as they overcome their shortage of pace via a tough display in “the heaviest conditions seen in Perth for years”.[33]
The return of star defender Doug Green allows East Fremantle to completely blanket a disappointing Claremont attack that fail to support seventeen fine handballs from Moss.[34]
John Todd’s sermon in a violent thunderstorm on Monday night[35] drives Swans to a huge upset after only two wins in thirty-two games, as youngsters Phil Narkle and Simon Beasley show the form that would later make them VFL stars.[36]
Perth bounce back from their shock loss to Swan Districts with a superbly planned victory[37] that leaves the Cardinals severely troubled by a poor percentage and injuries.[38]
Subiaco’s ability to stifle the system of South accounts for the Bulldogs’ woeful 6.21 (57) in the second half, although Subiaco prove just as unsystematic and do not threaten to win. Leading goalkicker Ray Bauskis kicks 3.9 (27).[39]
In a preview of the Grand Final, East Perth win with a goal from Alex Hamilton with four seconds remaining, a just result to a game which the Royals controlled aside from the first fifteen and final fifteen minutes.[40]
Despite an incredible 40 kicks from Peter Featherby, Subiaco fail to match the enthusiasm of a Swan Districts team already showing success in rebuilding.[41]
Two thrilling wins – one via a late goal from reigning Simpson Medallist Wim Rosbender – West Perth, South Fremantle, Claremont and East Perth are left in a titanic battle for the last three places in the four.[42]
Owing to John Colreavy’s eclipse of Featherby (banished to a forward pocket) in the centre and a remarkable dominance of possession,[43] Claremont beat South Fremantle’s Round 7 record for most scoring shots in an open-age WANFL match[15] to boost their percentage and remain a finals threat.
In front of the third largest WANFL home-and-away attendance,[44] East Perth rise from fifth to second with their win.
Two late goals by Perth’s Farrant and Wiley[45] along with three late goals from South Fremantle,[46] drop Claremont from second to fifth in a few minutes for a dramatic finalé.[47]
Swan Districts’ youthful talent – in a desperate effort to avoid the wooden spoon – overwhelms a South Fremantle team desperately missing Joe McKay.[46]
A dour win in windy conditions makes Perth firm favourites for a second hat-trick of flags in a decade, despite the loss of key forward Murray Couper after he was suspended for throwing the ball in an umpire’s face after believing he was wrongly denied a free kick for holding the ball.[50]
East Perth conclusively thrash Bulldogs by record preliminary final margin and the second highest in any WANFL final after the 1959 first semi.[51]
South Fremantle hit the lead early in the second quarter but afterwards score only 3.9 (27) to 22.10 (142), with Paul Arnold kicking nine goals to equal the record for a WANFL final.[a]
In a game of fluctuating weather varying from sunshine to almost monsoon-like rain, East Perth hold on to record only their second win from ten grand finals since 1961[53]
Notes
a Held by Bob Johnson in the 1962 Preliminary Final and Eric Gorman in the 1963 Grand Final, and subsequently broken by Darren Bennett in the 1986 Second Semi and Warren Ralph in the corresponding match of 1987.
