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)

ROUND 16, 1984 - East Perth FC 19.15 (129) d West Perth FC 18.17 (125), Perth Oval.

Round 16, 1984 – East Perth v West Perth, Perth Oval

This was the second close and exciting finish to West Perth versus East Perth “Perth derbies” during the 1984 home-and-away season. It is often said that Fremantle derbies are usually tough contests regardless of the positions of the two teams on the league ladder. The same could be said for Perth derbies. However, East Perth was in a rebuilding stage in 1984, like South Fremantle, and it only just made the finals series. Although West Perth was in the final-four after the loss in this Round 16 clash it finished the season badly and failed to make the finals. Following West Perth in the 1980s was a disheartening experience as the club often defeated leading teams only to lose games it should have won. In this game Les Fong and Peter Menaglio, as usual, were outstanding for West Perth. Both should be regarded as legendary names across the WAFL today but sadly that does not appear to be the case. Why not a “Les Fong-Robert Wiley” trophy for Perth versus West Perth games? It might make more sense than Stephen Michael-Barry Cable Cup (for Perth versus South Fremantle games) as at least Wiley and Fong actually played against each other and played the same position!

We note in this game West Perth coach Dennis Cometti again playing players out of position. Phil Bradmore was named at centre-half-back rather than in his customary centre-half-forward position while David Marsh’s match report suggests the workmanlike but hardly charismatic ex-Swan Districts defender Graeme Comerford played at centre-half-forward! Craig Nelson was named at centre-half-forward rather than in the ruck. The 1983 Sandover Medallist John Ironmonger remained with East Perth in 1984 and he dominated West Perth’s inexperienced ruckmen Stuart Crole and Ramsay Bogunovich. Craig Nelson does not appear to have played in the ruck although he was in the starting side according to Saturday’s West Australian. The surprise success of country recruit Kim Rogers in the ruck for West Perth in 1985 is one factor which contributed to the club’s finals appearance that year.

However, in this 1984 game, it was the type of game West Perth really should have won if it wanted to play finals football. East Perth was in the rebuilding stage but the club mixed new players with the remains of the 1978 premiership side very well and the club was very competitive in 1984 and never disgraced. In this East Perth team old-hands such as Grant Campbell, Stan Magro, Peter Spencer, and Wayne Otway (the only remaining 1978 premiership player in the team that day) played alongside many exciting young players who would go on to have great careers in the VFL/AFL including Glenn Bartlett, Michael Christian, Richard Dennis (out injured for this game), and the one and only Alex Ishchenko.

The 1984 WAFL season was extremely tightly fought, few teams were uncompetitive, and few teams were far ahead of the pack. Only ten premiership points separated South Fremantle (second) from Claremont (seventh). Leader East Fremantle could hardly have claimed to have dominated the season with 11 wins and 5 losses and a percentage of 110.31% after Round 16. Only one club, South Fremantle, had a percentage exceeding 120% and only last-placed Perth had a percentage below 85% (but a still very respectable 82.16%). Claremont (seventh) had won 7 and lost 9. Even the struggling Demons had won 4 games by Round 16. It is to the credit of past and present WAFL administrators and club leaders that the competition was so evenly poised and it suggests the zoning system was working well at this point. The competition had eight strong, traditional, and well-supported clubs all playing out of their traditional home grounds. This is very unlike the present AFL where of the Victorian clubs only Geelong, Melbourne, and arguably Richmond still plays matches at the traditional home ground.

My 1984 season notes, written during the 1984 season, state:

“East Perth 19.15 d West Perth 18.17. Perth Oval. Michael [Blewett] lost lens at Claisebrook Station. Huge record cheer squad – talked to [West Perth coach Dennis] Cometti before the match. Timeclock wasn’t working – thrilling last quarter. Great games by [John] Gastev and [Derek] Kickett” [underlining in original].

There was a large group of people in the West Perth Cheer Squad that day. It was a fine day and the team was playing the traditional rivals. I think that the cheer squad had its complete contingent of around 15 dedicated members there that day, plus the many hangers-on you would get at away games. It was a happy carnival-like atmosphere as most away games for the group were. Dennis Cometti talked to the group members from across the fence before the match. The group probably had around 10 to 15 red-and-blue flags. It was a “thrilling last quarter”, I wrote in 1984, and the time clock was not working at this stage of the match. I listed John Gastev and Derek Kickett as West Perth’s best two players while David Marsh of The West Australian listed these two as third and fourth best respectively. The West Perth cheer squad members enjoyed the thrilling finish and we were not too distressed to lose the game. A large cheer squad group walked back through the old entrance (now gone) at the south-east corner of the ground and headed back to Claisebrook Station. My season notes record that the joint founder Mike B. lost his contact lens at Claisebrook Station after the match. Group members took a long time looking for it.

The whole group took up nearly one carriage on the city-bound train. At Perth station

group members split up and the majority of the members went to take their various buses back to the northern suburbs. (This was before the building of the Clarkson train line.) Mike B. and I headed through the city streets to St George’s Terrace to take the Number 105 bus to Booragoon, still holding one giant red-and-blue flag each. Mike and I often met the Perth and Claremont cheer squads in the city-centre in those days and everyone from all groups would exchange friendly greetings and match results much like the Victorian cheer squads of that era used to do at Flinders Street Station. This day in 1984 was a fantastic match in the best tradition of the WAFL Golden Era, played between two traditional rivals with a good atmosphere and on a lovely fine day. Our cheer squad then was one of the largest groups we ever managed to assemble. This day was probably the first when the cheer squad existed in mature form and it was one of its best days. I remember a great atmosphere of camaraderie among the group increased by Dennis Cometti exchanging a conversation with group members before the game. The large Aboriginal pro-East Perth family groups that used to sit under the big trees behind the southern-end goals gave the cheer squad absolutely no problems nor we them. Bassendean Oval in 1985 would not be quite so welcoming.

Likely line-ups:

(Source: The West Australian, Saturday, 21 July, 1984, p. 189)

East Perth FC

Backs: Magro, Kohlmann, Christian

Half-backs: Fullarton, Bartlett, Sheldon

Centres: Carpenter, Blakely, Solin

Half-forwards: R Sparks, Campbell, D Morgan

Forwards: Ironmonger, Scott, Papotto

Rucks: Ishchenko, Spencer, Otway

Interchange: Cocker, Walsh

In: R Sparks, Ishchenko, Magro, Walsh

Out: K Sparks, Berry, Kavanagh, Dennis (ankle)

West Perth FC

Backs: Dayman, Hendriks, Comerford

Half-backs: O’Brien, Bradmore, J Morgan

Centres: Warwick, Michalczyk, Mifka

Half-forwards: D Kickett, Nelson, Gastev

Forwards: Bogunovich, Simms Davis

Ruck: Crole, Menaglio, Fong

Interchange: Bell, Mountain

Selections:

KEN CASELLAS: East Perth

DAVID MARSH: West Perth

GARY STOCKS: West Perth

ROBERT WAINWRIGHT: West Perth

TIM GOSSAGE: East Perth

(Source: The West Australian, Saturday, 21 July, 1984, p. 189)

Match results – Saturday 21 July, 1984, Perth Oval

East Perth FC 2.5 9.9 14.12 19.15 (129) d West Perth FC 1.5 7.9 12.12 18.17 (125)

Scorers: EP: R Sparks 4.2, Papotto 3.3, Campbell 3.0, Otway 2.1, Solin 2.0, Scott 1.4, Spencer 1.2, Blakely 1.1, Carpenter 1.0, Ironmonger 1.0, Morgan 0.1, Fullarton 0.1.

WP: D Simms 5.1, Kickett 4.3, Gastev 3.2, Fong 2.0, Hendriks 1.1, Nelson 1.1, Bradmore 1.1, Warwick 1.0, Menaglio 0.3, Comerford 0.3, Mifka 0.1, Forced 0.1.

Weather: Fine, moderate southerly breeze.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 July, 1984, p. 85)

Attendance: 8,505 (from WAFL Online)

Free kicks: EP: 9, 8, 5, 5 – 27.

WP: 11, 9, 11, 4 – 35.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 July, 1984, p. 85)

Best players:

1 John Ironmonger (EP) – Was a dominant ruckman throughout. Knocked the ball intelligently, marked strongly and used constructive handball.

2 Peter Menaglio (WP) – A strong and creative ruck-roving performance, with a particularly brilliant second half.

3 Russell Sparks (EP) – An enterprising performance on a half-forward flank where he continually set up attacking moves.

Team rankings:

EP: J Ironmonger 1, R Sparks 2, G Campbell 3, W Otway 4, M Blakely 5, D Morgan 6.

WP: P Menaglio 1, L Fong 2, J Gastev 3, D Kickett 4, P Bradmore 5, D Warwick 6.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 July, 1984, p. 85)

	Round 16	Table	WAFL	1984
	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	%	Points
EAST FREM**	16	11	5	-	110.31	44
SOUTH FREM	16	9	6	1	122.46	38
SWAN DIST*	16	9	7	-	115.97	36
WEST PERTH	16	8	7	1	96.29	34
East Perth	16	8	8	-	89.18	32
Subiaco	16	7	9	-	97.30	28
Claremont	16	7	9	-	91.64	28
Perth	16	4	12	-	82.16	16

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 23 July, 1984, p. 85)

*eventual 1984 WAFL premiers

**eventual 1984 WAFL runners-up

Match analysis:

Quotes from DAVID MARSH:

“East Perth’s rush towards the 1984 final round [KJ note: echoes of 1978] gained momentum at Perth Oval on Saturday when they forced West Perth to stagger and then fall at the end of a contest that was survival of the fittest.

“East Perth, 10 points down late in the final quarter, recovered to win by four points – 19.15 to 18.17.

“It was a magnificent game in which the East Perth players, after appearing on the brink of being over-run by West Perth, showed tremendous character to fight back and snatch this thrilling victory.

“However, West Perth’s bid for success showed plenty of raw courage from a team which finished with only 15 fit men.

“West Perth lost veteran centreman George Michalczyk at the 12-minute mark of the first quarter with a dislocated shoulder, ruckman Ramsay Bogunovich at the six-minute mark of the second quarter with a knee injury, and centre-half-forward Graeme Comerford (elbow), full-back Geoff Hendriks (knee) and back-pocket player Wayne Dayman (ankle) [REST IN PEACE – the author] all carried injuries at the finish.

“Another shadow is over the club with brilliant half-forward Derek Kickett, Brian Perrin and John Morgan facing the tribunal tonight after being reported following separate incidents.

“It was not a happy day for West Perth. It was hard for them to accept the philosophy that the East Perth victory was what football needed to sustain more interest in which clubs will play in the 1984 final round.

“East Perth led 14.12 to 12.12 at three-quarter time, which stemmed from excellent ruck work from John Ironmonger, livewire roving from Wayne Otway and a dominant half-forward line of Russell Sparks, Grant Campbell and David Morgan.

“Strongly built Mark Blakely worked hard in the centre to instigate several forward thrusts for the home side and ruck-rover Peter Spencer played well in patches.

“West Perth’s two best players were ruck-rover Peter Menaglio and rover Les Fong, who covered tremendous ground and were chief kick-getters.

“Fong finished the game with 27 kicks and Menaglio had 22 (with 14 in the second half). They provided West Perth with momentum on the ball and to a certain extent helped to nullify Ironmonger’s dominance in the ruck.

“West Perth’s half-forward flankers John Gastev and [Derek] Kickett were outstanding.

“Dean Warwick and Paul Mifka showed pace on the wings and Doug Simms kicked West Perth’s first four and their sixth goals from full-forward”.

(Source: David Marsh (1984), “East Perth’s rush picks up”, The West Australian, Monday, 23 July, 1984, p. 84)