The Gap Is Closing 8-9
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TM RROUNDOUND 111,1, JJUNEUNE 66,, 22009009 $$3.003.00 TTHEHE GGAPAP ISIS CCLOSINGLOSING 118s8s ooffff aann rrunningunning AAmateursmateurs sstatetate lleagueeague cclashlash OOfffi ccialial ppublicationublication ooff tthehe WWAFLAFL "EKIF;L:@E>K?< ,K<<CCL<?8DG@FEJ &8IB+@::@LKF C<E#8BFM@:? <EE@J%@CC<< C<EEI:?<I 8D@<E(C@M<I SEE THE RANGE OF STEEL BLUE CHAMPION BOOTS - AT YOUR LOCAL WORK CLOBBER STORE U 100% Comfort Guaranteed* U Quality New Zealand Leather U Trisole™ Comfort Technology U Australia’s Biggest Size Range 3 to 16 OPEN THURSDAYS TILL 7PM, SATURDAYS TILL 2PM Balcatta: Cnr Wanneroo & Halley Rds. Ph: 9345 2004 Cannington: 1399 Albany Hwy. Ph: 9351 8213 Canning Vale: Cnr Bannister Rd & South St. Ph: 9256 3077 www.steelblue.com.au Kelmscott: 2874 Albany Hwy. Ph: 9495 4777 Midland: 146 Gt Eastern Hwy. Ph: 9250 2733 Morley: 150 Russell St. Ph: 9370 3780 OʼConnor: Cnr Stock & Peel Rds. Ph: 9314 6430 Wangara: Cnr Buckingham Dr & Lumsden Rd. Ph: 9309 9899 * FE;@K@FEJGGCP Features IInsidenside tthishis issueissue 4-5 ..............................................The gap is closing 8-9 .......................................Previews and awards 12 ........................................ Under 18s underway 4 13 ...................................Spider and David Snow The gap is closing 14 ..................................Country football results 15-18 .......................Amateur battle – WA v Vic 19 ..........................................Community football 20 ...............................................West Coast Eagles 21 .............................................Fremantle Dockers 24 .................................................... From the WAFC 25 .............................. Umpire profiles / tribunal 28 ............................................................ All the stats 29 ........................................... Ladders and results 12 30 ............................................2009 WAFL fixtures Names to remember Team lists (as supplied by WAFL clubs) 6-7 ....................................... Perth v Peel Thunder 10-11 .................................West Perth v Subiaco 22-23 .......Swan Districts v South Fremantle 26-27 .............................East Perth v Claremont COVER: WHILE a look at East Perth’s win-loss ratio in the past season and a bit does not make pretty reading, Royals 13 diehards can relax, confident, that their club is moving in the Spider and David Snow right direction. Check out pages 4 and 5 of today’s Football Budget and see how inroads are being made and how close the Royals are to again being a force. The charge is being led by co-captain Craig Glancy, who appears to be the barometer for the club. He is just one of the mid-20-year-old players that are slowly building into a solid, experienced squad. MILESTONES THE WA Football 200-club family is getting bigger by the week. Adam Hunter got there last week (see page 21) and so did his teammate Andrew Embley. Embley has 176 games with West 15-18 Coast, 13 with Claremont and 11 with Swan Districts. Today, State Amateur the Swans skipper, Adam Lange, also reaches the milestone. The clash against South Fremantle will be his 113th for the clash - WA v Vic Swans. He also has 13 for Subiaco, 12 with Sturt in the SANFL, 28 with North Melbourne, 31 in the VFL with the Murray Kangaroos and three state appearances for WA. BALCATTA: Ph: 9345 2004 CANNINGTON: Ph: 9351 8213 CANNING VALE: Ph: 9256 3077 KELMSCOTT: Ph: 9495 4777 Proudly Supporting MIDLAND: Ph: 9250 2733 MORLEY: Ph: 9370 3780 O’CONNOR: Ph: 9314 6430 WANGARA: Ph: 9309 9899 Football in WA OPEN THURSDAYS TILL 7PM, SATURDAYS TILL 2PM www.mediatonic.com.au 3 TThehe ggapap iiss cclosinglosing THERE was an estimated 12,000 people at East Fremantle Oval last Monday to watch the Fremantle Derby clash between East Fremantle and South Fremantle. Crowd figures are on the rise all around WAFL grounds in 2009. One of the reasons given for the increased interest is the closeness of games – the competition – that is being presented. And while a lot has been written and spoken about the closeness of the WAFL this season, the Football Budget can confirm that the competition is getting tighter. Games are being decided by lesser margins in 2009 than they were in 2008 – on average by nearly 14 points per game. That’s 40 games of football used for comparison. • This season, so far, we have seen 21 of 40 games decided by 18 points or less. • At the same time in 2008, 10 games had been decided by three goals or less, plus one draw. • This season so far four games have had margins at the final siren of 10 goals or more. • At the same time in 2008, 12 games had been blow-outs of more than 10 goals. But something has had to give. And that is less goals are being scored. The average score being kicked in 2009 is a shade off 96 points per team (16 goals). In 2008 teams were averaging 101 points each time they ran out (almost 17 goals). • Losses in 40 games in 2009 have added up to 1088 points. • Losses in 40 games in 2008 added up to 1638 points. And the crowds are responding by arriving through the gates to watch. Talkback radio through this week received many calls from people describing the atmosphere at the Derby on Monday, which saw East Fremantle come back to score a thrilling one-point victory, as the best they have experienced at a football game, at any level, for more than a decade. Whether it is the points salary cap system that has brought about the RRyanyan JacksonJackson isis oneone change (could it make a difference in such a short period of time?); or pplayerlayer helpinghelping toto bbuilduild the return of retired or delisted AFL players; or the fact that West Coast CClaremont’slaremont’s conficonfi ddenceence and Fremantle are supplying good numbers of players to the WAFL each week – we are enjoying a thrilling start to the season. Let’s hope all nine sides can keep it up. The Western Front Saturday on Ten WIN A TRIP FOR The Western Front is proudly TWO TO THE 2009 sponsored by: AFL Grand Final. Just show us your “W” for your chance to win, thanks to IGA - your local WA supermarket. 4 www.mediatonic.com.au By Brad Elborough THE STATS Games results - To Round 10, 2009 To Round 10, 2008 40 games Average margin 40.95 points Average margin 27.2 points Games won by 60+ points = 10 Games won by 60+ points = 3 Games won by 100+ points = 2 Games won by 100+ points = 1 THE FRUSTRATION Margins While the closeness of the competition is great for Margins (Draw) - 1 the WAFL and the spectators, a couple of teams are (1-6) - 8 (1-6) - 5 finding it tough to make headways on the premiership (7-10) - 6 (7-10) - 1 ladder, despite being more than competitive. (10-18) - 7 (10-18) - 4 Claremont sit bottom of the WAFL league ladder with just one victory and has already had the well- (19-24) - 2 (19-24) - 5 publicised split with coach Roger Kerr. Well the (25-30) - 2 (25-30) - 0 competition hasn’t been much friendlier for Simon (31-40) - 4 (31-40) - 6 McPhee. (Above 40) - 11 (Above 40) - 18 The Tigers still have a percentage of 84.4, due to four losses of less than three goals. East Perth in 2009 And in three of the Tigers other losses, they have Rnd 1 East Perth 14.12 (96) lost West Perth 16.7 (103) -7 been in with a chance of victory at some stage in the second half – often the final quarter. Rnd 2 East Perth 5.16 (46) lost East Fremantle 13.15 (93) -47 Only the 48-point loss to East Perth can be considered Rnd 3 East Perth 19.8 (122) won Claremont 10.14 (74) 48 a contest that got away from Claremont early in the Rnd 4 East Perth 10.12 (72) lost Peel Thunder 10.15 (75) -3 game. Rnd 5 East Perth 14.8 (92) won Perth 12.11 (83) 9 The Royals are currently eighth, with three wins and Rnd 6 East Perth 10.16 (76) won Subiaco 10.13 (73) 3 six losses. These two sides placed in the bottom two Rnd 7 East Perth 7.10 (52) lost South Fremantle 22.18 (150) -98 last season. Rnd 8 East Perth 12.9 (81) lost Swan Districts 18.12 (120) -39 But East Perth, being led by coach Tony Micale, can be considered very unlucky not be higher on the Rnd 9 Bye ladder – much higher. State game bye A total of 13 points more kicked over three games Rnd 10 East Perth 13.7 (85) lost West Perth 12.15 (87) -2 would have the Royals with six victories and sharing Claremont in 2009 top spot with South Fremantle, Subiaco, Swan Districts and West Perth – well maybe not the Falcons, Rnd 1 Claremont 10.6 (66) lost Subiaco 10.21 (81) -15 as two of those close losses have been to them. Rnd 2 Bye The Royals have only been blown away once, to Rnd 3 Claremont 10.14 (74) lost East Perth 19.8 (122) -48 South Fremantle, and also struggled against East Rnd 4 Claremont 12.13 (85) lost East Fremantle 13.20 (98) -13 Fremantle, but had chances late in the game against Rnd 5 Claremont 14.11 (95) lost South Fremantle 16.16 (112) -17 Swan Districts in Round 8. Rnd 6 Claremont 11.11 (77) lost Swan Districts 13.18 (96) -19 At all levels of football, there is a theory that losing Rnd 7 Claremont 16.13 (109) lost Peel Thunder 17.11 (113) -4 becomes as much a culture around a club as winning – a habit. Rnd 8 Claremont 13.21 (99) won Perth 10.10 (70) 29 But if any side can master getting over the line in the Rnd 9 Claremont 12.13 (85) lost West Perth 15.12 (102) -17 close ones, they will go a long way to making finals State game bye in 2009.