1972 WANFL season

1972 WAFL season
Teams8
PremiersEast Perth
13th premiership
Minor premiersClaremont
4th minor premiership
Sandover MedallistIan Miller (Perth)
Bernie Naylor MedallistAustin Robertson, Jr. (Subiaco)
Matches played88
← 1971
1973 →

The 1972 WANFL season was the 88th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. It saw East Perth, after five Grand Final losses in six seasons and a frustrating seven since their last premiership in 1959, break the drought against a Claremont team that had achieved its first minor premiership since Johnny Leonard’s days, despite kicking into the wind after winning the toss.[1]

The two clubs established their supremacy from early in the season, and the battle for the last place in the four was won by reigning premiers West Perth despite losing eight of their last ten matches.

1971 preliminary finalists East Fremantle, equal favourites for the premiership with Claremont in the pre-season[2] were affected by form lapses and controversial behaviour by coach Alan Joyce, who in June refused to allow Old Easts players selected in the state team to train there rather than at East Fremantle Oval.[3] A game behind the Cardinals after eleven matches, the blue and whites could themselves win only thrice,[4] whilst South Fremantle in a rebuilding phase under Mal Atwell and without key players Hassa Mann, Graham Scott and Len Clark[5] lost nine on end but did uncover players like Bruce Monteath who would help them become a WA(N)FL power between 1975 and 1983.

An unfancied but revitalised Perth under captain-coach Barry Cable were the Tigers’ and Royals’ nearest rival but could not win any of seven matches against them, whilst Subiaco, fancied before the season and showing an innovative "Think Subi" campaign[6] but affected by off-field disputes involving the sacking of returning veteran Cam Blakemore,[7][8] were last or second-last for eight rounds before a five-game winning streak had them theoretically in contention for the four with two rounds to play.

  1. ^ East, Alan (editor); The Royals: 100 Years of Football Tradition - A History of the East Perth Football Club; ISBN 9781886101111; pp. 108-109
  2. ^ Casellas, Ken; ‘E. Fremantle Wilt Under Late Rally’; The West Australian, 1 May 1972, p. 47
  3. ^ Christian, Geoff; ‘Joyce Gets Vote of Confidence’; The West Australian, 5 June 1972, p. 35
  4. ^ Lee, Jack; Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition: East Fremantle Football Club 1898-1997; pp. 344-346. ISBN 0646358812
  5. ^ Casellas, Ken, ‘West Perth Should Beat South Today’; The West Australian, 3 April 1972, p. 31
  6. ^ Casellas, Ken; ‘Subiaco Look to Robertson’; The West Australian, 10 April 1972, p. 51
  7. ^ Christian, Geoff; ‘Blakemore Sacked – To Put It Plainly’; The West Australian, 6 June 1972, p. 36
  8. ^ Spillman, Ken; Diehards: The Story of the Subiaco Football Club 1946-2000, pp. 148-150 ISBN 0957818505