OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WAFL ROUND 7 MAY 19, 2018 $3.00 » WAFL proves status as premier State league » Collectables CONTENTS Every Week 7 Tipping 8 AFL Teams 18-19 WAFC 20 Club Notes 21 Stats 22 Scoreboards and ladders 23 Fixtures Features 4-5 WAFL proves status as premier State league 6 Collectables Game time 9 Game previews 10-11 Peel Thunder v Subiaco 12-13 Claremont v Perth 14-15 East Perth v South Fremantle 16-17 West Perth v East Fremantle 3 Publisher This publication is proudly produced for the WA Football Commission by Media Tonic. Phone 9388 7844 Black Swans Fax 9388 7866 Sales: [email protected] Editor Ross Lewis [email protected] Photography prove footy in Andrew Ritchie Design/Typesetting Jacqueline Holland Direction Design and Print Printing Data Documents www.datadocuments.com.au west is best Cover Shane Nelson returns to WAFL duty after starring in WA’s win. The Football Budget is printed on Gloss 90gsm paper, which is sourced The signs indicating the and Liam Ryan (West Coast) had highlighted the from a sustainably managed forest and strength of the local league. uses manufacturing processes of the WAFL’s strength as a State highest environmental standards. football competition had “The WAFL has been strong for quite a while,” Broadbridge said. “Someone should run some Bouncedown is printed by an been flashing for several Environmental Accredited printer. numbers over from where the mature-age players The magazine is 100% recyclable. years. in the AFL have been drafted because I’d say the While the Black Swans figures from WA would be quite high. WAFL admission prices By Ross Lewis had been steadily rising as a “Even way back when I was involved in the AFL $15 – Adult* force in interstate contests, system there was a number of high-quality mature- $12 – Concession* WA coach Michael Broadbridge had noticed for aged players being drafted out of the WAFL that Free – Children 15 and under some time that the local league was building a seemed to be over and beyond what the other *Includes a copy of Football power base. competitions were producing. Budget It just took the other States – and the AFL clubs – “The AFL has tended to look for running and a while to notice. skilful type players with their recruiting and our Find us on Broadbridge is still celebrating the WAFL’s victory conditions over here give players the opportunity over the SANFL combination last Saturday that to display those skills. It is very attractive for guys entrenched the Black Swans as the leading interstate who are ambitious about their football to play in unit in the country’s most popular code. our competition in comparison to the VFL or SANFL The away triumph over the Croweaters not only competitions where the conditions are different, the Copyright © No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system broke a 24-year hoodoo in winning in Adelaide but grounds are smaller and they play a more contested without the permission of the publisher. also followed the Broadbridge-orchestrated success brand of football.” Opinions expressed in the Football Budget are not necessarily those of the WAFC. over the VFL in Melbourne last season. Broadbridge admitted he and his fellow selectors The WAFC or affiliated clubs believe that But the South Australians and Victorians should chose a WA team that had players who could break the material produced in this publication is accurate, but gives no warranty in relation have seen the writing on the wall by watching lines and give the team drive off half-back. thereto and disclaims all liability for claims recent AFL drafts. “While we wanted to pick the team around against the WAFC or affiliated clubs, Media Tonic, its employees, agents, or any other Broadbridge believes the WAFL is the best who we thought were the best players, we also person, which may rise from any person football haven for mature-age players and suggests found that balance to get the run we thought acting on the materials contained herein. the drafting of players such as Sam Menegola and we needed to play on the long (Adelaide Oval) Registered by Australia Post - PP642521/00112 Tim Kelly (Geelong), Nathan Broad (Richmond) ground,” he said. 4 Black Swans prove footy in west is best » The victorious WAFL State team after last Saturday’s win. Jye Bolton was one who gave the Black Swans that drive, winning SCOREBOARD the Simpson Medal, and he was ably supported by West Perth’s Shane Nelson and Andrew Strijk as well as Sharrod Wellingham from East WAFL ................................. 0.4 8.6 10.9 15.12 (102) Perth. SANFL ............................... 4.2 4.6 9.7 11.10 (76) It was significant that the experienced Bolton, Strijk and Wellingham GOALS: WAFL - Strijk, Gault 3; Waters, Johnson 2; Palmer, Horsley, were able to run the ball into attack to kick goals. Bolton, Stevenson, Wellingham. SANFL - Scott 2; Colquhoun, Broadbridge is unsure whether he will continue in the role, Hone, Hoskin, Motlop, Kirkwood, Stevens, Riley, Hayes, Panos. preferring to enjoy the moment of triumph before talking to WAFL BEST: WAFL - Bolton, Nelson, Wellingham, Gault, Strijk, Mitchell, officials later in the year. Horsley. SANFL - Kirkwood, Panos, Grigg, Colquhoun, Stevens, But he strongly believed a “neutral coach” should be employed to Schiller. lead State teams. Played at Adelaide Oval. “All of our WAFL league coaches are part-time and I’m not sure the Simpson Medal (WA) – Jye Bolton extra commitment of doing a State program for five or six weeks isn’t something they need,” Broadbridge said, pointing out Darren Harris Fos Williams Medal (SA) – Zane Kirkwood had had success in the role as an independent mentor before he took on the post. WA Football Commission chief executive Gavin Taylor said the “I would like to congratulate each of the players who represented Black Swans’ success was proof the WAFL was at the top as a football the WAFL and hope they treasure the memory of their achievement competition. together. “To win the State Game is a fantastic result, not only for the WAFL “I would also like to thank coach Michael Broadbridge and players, coaches and support staff, but everyone else involved with WA assistant coaches Steve Malaxos, Garry Moss and Beau Wardman for football,” Taylor said. their leadership and commitment, as well as all the WAFL clubs for “Beating the South Australians on home soil after defeating the supporting the State team, particularly Peel Thunder, whose turn it VFL in Victoria last year gives the WAFL genuine bragging rights as was to provide this year’s support staff. Australia’s premier State League competition. “Congratulations also to West Australian umpires Justin Power, “South Australia was full of confidence before the game and to Brad Hunt and Sam Hunter for being selected to officiate in the State overcome them after a challenging start was a great result. Game. Their contribution is greatly appreciated.” 5 by Sean Cowan Collectables During 2018, the Football Budget will again feature a section on WAFL memorabilia and invites you to write or email if you want more information about the football collectables you have tucked away at home. I love it when the state game is played in the east. Not only does it make for a great weekend (well, when WA wins, anyway), but it gives me a mid-season breather to do some research and to visit people who have contacted me about their memorabilia. This time around, I managed both. Perhaps the best of the items I was shown over the break was an old watch, which once belonged to speedy East Fremantle wingman Jock Laurie. Laurie, who was a well-known SP bookmaker in Freo, was a star for Old Easts and the first winner of the Lynn Medal for the club’s fairest & best player in 1929. But, at the end of the 1928 season, Laurie won another award that was donated by the A watch collector, he told me he couldn’t club’s great patron Robert Lynn. quite remember whether he had bought it at His prize was a watch, which was marked a market stall or a garage sale. Either way, it’s on the back “EFFC Premiers 1928. Presented something of an ignominious end for such a by Hon RJ Lynn. Won by J Lawrie.” nice piece of memorabilia. Such awards were commonplace for WAFL He said the watch was filthy when he clubs at the time. Club benefactors would bought it, and had required some repairs. It from the donate money for a prize and the number of now works beautifully and is for sale, if the Cygnet Art prizes would be determined by the number price is right. Productions of donors. Another person I managed to visit during the range of pottery that was produced for the In fact, it wasn’t unusual for up to a dozen break was Chad, who had inherited a great club in the early 1990s, a Swan umbrella that awards to be given out by the club at the end little collection of Swan Districts memorabilia would likely have been purchased from The of the season, often to the likes of the “best from his grandfather. Footy Shop, a 1980s Swans jumper, and some defender” or “best all-rounder”. Chad had fond memories of the cabinet at early 1980s Swans drinking glasses. Just why Laurie won the award donated by his grandparents’ house, which was filled with Chad was pretty keen to start his own Robert Lynn in 1928 will take me a little more Swans items on one side and South Fremantle shrine to the Black Ducks with his grandfather’s time to discover, as I don’t have a copy of East items on the other (his grandmother was a collection, and it was great to see the WAFL Fremantle’s 1928 annual report.