Australian rules football season
The 1946 WANFL season was the 62nd season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia.
With the background of the Pacific War almost entirely removed,[note 1] the WANFL entered a period of exceptional growth that was to last until the middle 1960s.[1] Attendances reached levels never seen in the pre-war WANFL, highlighted by two record crowds between grand finalists East Fremantle and West Perth. The league also restored the seconds competition, which had been placed into recess in 1941, as a “colts” competition for players under 25.
1946 is most famous for Old Easts’ feat of a perfect season,[note 2] winning all twenty-one of its matches to finish the season with a winning streak of thirty-one consecutive games, easily the longest in the history of the competition.
There was a controversy in the third-last round when East Fremantle played Subiaco and, owing to a number of injuries, played colts wingman Harry Townsend in the league team, although regulations did not permit a colts player to start in the league team on the same day:[2] a protest by Subiaco was dismissed on a technicality. Old Easts’ perfect season was only slightly marred by losing to third-placed VFL club Collingwood in an exhibition match at Subiaco Oval on October 15.[3]
1946 also saw Perth, who had been in the doldrums since the end of World War I, begin its rise to power with the return of Merv McIntosh. The Redlegs stood third with two games remaining but lost a decisive match to Subiaco, who played open-age finals for the first time in a decade, in spite of being very weak in attack and the failure of their protest against Townsend.
Swan Districts, who had reached the finals in 1945, fell to second-last place and began its bleakest period on record, as well as one of the bleakest in elite Australian rules football history. Until Haydn Bunton, Jr. joined the club in 1961, Swans were never to win more than seven games in a season, would receive seven wooden spoons and never finish higher than sixth. Overall Swan Districts won just 61 and drew one of 301 games played between 1946 and 1960, for a success rate of just 20.43 percent.[4] Despite this, Swans won their first premiership of any kind in the seconds competition.
Despite the return of Bernie Naylor, who went far beyond his 1941 promise with 131 goals, South Fremantle fell to fourth owing to injuries and business commitments, one of which caused their coach to resign while their form was at its best.
Perth and West Perth toured Sydney and Melbourne respectively during the first three weeks of August,[5] and played each other four times during the season.
Home-and-away season
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Round 6 (Foundation Day)
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Round 6
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Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm)
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Subiaco 13.10 (88)
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def.
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South Fremantle 6.12 (48)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3988)
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[29]
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Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm)
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East Perth 21.15 (141)
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def.
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Perth 14.8 (92)
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Perth Oval (crowd: 5084)
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[30]
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Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm)
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Swan Districts 10.18 (78)
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def. by
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Claremont 14.18 (102)
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Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1746)
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[31]
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Monday, 3 June (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle 15.9 (99)
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def.
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West Perth 10.15 (75)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 16494)
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[32]
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- Following the removal of government bans on weekday sport,[33] the WANFL plays on Foundation Day for the first time since 1941.
- A record WANFL home-and-away attendance[28] sees East Fremantle prove its strength in a most “deliberate” manner as it overcomes a nine-point half-time deficit for another convincing win.
- Claremont end their longest losing streak until 1958 and still their second-longest on record[34] with a strong third-quarter burst.
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Round 12
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Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm)
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Subiaco 6.26 (62)
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def.
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West Perth 7.7 (49)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3399)
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[60]
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Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm)
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Perth 6.11 (47)
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def.
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Swan Districts 3.5 (23)
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WACA (crowd: 1372)
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[61]
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Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm)
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East Perth 17.17 (119)
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def.
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Claremont 4.7 (31)
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Perth Oval
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[62]
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Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle 17.16 (118)
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def.
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South Fremantle 10.9 (69)
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Fremantle Oval (crowd: 5564)
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[63]
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The rainiest spell in the recorded climatic history of Perth[64][65] produces extremely heavy grounds which results in:
- Swan Districts kicking their lowest score until 1964 and still third-lowest on record and equal lowest against Perth.[66]
- The aggregate score of just 9.16 (70) remains the lowest for any Swan Districts game.[67]
- Subiaco record the biggest win by a team scoring fewer goals in WA(N)FL history as they defend magnificently into the breeze against their powerful opponents during the final quarter.
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Round 16
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Saturday, 10 August (2:45 pm)
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Subiaco 7.12 (54)
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def.
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East Perth 7.8 (50)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5065)
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[81]
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Saturday, 10 August (2:45 pm)
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Swan Districts 13.12 (90)
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def.
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Claremont 10.13 (73)
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Bassendean Oval
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[82]
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Saturday, 10 August (2:45 pm)
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South Fremantle 12.16 (88)
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def. by
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East Fremantle 16.14 (110)
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Fremantle Oval (crowd: 6500)
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[83]
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Wednesday, 28 August (2:45 pm)
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Perth 20.11 (131)
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def.
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West Perth 10.15 (75)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 3800)
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[84]
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- Bernie Naylor kicks his hundredth goal as South, despite inaccurate kicking, manage to compete with the unbeaten blue and whites despite never being in the match after conceding eight goals into the wind in heavy rain.[80]
- Subiaco consolidate their place in the four as captain Fred Williams produces a brilliant goal in difficult conditions for Neil Althorpe in the last minute.
- Ron Tucker kicks eleven goals in a match played on a Wednesday afternoon due to the Redleg and Cardinal tours earlier in August,[5] and Perth move to third with two matches remaining.
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Round 17
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Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm)
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West Perth 19.26 (140)
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def.
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South Fremantle 16.6 (102)
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Leederville Oval (crowd: 7376)
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[85]
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Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm)
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East Perth 12.8 (80)
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def. by
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Swan Districts 15.17 (107)
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Perth Oval (crowd: 3112)
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[86]
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Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm)
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Perth 16.19 (115)
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def.
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Claremont 9.19 (73)
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WACA (crowd: 1382)
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[87]
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Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle 10.19 (79)
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def.
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Subiaco 7.14 (56)
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Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2739)
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[88]
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Despite a protest against H. Townsend, who owing to Old Easts’ bad run with injuries started the league game after playing for the colts,[2] East Fremantle – if below their best – kick 5.5 (35) to 1.2 (8) in the final quarter for their twenty-seventh straight victory, during which apart from the initial game no opponent had got closer than sixteen points.
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Round 18
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Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm)
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West Perth 12.16 (88)
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def.
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Swan Districts 4.4 (28)
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Leederville Oval (crowd: 2692)
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[89]
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Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm)
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South Fremantle 12.11 (83)
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def.
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East Perth 6.11 (47)
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Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3267)
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[90]
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Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm)
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Subiaco 7.5 (47)
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def.
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Perth 5.9 (39)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5627)
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[91]
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Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm)
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Claremont 8.16 (64)
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def. by
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East Fremantle 11.9 (75)
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WACA (crowd: 669)
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[92]
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- Subiaco seal their first senior finals berth since 1936 with a fine comeback in very windy and chilly conditions after scoring only 1.3 (9) until half-time
- Despite Johnny Compton kicking 4.10 (34), Claremont extend Old Easts all game but cannot capitalise often enough to break their winning streak.
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Round 19
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Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm)
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Swan Districts 11.16 (82)
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def. by
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South Fremantle 14.19 (103)
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Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2883)
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[93]
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Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm)
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East Perth 10.6 (66)
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def. by
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West Perth 19.22 (136)
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Perth Oval (crowd: 2883)
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[94]
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Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm)
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Subiaco 6.19 (55)
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def. by
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Claremont 10.8 (68)
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Subiaco Oval
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[95]
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Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle 20.19 (139)
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def.
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Perth 15.9 (99)
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Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3732)
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[96]
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- Perth fail in the virtually impossible task of beating East Fremantle to stay in the four, as Old Easts recover the form they showed before the interstate match to never be seriously challenged.
- South Fremantle, despite Naylor kicking six behinds from nine shots, get over a persistent Swan Districts to take the Redlegs’ place.
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Source:
WAFL Footy FactsRules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers
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First semi-final
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Saturday, 14 September (2:45 pm)
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South Fremantle 14.13 (97)
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def. by
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Subiaco 16.4 (100)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 12,514)
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[97]
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An unexpected move of skipper Fred Williams to full-forward results in an upset win for the Maroons, who kick a surprising 9.0 (54) with the wind in the first quarter and hold off the red and whites in the last.
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Second semi-final
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Saturday, 21 September (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle 9.21 (75)
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def.
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West Perth 10.11 (71)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 17,369)
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[98]
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East Fremantle maintain their perfect record with a goal soccered by Green with twenty seconds remaining after a hectic finish that had seen Old Easts kick 1.13 (19) since half-time.
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Preliminary final
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Saturday, 28 September (2:45 pm)
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West Perth 12.14 (86)
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def.
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Subiaco 5.7 (37)
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 15,426)
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[99]
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In a disappointing spectacle after the thrilling semi-finals, Subiaco’s lack of teamwork means it never has a chance.
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1946 WANFL Grand Final
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Saturday, 5 October (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle
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def.
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West Perth
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 21,000)
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[100]
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1.4 (10) 6.7 (43) 7.12 (54) 11.13 (79)
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Q1 Q2 Q3 Final
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4.2 (26) 6.5 (41) 7.8 (50) 10.13 (73)
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Umpires: F.V. Ryan Simpson Medal: John Loughridge (West Perth)
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Prince 4, French 3, McDonald 3, Green
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Goals
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Pola 4, Schofield 2, Kingsbury 2, Hutchinson, Larcombe
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Alan Ebbs, Jack Clark, Doig, Gabrielson, F. Clarke, McDonald, Jeffreys
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Best
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Loughridge (best on ground), Pola, Kingsbury, Harman, Clamp, Fleming
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Ken Ebbs (ankle)
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Injuries
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In a brilliant match, East Fremantle’s steadiness in a crisis during the final quarter gives it a record undefeated season as West Perth fail to get the equalising goal at the finish.[101]
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Collingwood Tour Match
[edit]
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East Fremantle v Collingwood
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Tuesday, 15 October (2:45 pm)
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East Fremantle
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def. by
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Collingwood
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Subiaco Oval (crowd: 16,100)
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[3]
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2.1 (13) 3.8 (26) 8.10 (58) 9.10 (64)
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Q1 Q2 Q3 Final
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5.6 (36) 6.10 (46) 10.13 (73) 11.16 (82)
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Umpires: F.V. Ryan
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Sheedy 2.4, French 1.3, Green 1.2, Scorer 1.0, Alan Ebbs 1.0, Soltoggio 1.0, Prince 1.0, J. Clark 1.0
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Goals
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Pimm 4.2, Richards 3.1, Fitzgerald 1.1, Rose 1.1, Ryan 1.0, Holten 1.0, Kyne 0.4, Mann 0.1, Lambert 0.1, Newman 0.1
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C. Doig, Beccaria, Mellowship, Briggs, J. Clark, Sheedy, French, Prince, Green
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Best
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Richards, Rose, Burns, Murphy, Lambert, Holten, Utting, Kyne
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Despite not being happy with the rule interpretations of local umpire Ryan, Collingwood manage to keep ahead of the unbeaten WANFL premiers all game – yet are still impressed by the quality of Old Easts’ play.
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- ^ A few significant players such as Ray Scott, Fred Buttsworth and Tim Barker remained in the forces until 1947, whilst some others such as Ray Schofield returned while the season was ongoing.
- ^ No other senior WANFL team until 2018 when Subiaco did it had ever achieved even a perfect home-and-away season, though East Perth in the under-age competition of 1944 equalled the feat of East Fremantle in 1946. Since 1901, the only other clubs with one loss in a home-and-away season have been Claremont in 1987 and Subiaco in 2008, 2017 (when they lost the Grand Final) and 2019.
- ^ The intervening 948-game gap constitutes the longest non-occurrence of draws in any major Australian Rules competition.
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WAFA era (1885–1906) | |
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First WAFL era (1907–1930) | |
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WANFL era (1931–1979) | |
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Second WAFL era (1980–1996) | |
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Westar Rules era (1997–2000) | |
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Third WAFL era (2001–onwards) | |
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