OOFFICIALFFICIAL PPUBLICATIONUBLICATION OOFF TTHEHE WWAFLAFL RROUNDOUND 1 MMARCHARCH 117,7, 22012012 $$3.003.00 AWARDS HHistoricistoric TTopop 2255 OOverver tthehe PPastast 2255 uunveilednveiled PPertherth tteameam pposteroster TTweetsweets ooff tthehe WWeekeek 2 AWARDS WITH WORK CLOBBER & STEEL BLUE ‘Steel Blue Boots are so comfortable they have a 30 Day Money Back Comfort Guarantee’ Available from: 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 KELMSCOTT: 2874 Albany Hwy. Ph: 9495 4777 MIDLAND: 146 Gt Eeastern Hwy. Ph: 9250 2733 MORLEY: 150 Russell St. Ph: 9370 3780 O’CONNOR: Cnr Stock & Peel Rds. Ph: 9314 6430 WANGARA: Cnr Buckingham Dr & Lumsden Rd. Ph: 9309 9899 www.steelblue.com.au Every Week 8 Awards 9 Tipping 24-25 WAFC news 26 Collectables 28 Country Football 29 Community Football 30 Club notes 31 WAFL Stats 32 Foxtel Cup 33 Ladders & results 34 Fixtures Features 4-6 Top 25 Over the Past 25 10-11 Hall of Fame 13 Entertainment Game time 17 Previews 20-21 Subiaco v West Perth 22-23 Perth v Claremont CONTENTS 3 4 Four inductees still running around FOUR of the players selected as the best in the “It’s nice to be recognised this way while you are WAFL in the past 25 years will be running around still playing and not in 20 years’ time when you are in the competition again this year. long retired and people have forgetten who you are.” Sandover medallist Toby McGrath, three-time The concept of the Top 25 was the brainchild fairest and best player Kris Miller, triple premiership of The West Australian’s on-line sports editor Ross player Aidan Parker and seven-time State player Lewis and a project the Football Budget took on Football Budget Editor Jason Salecic were all inducted into the Top 25 Over over summer. the Past 25 at the WAFL Bouncedown season launch It revolved around ensuring that one of the Tracey Lewis last Tuesday. nation’s longest running sporting competitions “Stephen Bilcich was my first captain so to be bridged a gap in its 127-year history where players inducted alongside him was something pretty who had a significant impact on the competition special,” 31-year-old Miller said after receiving the would find it difficult to gain recognition in a Publisher specially-framed Top 25 poster that features pictures predominantly AFL-focussed era. This publication is proudly produced for the WA Football Commission by of all the inductees. The Top 25 was born from a desire to find the 25 Media Tonic. “It’s not something you think about achieving in players who have left an indelible mark on the WAFL Phone your footy career but it is a real honour and one I will competition between 1987 and 2011. Players were 9388 7844 Fax 9388 7866 Sales cherish.” to be rewarded for their outstanding contribution [email protected] Salecic, who at age of 27 was the youngest to club and competition and their high level of Editor inductee, was equally honoured to be considered achievement on both team and individual platforms. Tracey Lewis amongst the best players in a unique period in the The Football Budget’s Top 25 panel consisted of Email [email protected] WAFL’s history. Tracey Lewis (Football Budget editor), Ross Lewis Photography “The competition has been going for 127 years (On-line sports editor at The West Australian), Clint Andrew Ritchie, Tracey Lewis, William so it’s great to be among that calibre of players who Roberts (WAFL Operations Manager), Ian Miller Crabb, Paul Litherland were part of a fair chunk of that history,” he said. (West Coast Eagles), Bill Monaghan (West Perth Design/Typesetting McGrath was humbled by the whole experience. coach), Todd Shimmon (Claremont CEO), Greg Jacqueline Holland - Visible Ink Wardell-Johnson (WAFC historian), Steve Davies Graphics “I am proud to be in the class of the people in the (WAFC historian) and Todd Ridley (ABC TV). Printing room this morning as well as these guys who are still Quality Press. playing and are great leaders at their footy clubs,” Phone 0419930763 said the 31-year-old. Address 8 Babel Road Welshpool WA 6106 The following criteria were established to lift the cream to the top of the list. Email 1. Players must have played in 100 WAFL matches from the start of the 1987 WAFL season to the end [email protected] of 2011 and can have played at AFL level. Cover 2. Weight is to be given to individual awards – Bernie Naylor Medal, Sandover Medal, Simpson Medal, Jason Salecic, Toby McGrath, Aidan captaincy, State representation and club fairest-and-best counts. Parker and Kris Miller 3. Players do not have to be picked for a position. We are not selecting a line-up. 4. Players assessed for “outstanding contribution to club and competition and high level of The Football Budget is printed on Express Gloss 90gsm paper, which is achievement”. sourced from a sustainably managed 5. Already being a member of the WA Football Hall of Fame does not preclude inclusion. forest and uses manufacturing processesof the highest environmental standards. (in alphabetical order) The Football Budget is printed by The inductees a Level 2 EnvironmentalAccredited printer. The magazine is 100% MARTY ATKINS MARK HANN ALLISTAIR PICKETT recyclable. South Fremantle Claremont West Perth, Peel Thunder & WAFL admission prices SHANE BEROS ANTHONY JONES Subiaco $15 – Adult* Swan Districts Claremont KIM RIGOLL $12 – Concession 2 for 1 offer – Student Edge Member* STEPHEN BILCICH STEVE MALAXOS West Perth Free – Children U16 East Fremantle Claremont & East Fremantle JASON SALECIC *Includes a copy of Football Budget BRAD BOOTSMA TOBY McGRATH West Perth Find us on South Fremantle South Fremantle BRAD SMITH JAXON CRABB PAUL MIFKA Subiaco Claremont West Perth CRAIG TRELEVEN IAN DARGIE KRIS MILLER East Fremantle Copyright © No part of this publication may Subiaco East Fremantle & South RYAN TURNBULL be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system without the permission of the publisher. Opinions WILLIE DICK Fremantle Claremont & East Perth expressed in the Football Budget are not necessarily those of the WAFC. The WAFC or Perth DARRELL PANIZZA MARC WEBB affi liated clubs believe that the material produced in this publication is accurate, but gives no TRAVIS EDMONDS Claremont Perth & Subiaco warranty in relation thereto and disclaims all liability for claims against the WAFC or affi liated Swan Districts AIDAN PARKER ROD WHEATLEY clubs, Media Tonic, its employees, agents, or any other person, which may rise from any CRAIG EDWARDS Subiaco East Perth person acting on the materials contained herein. South Fremantle (East Perth Registered by Australia Post - prior to 1987) PP642521/00112 WAFLWAWAFLFL’s’s toptopop 2525 PlayersPlPlayayerers overovoverer tthehehe PastPasast 2525 YearsYeaearsrs Marty Atkins Shane BerosStephen Bilcich Brad Bootsma Jaxon Crabb Ian Dargie Willie Dick Travis Edmonds Craig Edwards Mark Hann Anthony Jones Steve Malaxos Toby McGrath Paul Mifka Kris Miller Darrell Panizza Aidan Parker Allistair Pickett Kim Rigoll Jason Salecic Brad Smith Craig Treleven Ryan Turnbull Marc Webb Rod Wheatley Top 25 wafl players 1987–2011 Thee yeyearsar frromm 198987-2-20110 were off greg eat sigiggnifn icaancen too the WAFLAFAFL ana dda a uniqui eep peririodd ini theh coompempp titi ionon’ss hishi tory.y SelSelectcted byb awa welll-crcredentint aleddp panean llf fromr theeF FootballllB Budgd et anndd thheeW WAFLAFL,,t theh Top 2525 rer prepr sents theththe plp ayeay rsr whohoo havee madade anno outsstannding conco tritr bututtioni n too clc ubb anda coompem titittionoonn durinr nggt thatt tit me.me WEST AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE To purchase one of the limited edition Top 25 posters (pictured above) please send payment of $25 (incl p&H) along with your address details to Media Tonic. Call the office on 9388 7844 for more information. 5 6 WAFL’s 25 Best Players Over the Past 25 Years by Tracey Lewis AIDAN PARKER Subiaco 2001-2002, 2005-2011, 191 games, 15 goals South Adelaide (SANFL) 2003-2004, 26 games, 3 goals Glenelg (SANFL) 2004, 12 games, 0 goals WA 4 games, 0 goals Games in qualification period: 191 WAFL games, 4 State games Medals/Awards in qualification period: 0 Premierships in qualification period: 2006, 2007, 2008 FOR Aidan Parker it seems like yesterday when he was one of the youngest players in Subiaco’s line-up – but the reality is he is now one of the oldest. “I can’t believe I am 29 years of age and only have a couple of years left in my playing career,” said Parker after his induction as one of the Top 25 Players Over the Past 25 years earlier this week. “I don’t know what I’ll do after footy because it’s the best part of my life and I love being involved at the club and with the boys. “I am incredibly lucky to be involved with a club that has been around for over 100 years and I was lucky enough to be there when it went through its most successful era. “That helped me make some lifelong friends and to experience three premierships is unbelievable.” One of those friends is Peter German, the man who coached Parker and his Lions teammates to premiership glory in 2006, the first of three consecutive premierships the Lions won, the latter two under Scott Watters. // Aidan Parker in the 2008 grand fi Parker played in all three. nal - by Heather Hamblin “Probably the person who totally changed the way I played or who shaped me when I think I was playing some of my best football was Peter German,” Parker said.