WAFL Breaks 15-Year Drought
WA Beats SA in Interstate Football Thriller
The WA team was missing Subiaco full forward Brad Smith but West Perth forward Brent LeCras, who had 18 touches and kicked three goals, won the Simpson Medal as WA's best player in the 12.10 (82) to 12.9 (81) win.
While WA boasted some big name ex-AFL stars in Peter Bell and Jeff Farmer, the win came largely on the back of efforts from less decorated players. First-time state players such as East Perth pair Trevor Oliver (26 possessions) and Luke Webster (18), East Fremantle defender Kyle Hardingham (16 possessions), and lively Swan Districts forward Lewis Jetta (16 possessions, three goals) were all key contributors. South Fremantle's former West Coast listed defender Jaymie Graham (22 possessions, 18 hitouts) served as the side's only specialist ruckman.
State Football in Australia
State-of-origin football was once centre stage when it came to interstate Australian rules matches. Introduced in 1977 to counter the loss of players from state leagues to Victoria, the concept gradually declined in importance after the VFL expanded into a national competition. Some coaches were reluctant to release their best players for state games and the last state-of-origin match was played in 1999.
Since then matches between state leagues has been the only thing keeping state footy alive. State pride is still talked about but given the number of interstate recruits in each league, perhaps competition pride is a more accurate description.
Future of the WAFL?
The West Australian Football League is sometimes considered inferior to state leagues in other traditional Australian rules states, and prior to May 23 had not beaten a SANFL or VFL composite team since 1994. The gulf between the WAFL and those competitions was perhaps most highlighted by WA's 119-point loss to Victoria in 2007.
WA coach Scott Watters described the win over SA as "an endorsement for the progression of our competition".
He said: "It's great for young players like Jetta, for players that perhaps that just missed out on AFL opportunities like Toby McGrath, Trevor Oliver and those guys, so it means a lot to them."
While there is no doubt interest in the WAFL has declined dramatically since the introduction of the AFL, recent figures add to the suggestion that the future of the WAFL is not all bleak.
In April, the WAFL reported a 34 per cent increase in crowds compared to the same time last year. More than 10,000 people in total attended matches during the Easter long weekend, while the ANZAC Day weekend attracted more than 15,000 -- including a season-high 5582 at the derby between South Fremantle and East Fremantle.
WAFL operations manager Clint Roberts attributed the numbers to the evenness of the league this season.
He said: “I think we can put it down to the quality of the competition and how unpredictable and exciting the close results have been, as well as the great work the clubs have been doing to promote their fixtures.”
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