ROUND 19, 1986 - South Fremantle FC 24.18 (162) d West Perth FC 16.11 (107), Fremantle Oval.

Round 19, 1986 – South Fremantle v West Perth, Fremantle Oval

This Round 19 match at Fremantle Oval was a match West Perth really had to win to secure a final-four position, as David Marsh wrote in his match preview in The West Australian on the morning of the game (see below for the full-text of Marsh’s match preview). On paper it did not look a difficult proposition for West Perth to win as the club was sitting on 8 wins, 9 losses, and a draw, with percentage of 89%, compared to South Fremantle’s 5 wins, 13 losses, and 72%. If West Perth could not win a game against a rival with such a track record then obviously it had little hope of ending the year successfully even if it did scrape into the final-four. South Fremantle was in a rebuilding year with the few older players still hanging around from the premiership year of 1980, such as Benny Vigona, entering their twilight years.

One interesting development of the last two years of the WAFL prior to introduction of West Coast Eagles was the surprising resurgence of depleted East Perth and South Fremantle sides which were then, by necessity as much as by choice, filling their senior teams with promising youngsters. These young players had not yet begun to make a huge impression on the scoreboard with these two clubs finishing sixth and seventh in 1986. However, both clubs contained large numbers of promising juniors who would go on to forge successful VFL/AFL careers. This shows the magnificent ability of the WAFL clubs, even at this late stage of the game (one year prior to formation of West Coast), to re-create themselves successfully from within during down years by turning to talented juniors from the country and metropolitan zones. A read through the selected teams of both East Perth and South Fremantle in 1986 shows what great talents were emerging. As David Marsh wrote, SFFC had begun the season extremely poorly but slowly the young team had begun to gel and pick up its self-confidence, playing with the enthusiasm of youth mixed with that indomitable bulldog spirit. Marsh wrote that South Fremantle had inflicted surprise mid-season defeats upon the eventual premier Subiaco and the eventual third-placed team Perth. South had won 2 and lost 3 since Round 13. Another factor counting against West Perth this day was its bad record at Fremantle Oval, traditionally a graveyard for WPFC teams. Marsh wrote that the Falcons had not won at this windswept ground in eight years prior to this match. This means that even in 1982 when West Perth had finished third and in 1985 when West Perth had finished fourth it had been unable to win against South at South’s home ground. Because of these factors, West Perth fans who headed to Fremantle Oval this day in 1986 found it hard to push aside feelings of foreboding.

If we look at South Fremantle’s nominated team, we can see it included a number of brilliant young players who would go on to achieve great success in the VFL/AFL. Starting from the back line and working forward, this included Peter Sumich at centre-half-back (a first-year player); Mark Bairstow in the centre (a second-year player); Neil “Nicky” Winmar on the half-forward flank (a fourth-year player); John Worsfold as ruck-rover (a first-year player); and Wally Matera as first rover (a fifth-year player). Other players who would not play VFL/AFL but who had great years at Fremantle Oval included Brad Collard on the left wing (a third-year player); Matt Sambrailo at full-forward (a first-year player); Derek Collard in the forward pocket / second rover (a second-year player); and the 1989 Sandover Medallist Craig Edwards as first ruckman (a third-year player). This would have been the beginnings of a new dynasty for South Fremantle had the VFL/AFL not intervened and picked all the best talent out of the side.

By contrast, the West Perth team was largely unchanged from the previous year but just a little older. It had some juniors coming through but not in the same numbers and not with the same quality as those at the port club. West Perth’s best young players included John Gastev, Sean King, Dean Laidley, Paul Mifka, and Craig Turley, all of whom later played for West Coast. Another promising young player was Darren Bewick, probably the best of the lot, but his great success at Essendon probably surprised many who had watched him play in the WAFL. His elder brother Corry returned to West Perth in 1986 and he was one of the best and most consistent players for the club that year. Claremont player Simon Lill was really the only recruit of note to come from another WAFL club in 1986. The East Fremantle premiership player Gavin Wake was a sensational recruit for West Perth in 1987 but his impact was lost in the year when most football fans had turned their attentions from the WAFL to West Coast Eagles. If Wake had come over a year earlier it might have made a big difference as that type of toughness is hard to come by at West Perth (except for ruckmen) and has always had to be imported.

Like the 1985 first semi-final (West Perth versus Swan Districts) this was a demoralizing game to watch for WPFC fans as the result was never in doubt and the club was just overshadowed and outplayed in pretty much all positions without being completely disgraced. West Perth trailed 21.12 to 10.9 at three-quarter time and the game was obviously completely over. I remember sitting and watching this game with my friend 16-year-old Pete C. on the concrete terraces on the scoreboard wing at around the half-forward flank position at the city-end of the ground. Pete C. and I were the only remnants remaining of the West Perth Cheer Squad which had sat behind the northern-end goals at Leederville Oval during 1984-85. The group had gradually disintegrated from its peak of 15-20 regulars starting in Round 2 of the 1986 season as people just naturally drifted apart due to life changes and with no-one making the mental effort anymore to keep the group together. I only met Pete by chance this day. Both Pete and I were wearing our usual clothes of long-sleeve replica West Perth jumpers and jeans. We had a good time chatting as we hadn’t seen each other for a few months. Pete’s elder brother Mike was nowhere to be seen.

After all the atmosphere and pressure had left the game in the last quarter, West Perth kicked six goals to three but still only managed to close the gap to 55 points. WPFC was now in fifth place, six premiership points adrift of Claremont, and with two games remaining. Most supporters wrote off the club’s chances of reaching the finals series after this game. The top five players on the ground were all South Fremantle players, according to Monday’s The West Australian. These included promising youngsters Wally Matera, Mark Bairstow, and Peter Sumich (this day at centre-half-back), and the more experienced hands Craig Edwards (enjoying his life at Fremantle Oval more than his days as a Royal) and Warren Mosconi (who had made his league debut as long ago as 1981).

The late Geoff Christian in his match report (full-text reproduced below) remarked that there was so much young talent at South Fremantle that aging veterans Benny Vigona and Willie Roe had played in the reserves. Obviously they hadn’t been needed. Christian made the important observation that while South had many brilliant individual players on this day it was their “bulldog spirit” that West Perth just had no hope of matching anywhere south-west of Leederville Oval. Christian wrote in his match report as follows: “South had plenty of other individual stars but it were more the spirit and the team co-operation revealed by this young Bulldogs’ line-up that West Perth found impossible to match for all but the opening 12 minutes”. Neil Winmar (still not yet called “Nicky” by the press) was mentioned in closing by Christian for his excellent 17-kick, 4-goal effort in the centre which did not even grant him a spot in his team’s best five players. He had been named on the half-forward flank so even at this young age he was beginning to show his remarkable versatility. Other good players for the Southerners were Matt Sambrailo (5.1) at full-forward and Ross Hutcheson at centre-half-forward. Best players for West Perth were John Gastev, Craig Nelson, Craig Binder, Les Fong, Craig Turley, and Corry Bewick. Surprisingly, one of the best West Perth players in the past three seasons, centre-half-forward Phil Bradmore, was well held by Peter Sumich. Christian stated that Sumich was “a first year player who started the season in attack but looked admirably suited at centre-half-back”.

South had left its run too late and could not play finals although clearly it was now playing football at finals’ standards. By contrast, West Perth showed everybody at the ground that it was far away from being of final round standard even if by good fortune it might just sneak into fourth place. Its recruits were not as good as those at other clubs and its dedication was not what it should have been. The club was relying too much on the heroes of the past few years (such as Phil Bradmore, Les Fong, and Peter Menaglio), and while Corry Bewick had played well all year his advancing age meant he was never going to be anything more than a stopgap. Noel Mugavin was a dependable old warhorse at full-back but he was basically just the last one left standing of the old-guard full-back line which had included at various times Graeme Comerford, Bill Duckworth, John Duckworth, Russell Ellen, Geoff Hendriks, Ray Holden, Ben Jager, and Mick O’Brien.

The club had failed to recruit strong new key attacking players (to replace Rod Alderton and Brian Adamson and in time Phil Bradmore) nor had it recruited new key defenders (to replace Graeme Comerford, John Duckworth, Geoff Hendriks, Ray Holden, and Noel Mugavin). The fact that the ex-West Perth player Mick Rea had morphed into an excellent full-forward at Perth and was leading the goalkicking list with 80 majors after 19 rounds was particularly irksome for West Perth fans. The WPFC coach John Wynne seemed to lack the ability to consistently bring the best out of former second-string players as Mal Brown was now doing at Perth with Mick Rea. Too many good players had been allowed to slip through the net including not only Mick Rea but also David Hart (South Fremantle) and Derek Kickett (Claremont). The juniors coming through were all running midfielders, a type of player West Perth traditionally had an abundance of. West Perth had no tall juniors who could play in key positions coming through whereas South had Craig Edwards, Matt Sambrailo, and Peter Sumich. No West Perth player this day scored more than three goals. (John Gastev kicked 3.2.) In the Round 13 win over Claremont no West Perth player had kicked more than four goals. These statistics tell an important story.

The absence of any West Perth players in the best five players’ list shows that on the day it was completely outclassed both as individuals and as a unit. The youngsters at the club were too inconsistent and too easily intimidated at hostile away grounds such as Fremantle Oval. The only young players in West Perth’s best six players’ list were John Gastev and Craig Turley. Clearly, Dean Laidley (out with an ankle injury) was sorely missed but I would not be foolish enough to suggest that his presence might have influenced the result.

Likely line-ups:

(Source: The West Australian, Saturday, 9 August 1986, p. 187)

South Fremantle FC

Backs: Macdonald, Carter, Maskos

Half-backs: D Wilson, Sumich, Mosconi

Centres: B Collard, Bairstow, Lynch

Half-forwards: Winmar, Hutcheson, Todd

Forwards: Bennett, M Sambrailo, D Collard

Ruck: Edwards, Worsfold, Matera

Interchange: Lockhart, Sims

West Perth FC

Backs: Munns, Mugavin, Barns

Half-backs: Binder, Mifka, Turley

Centres: D Bewick, Bell, King

Half-forwards: Menaglio, Bradmore, Lill

Forwards: Waddell, Foley, Gastev

Ruck: Nelson, Fong, C Bewick

Interchange: Collinge, Martin

In: Waddell, Collinge, Martin

Out: Laidley (ankle), Chaplin (ankle), Bennett

Match preview

By David Marsh:

“Today is D-Day – do-or-die – for West Perth, who have their last chance to stake a claim for a berth in this year’s finals.

“And they could not have a tougher assignment, as they meet giant-killers South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval.

“South have had victories over Subiaco and Perth in the past three weeks. In addition, West Perth have not won at Fremantle Oval for eight years”. 

Match results – Saturday, 9 August, 1986, Fremantle Oval

South Fremantle FC 7.5 16.10 21.12 24.18 (162) d West Perth FC 3.5 6.6 10.9 16.11 (107)

Scorers: SF: Edwards 5.3, Matt Sambrailo 5.1, Winmar 4.2, Matera 4.1, D Collard, Bairstow 2.2, Hutcheson, Todd 1.0, B Collard 0.2, Worsfold, Lockhart 0.1, Forced 0.3.

WP: Gastev 3.2, Bradmore 2.1, Fong, King, D Bewick 2.0, C Bewick, Collinge 1.2, Foley, C Nelson 1.1, Menaglio, Lill 0.1. [KJ note: One WP goal seems to be missing from this list.]

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 101)

Weather: Fine, light south-westerly breeze.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 101)

Attendance: 5,872 (from WAFL Online)

Free-kicks: SF: 7, 4, 4, 3 – 18.

WP: 4, 5, 4, 1 – 14.

Best players:

WA Footballer of the Year Award:

5 votes Wally Matera (South Fremantle) – A brilliant 22-kick, four-goal display of roving.

4 votes Mark Bairstow (South Fremantle) – Another strong, creative performance at centre where he was under notice from the start.

3 votes Craig Edwards (South Fremantle) – A quality performance in the ruck and when resting in attack. Marked brilliantly and kicked four goals.

2 votes Warren Mosconi (South Fremantle) – A dashing and effective half-back who was outstanding in a solid South defence.

1 vote Peter Sumich (South Fremantle) – A notable performance at centre-half-back against Phil Bradmore.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 100)

Team rankings: SF: W Matera 1, M Bairstow 2, C Edwards 3, W Mosconi 4, P Sumich 5, D Collard 6.

WP: J Gastev 1, C Nelson 2, C Binder 3, L Fong 4, C Turley 5, C Bewick 6.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 100)

	Round 19	WAFL	Table	1986
	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	%	Points
SUBIACO*	19	15	4	-	134.56	60
EAST FREM**	19	14	5	-	132.29	56
PERTH	19	12	6	1	105.06	50
CLARE	19	10	9	-	119.01	40
West Perth	19	8	10	1	89.54	34
South Frem	19	6	13	-	72.80	24
Swan Dist	19	5	14	-	86.09	20
East Perth	19	5	14	-	82.24	20

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 101)

*eventual 1986 WAFL premiers

**eventual 1986 WAFL runners-up

Leading goal-kickers after Round 19 (Top 9 players):

80 – Mick Rea (P)

71 – John Scott (C)

55 – Warren Dean (S), Stephen Sells (S), Colin Waterson (EF)

53 – Brian Peake (EF)

48 – Wayne Ryder (P), Craig Edwards (SF)

41 – Tony Buhagiar (EF)

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 101)

Complete match report (full-text):

By the late GEOFF CHRISTIAN:

“South Fremantle are at the start of a bright [new] era in league football based on an excellent mix of raw talent and enthusiasm, blended with the right amount of experience.

“That formula was the basis of South’s scintillating 55-point win over West Perth at Fremantle Oval on Saturday, a victory full of merit and one that should help guarantee that the season ends a lot happier than it started for the Bulldogs.

“An indication of the amount of ability available at Fremantle Oval these days can be gauged by the fact that gifted veterans Benny Vigona and Willie Roe were in action in the reserves on Saturday.

“The absence of these brilliant attacking players obviously did not hamper South who kicked their season’s highest score [of] 24.18 and almost kicked the Falcons out of business.

“West Perth arrived at Fremantle Oval on Saturday knowing that victory was a stepping stone into the final four. It was not an easy task on an oval where the ground surface is obviously a big advantage for the home team.

“The Falcons left four hours later without even touching that stepping stone and failed miserably to measure up to the challenge laid down by South.

“The victory was built around superb performances by No. 1 rover Wally Matera (their smallest player), ruckman Craig Edwards (their biggest player) and centreman Mark Bairstow, who fitted neatly in the middle.

“[Wally] Matera has not given a better display of his roving skills. His work at the fall of the ball was classical in style and he made few, if any, handling errors.

“Edwards’ marking and general ruck play was superb and the same could be said of Bairstow whose powerful work in the middle was of the quality West Perth wished they had available to them.

“South had plenty of other individual stars but it was more the spirit and the team co-operation revealed by this young Bulldogs’ line-up that West Perth found impossible to match for all but the opening 12 minutes.

“Everywhere West Perth turned on Saturday they found trouble. On a day dedicated to national dental health week, West Perth simply bit off more than they could chew.

They lacked the bite of the Bulldogs; there was [sic] too many gaps in their play and too many weak spots that obviously were tender to the probe.

“It was not a day when centre-half-forward Phil Bradmore could lead the Falcons out of trouble. He was well held by Peter Sumich, a first year player who started the season in attack but looked admirably suited at centre-half-back.

“There was plenty of defensive support for Sumich, mainly from Warren Mosconi, Gavin Carter and Arthur Maskos.

“Things were no better in defence for West Perth.

“Matt Sambrailo, who started the year for South on a wing, showed natural flair at full-forward when he kicked 5.1 and Barry Hutcheson has the look of a man who knows how to play at centre-half-forward.

“And to add to the woes of the West Perth defence, Neil Winmar [later “Nicky” Winmar] decided to show how well he can play at centre with a 17-kick, four-goal effort”.

(Source: Geoff Christian (1986), “Bulldogs find a formula for success”, The West Australian, Monday, 11 August 1986, p. 100)

ROUND 13, 1986 - West Perth FC 16.13 (109) d Claremont Tigers 13.26 (104), Claremont Oval.

Round 13, 1986 – Claremont v West Perth, Claremont Oval

This exciting match was won by West Perth at Claremont Oval after the Falcons withstood a last-minute Claremont surge. The last section of the last quarter of this thrilling game can be viewed on YouTube (search for “WAFL Claremont versus West Perth 1986”). It was a sunny day and Claremont Oval looked magnificent. Both teams of this era were complete with a battery of fast midfield running players and based on the two close games the two teams played in 1986 they were evenly matched. Claremont was third after this Round 13 game, two premiership points and percentage above West Perth and Perth who were level on fourth and fifth but with low percentages of 98 and 96. Both Claremont and West Perth should have made the final-four from this position. But Perth made an end-of-season surge (finishing third with an impressive 12 wins, 8 losses, and a draw) to make the final series while West dropped out.

This season was surely one of potential unfulfilled for a talented West Perth side and, at the end of the last season before the VFL/AFL expanded into Western Australia, West Perth supporters were pretty much fed up with the club and ready to embrace something new. For most fans the new team was West Coast Eagles FC while for me it was Perth Italia Soccer Club. West Perth had lost the first semi-final in 1985 and fans expected continual improvement in 1986 in John Wynne’s second year as coach but unfortunately the team fizzled out without a whimper and more motivated and consistent teams reached the final series. An unexpected loss late in the season in Round 19 to a rebuilding South Fremantle (seventh in 1986) at Fremantle Oval was a bitter blow to West Perth fans that had grown angry with the mediocrity being displayed by the team. A huge 98-point defeat to eventual premiers Subiaco in the last qualifying game revealed the true state of West Perth’s progress and further revealed it had no moral right to play in the finals. West Perth ended the last year of the pre-West Coast era in a mud heap of mediocrity and broken dreams, much like a washed-out LA hooker just stepped out from a Poison or Mötley Crüe song (to name two popular glam rock bands of the era).

The team line-ups reveal that the Claremont team of this year was a patchwork quilt of older legends, players from other clubs or back from interstate, and some promising youngsters. Coach Graham Moss did extremely well to bring them to an eventual fourth position for 1986 after a first semi-final defeat at the hands of Perth. The listed back-line featured the tough and reliable Larry Kickett in one pocket (recruited from East Perth) while Geoff Miles (the ex-Collingwood player later to star at West Coast) was at full back. The half-back line was made up of talented youngsters with brothers Michael and David O’Connell (both early West Coast players) at centre-half-back and centre-half-forward respectively. The centre-line was dependable and talented, with Darrell Panizza on one wing (before he departed for SANFL club Woodville), captain Steve Malaxos (back from a failed year at Hawthorn) in the centre, and the brilliant Peter Davidson on the other wing. This was a state football standard or VFL/AFL standard centre-line. Ex-West Perth player Derek Kickett was listed on a half-forward flank. Unable to maintain a good working relationship with John Wynne, after Dennis Cometti had left West Perth, Derek sadly for West Perth fans moved to Claremont to join his cousin Larry. This was a major loss to West Perth and greater efforts should have been made to retain this player. By himself he could make the difference between a club playing finals football or just missing out. Another fine running player Steve Goulding was named as ruck-rover for CFC with the young David Court being given the first ruck responsibilities now Graham Moss was no longer operating as a playing-coach.

On paper the ruckmen appeared to be Claremont’s biggest weakness but David Court surprised by winning the ruck contest and being named as Claremont’s second-best player. Court’s dominance here perhaps makes it surprising that he never really went on to have a successful career as a footballer. The tough and under-rated ex-East Perth full-forward John Scott was named at full-forward. Despite no longer being in the first flame of youth, he was still respected and feared by West Perth fans as he had put in some great performances against mediocre West Perth defences (are there any other type?) in past Perth derbies. Scott was a good mark and was very agile and nimble for his height, being able to weave around backmen and pick up the ball from the ground and inside packs. He had that typical East Perth spirit even after he left the club.

The West Perth line-up for this game is also a revelation simply because the club had made very few changes of playing personnel since the previous year. In hindsight, this proved West Perth’s ultimate fatal weakness because it trod water in 1986 while the other clubs, most notably Perth, improved dramatically. If as a West Perth fan you had not attended any West Perth game in 1986 but then attended this Round 13 match, you would find you still had the luxury of knowing nearly all the players! To WPFC’s advantage, promising juniors such as Dean Laidley, Dean Warwick, Paul Mifka, and Craig Turley were all now a year older, more experienced, and more self-confident (as was John Gastev who was injured for this game). Phil Bradmore, Les Fong, and Peter Menaglio were still in the prime of their careers and all played well this game except for Fong who was largely tagged into ineffectiveness. Bradmore was voted best-on-ground and defeated three Claremont players including future West Coast champion Geoff Miles. His win over Miles suggests he was good enough to play VFL/AFL and was perhaps unfairly overlooked by West Coast and other VFL clubs at the end of the 1986 season. His earlier brief career at Footscray was apparently either ignored or held against him. The West Australian for Monday, 23 June 1986 describes Bradmore’s performance as follows: “Strong and creative at centre-half-forward where he had 16 kicks and scored four goals”. Brendon Bell was a reliable, talented, and somewhat physical midfield player for West Perth in the 1980s and another of those WPFC players of the era who was hugely under-rated. He played a great game this day and was nominated second best for his club after Bradmore. The fact that his name was misspelled by The West Australian as “Brendan” when the correct spelling was “Brendon” (see Brian Atkinson’s club history book) does suggest he was flying well and truly under-the-radar as far as the media was concerned. Another good WPFC performer this day was another relative no-name David Martin in defence. The fact that Ross Munns was now in the starting line-up and not on the bench or in the reserves, unlike most of the previous two seasons, does suggest the club was running out of options. Among the few positive factors for the club in 1986 were the returns of Peter Murnane and Corry Bewick but only Bewick was in the best players’ list for this game. Bradmore, Bewick, and Fong were the only WPFC players in the Top 20 players for the WA Footballer of the Year Award after Round 13 (see below).

It appeared this day that David Court won the ruck duels overall but WPFC’s makeshift ruck brigade of Dan Foley, Mal Bennett, and the often injured Craig Nelson put up a reasonable performance. Clearly the team missed Kim Rogers, the strong lead ruckman from the 1985 season, who was still at the club but must have been out injured. Renato Dintinosante was an effective tagger of Les Fong but Bell, C Bewick, and Menaglio were all still outstanding in the midfield. John Scott was effective for CFC with 6.3 but Derek Kickett and Steve Goulding were woefully inaccurate with 1.6 and 1.5 respectively. (The match-report in The West Australian on the following Monday credits Goulding with 1.5 but the scores in the same newspaper credit him with 1.4.) Scott’s 6.3 took him to equal first on the goal kicking table with 49 goals after Round 13, equal to Mick Rea (Perth). Peter Davidson played an outstanding game as did Steve Malaxos. Malaxos received a knee injury when tackled late after having kicked Claremont’s 10th goal midway through the third term, and WPFC came back into the game after this point. To quote the match-report written by the late Geoff Christian: “West Perth kicked the last four goals of the third term (plus the first three in the last) in a seven-goal burst that took their score from 8.7 to 15.12 during which Claremont managed only three points”. Christian also wrote: “West Perth were fading at the finish but strong at the start of the [last] quarter when they kicked three early goals and held Claremont scoreless for 11 minutes to establish a 24-point lead, 15.12 to 10.18”. Ultimately, Claremont was not able to bridge this lead at the end although it came very close. WPFC showed it could beat Claremont during the 1986 season but if we take the season as a whole then clearly Claremont was by far the better performer as the final percentages of the two teams after 21 rounds (110% and 88%) make clear.

Comment by Claremont fan Paul Lorenz (1 October 2020): Good piece of writing. Pretty sure I was there that day. I remember Claremont coming out of the blocks well, then later on West pegged us back, they got the lead in the last. Right at the death of the game, Derek Kickett (Claremont) got possession in front of Claremont's goals, but tried to play on quickly, finessing, and doing what Derek Kickett did/does. He completely flubbed it and I don't think we scored; the siren went a few seconds after that and Wests won the game. I was furious with Kickett. All of this was conveniently forgotten the next season when Kickett had a stellar year with us.

Likely line-ups:

(Source: The West Australian, Saturday, 21 June 1986, p. 203)

Claremont FC

Backs: L Kickett, Miles, Dintinosante

Half-backs: Morton, M O’Connell, Brayshaw

Centres: Panizza, Malaxos, Davidson

Half-forwards: D Kickett, D O’Connell, Shepherd

Forwards: Beers, Scott, Hann

Ruck: Court, Goulding, Mitchell

Interchange (from): Tait, Owens, Park, Begovich

West Perth FC

Backs: Munns, Mugavin, Lill

Half-backs: Laidley, Martin, Binder

Centres: Mifka, Warwick, D Bewick

Half-forwards: Turley, Bradmore, Bell

Forwards: Menaglio, Nelson, Murnane

Ruck: Foley, L Fong, C Bewick

Interchange: Bennett, Bushe-Jones

In: Laidley, Bennett, Murnane

Out: Barns (groin), Gastev (groin), Stephens 

Match results – Saturday 21 June, 1986, Claremont Oval

West Perth FC 3.1 8.4 12.11 16.13 (109) d Claremont FC 4.7 6.12 10.18 13.26 (104)

Scorers: WP: Nelson 4.3, Bradmore 4.1, Foley 2.3, Murnane 2.0, C Bewick 1.2, Lill 1.1, Bell 1.0, D Bewick 1.0, Menaglio 0.2, Mifka 0.1.

C: Scott 6.3, Mitchell 2.1, D Kickett 1.6, Goulding 1.4, Owens 1.3, Malaxos 1.0, Beers 0.3, Hann 0.1, M O’Connell 0.1, Morton 0.1, Shepherd 0.1, Forced 0.2. [KJ note: One Claremont goal seems to be missing from this list.]

Weather: Fine, moderate north-easterly breeze.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100)

Attendance:  8,807 (from WAFL Online)

Free kicks: WP: 6, 7, 5, 2 – 20.

C: 6, 10, 3, 6 – 25.

Best players:

WA Footballer of the Year Award:

5 votes Phil Bradmore (West Perth) – Strong and creative at centre-half-forward where he had 16 kicks and scored four goals.

4 votes Peter Davidson (Claremont) – Another typical hard-working and effective centreline performance, during which he had 22 kicks and 10 handpasses.

3 votes Brendon Bell (West Perth) – Busy and effective as a half-back and then in the centre in a performance that heralded his return to top form. [KJ note: The newspaper misspelt this player’s name as Brendan Bell.]

2 votes David Court (Claremont) – A sustained four-quarter effort in the ruck where he was a dominant player at the hit-outs.

1 vote David Martin (West Perth) – Was in control throughout at centre-half-back where he exerted a stabilising influence on the West Perth defence.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100)

Team rankings: WP: P Bradmore 1, B Bell 2, D Martin 3, P Menaglio 4, D Foley 5, C Bewick 6.

C: P Davidson 1, D Court 2, J Scott 3, D Kickett 4, S Goulding 5, S Malaxos 6.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100) 

WA Footballer of the Year Award Leaders after Round 13 (Top 20 players):

33 votes – Laurie Keene (S)

30 votes - Brian Peake (EF)

29 votes – Steve Malaxos (C)

25 votes – Peter Featherby (S)

21 votes – Peter Sartori (SD), Brian Taylor (S)

20 votes – Peter Davidson (C)

18 votes – Phil Bradmore (WP)

17 votes – Warren Dean (S), Robert Wiley (P)

16 votes – Corry Bewick (WP), Mark Bairstow (SF)

15 votes – Craig Starcevich (EP)

14 votes – Steve Goulding (C), Darrell Panizza (C), Peter Wilson (EF), Neil Taylor (S)

13 votes – Michael Mitchell (C), Chris Mainwaring (EF), Les Fong (WP)

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100)

	Round 13	WAFL	Table	1986
	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	%	Points
SUBIACO*	13	12	1	-	149.52	48
E FREM**	13	9	4	-	125.49	36
CLARE	13	8	5	-	136.52	32
W PERTH	13	7	5	1	98.20	30
Perth	13	7	5	1	96.08	30
Swan Dist	13	3	10	-	87.08	12
South Frem	13	3	10	-	66.73	12
East Perth	13	2	11	-	73.81	8

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100)

*eventual 1986 WAFL premiers

**eventual 1986 WAFL runners-up

Leading goal-kickers after Round 13 (Top 9 players):

49 – Mick Rea (P), John Scott (C)

44 – Stephen Sells (S)

41 - Tony Buhagiar (EF)

40 – Colin Waterson (EF)

37 – Warren Dean (S)

36 - Brian Peake (EF)

32 – Todd Breman (S), Wayne Ryder (P)

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100)

Complete match report (full text):

By the late GEOFF CHRISTIAN:

“West Perth delved deep into their bag of last-quarter tricks at 4.35pm at Claremont Oval on Saturday and came up with a new way to frustrate, and then beat, Claremont.

“West Perth changed the formula they used at Leederville Oval on May 10 when they produced a surging finish, coming from 41 points down at the 10-minute mark of the last quarter to win by three points.

“This time West Perth were fading at the finish but strong at the start of the quarter when they kicked three early goals and held Claremont scoreless for 11 minutes to establish a 24-point lead, 15.12 to 10.18.

“That proved enough to frustrate the Tigers, who kicked a wasteful 3.8 to 1.2 for the remainder of the game to finish five-point losers at the end of a game they were desperate to win.

“The turning point in this game for West Perth came midway through the third quarter. The precise moment was when Claremont captain Steve Malaxos received a knee injury when tackled late after having kicked Claremont’s 10^th goal to give the side a 20-point lead.

“That was Malaxos’s last kick of the game and it also marked the high point of Claremont’s afternoon of football.

“West Perth kicked the last four goals of the third term (plus the first three in the last) in a seven-goal burst that took their score from 8.7 to 15.12 during which Claremont managed only three points.

“Malaxos was Claremont’s best player for 21/2 quarters and he looked the man likely to develop into a match-winner.

“But the title was eventually the property of West Perth centre-half-forward Phil Bradmore who was again superb as a key attacking player despite the attention of Michael O’Connell, Noel Morton and later Geoff Miles.

“Bradmore not only provided four goals but also a reliable avenue into attack that Claremont were unable to achieve at centre-half-forward.

“Claremont were blocked at that position by an excellent performance from David Martin, a Tigers reject, who had one of his finest days in football in a winning battle against David O’Connell.

“Claremont full-forward John Scott (6.3) set a standard of efficiency in the Claremont attack that was not followed by either Derek Kickett (1.6) or ruck-rover Steven Goulding (1.5). [KJ note: The match scores on the same page of the newspaper credit Goulding with 1.4.]

“Kickett could not convert a notable winning effort against Dean Laidley in the air and on the ground into goals and Goulding spoiled a strong midfield effort with goalfront inefficiency.

“The exit of Malaxos from the ground made things easier for West Perth inside the centre-square, notably Brendan Bell, who was in superb form in the third quarter when he had six kicks, a mark and five hand-passes in a performance that helped the Falcons offset the influence of Claremont winger Peter Davidson, who ended up as his team’s best player.

“The combined efforts of rover Corry Bewick and Peter Menaglio were critical to the West Perth victory.

“It was essential for West Perth to win the roving battles against Michael Mitchell and Mark Hahn on a day when Claremont ruckman David Court won the majority of the hit-outs and Claremont’s Renato Dintinosante successfully tagged Falcons’ captain Les Fong restricting him to 11 kicks and two hand-passes.

“Corry Bewick enhanced his reputation for consistency and Menaglio was back at near his best a week after his return to league ranks against South Fremantle.

“Mitchell played spasmodically but he continues to attempt to achieve too much in a single burst. Quicker disposal could only help himself and Claremont’s all-round football.

“West Perth appeared to have solved their big-man problems.

“This has been achieved by using Dan Foley as a ruckman, regaining the services of Mal Bennett as a knock ruckman and Craig Nelson’s return to form and fitness.

“Bennett showed on Saturday that he is a capable player at the hit-outs and in the marking duels, Foley again displayed impressive around-the-ground talent and Nelson’s confidence is back where it belongs”.

(Source: Geoff Christian (1986), “A new trick from the Falcons’ bag”, The West Australian, Monday, 23 June 1986, p. 100)