West Perth Football Club

West Perth competes in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW) and is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. Originally located at Leederville Oval, the team was relocated in 1994 to Arena Joondalup, a sports complex in the northern suburbs of Perth. The team's club song is "It's a Grand Old Flag" and its traditional rivals are East Perth.

West Perth
Names
Full name	West Perth Football Club
Nickname(s)	Falcons, Cardinals, Garlic Munchers
Motto	"Does Your Heart Beat True?"
2022 season
After finals	Premiers
Home-and-away season	1st
Leading goalkicker	Tyler Keitel (38 goals)
Club details
Founded	10 April 1891; 133 years ago (10 April 1891)
Colours	Red   Blue
Competition	West Australian Football League
President	Neale Fong
Coach	Darren Harris
Captain(s)	Aaron Black
Premierships	List 20 (1897, 1899, 1901, 1905, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1941, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2013, 2022)
Ground(s)	Arena Joondalup (capacity: 16,000)
Uniforms
Home
Other information
Official website	westperthfc.com.au

 

 

The Victorian Football Club was established at a meeting on 2 May 1885. The new team was to play its games at the Recreation Ground (now Esplanade Reserve) and wear the colours cardinal and navy. Two weeks after the establishment of the new club it formed the WAFA together with Rovers and Fremantle. The three clubs, along with High School (now Hale School) were to play out the 1885 season, however High School dropped out after just two rounds.

The West Australian Football Club was established in 1886 and were admitted to the competition for the 1887 season. At a meeting of the two clubs on 16 April 1889, it was unanimously decided to amalgamate the two clubs – West Australian and Victorians – into a single club known as the Metropolitan Football Club for the 1889 season. The West Australian colours of black and red were to be maintained for the new club. In 1891, a meeting of footballers was held to form a new team, to be called West Perth, which embraced the members of the then-defunct Metropolitan Football Club. The new club was immediately granted entry into the WA Football Association (later called the WA Football League) and won its first premiership in 1897.

In 1915 the team became the original tenant of the newly built Leederville Oval where it would remain based until 1993, at which time the team moved to Joondalup to play games at Arena Joondalup from the 1994 season onwards. Since relocating, the Falcons have enjoyed relative success with five premierships from nine grand finals, the most recent flag coming in 2022.

In 2022 the club became the seventh active club to participate in the WAFL Women's (WAFLW), the premier state-based competition for female footballers.

"It's a Grand Old Flag"
"(Sung to the tune of "You're a Grand Old Flag")"

It's a grand old flag it's a high flying flag,
It's the emblem for me and for you,
It's the emblem of the team we love,
The team of the red and the blue,
Every heart beats true for the red and the blue,
And we sing this song to you,
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the red and the blue...

Club honours

Individual honours

Sandover Medallists: (12 total)

Simpson Medallists: (11 total)

Bernie Naylor Medalists: (20 total)

All-Australians:

1961: Ray Gabelich
1972: Alan Watling

300 games

Mel Whinnen (371)
Bill Dempsey (343)

200 games:

(*) Indicates current listed players

Highest score:

Round 10, 1981, 37–17 (239) vs. East Fremantle at Leederville Oval
Round 10, 1987, 37–17 (239) vs. South Fremantle at Leederville Oval

Lowest score:

Round 1, 1912, 0.3 (3) vs. Subiaco at WACA

Most games:

Mel Whinnen 367 (1960–1977)

Highest goal kicker (season):

E. Tyson 143 goals (1934)
R. Scott 143 goals (1953)

Highest goal kicker (game):

E. Tyson 17 goals v. Swan Districts (1934)

Highest goal kicker (career):

E. Tyson 1196 goals

Longest serving captain:

Les Fong, 7 Seasons (1980–1986)

Longest serving coach:

Bill Monaghan, 10 Seasons (2009 – 2018)

Most club champion awards won:

Mel Whinnen, 9

Record home attendance:

Round 21, 1978, 24,567 vs. East Perth at Leederville Oval

Record finals attendance:

1975 Grand Final, 52,322 vs. South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval

West Perth players who have been inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame:

Grand finals

Last premiership team

As of October 2022:

This is a list of West Perth players who have played at AFL/VFL level:

• West Perth players