Post-season 1986 - Swan Districts FC Club of Origin 17.15 (117) d Claremont FC Club of Origin 14.7 (91), Subiaco Oval.

The R.A. McDonald Stand, Bassendean Oval, 12/7/2011

Post-season 1986: Swan Districts Club of Origin v Claremont Club of Origin, Subiaco Oval, 4 October 1986

This now forgotten game was played as the curtain-raiser to the Subiaco v Hawthorn match at Subiaco Oval on 4 October 1986. It was played using State of Origin rules applied to club football so all of the stars of Swan Districts and Claremont from the grand final years of the early-1980s playing in the then VFL and the SANFL were permitted to come back to their Club of Origin for this game. It was not a novelty veterans' match as most of the returning players were still playing good football interstate or at other WAFL clubs (for example Gerard Neesham was by this time back at East Fremantle). Clearly the rules were somewhat of a work-in-progress as Derek Kickett played for Claremont whereas, during 1984, Swans’ last premiership season, he was playing at West Perth. Club of Origin rules only appeared to apply to bring players back to Claremont and Swans rather than to disqualify current players at those two clubs. I think extra authenticity could have been obtained had the clubs been limited to playing only players who had played for that club in the early-1980s as well as youngsters without any previous allegiances. West Coast supporters will notice the name “McKenna” among the long list of possible Claremont interchange players. A few players had retired from league football such as Ron Boucher who last played in 1984 but came back for this match to lead the first ruck and renew his heated rivalry with Graham Moss. It was Darrell Panizza’s last game for Claremont until his return to the club in 1990. He played with Woodville in the SANFL from 1987-89.

If this match had been played in 1984 or 1985 as a stand-alone fixture (a billing which it deserved) it might have attracted much more press and public interest and a huge crowd. By October 1986 the showy West Coast Eagles had been admitted to the expanded VFL and all of the public and media attention had shifted in that direction. This Club of Origin was a very interesting concept, perhaps a world-first in any code of sport, and I wonder whether we will ever see it again. It’s also very doubtful whether two stronger teams have ever played in a curtain-raiser match at Subiaco Oval. (Read through the two lists of best players below to verify this statement.)  I am very happy to present here full likely line-ups and match results for the game. Even in this festival-type match Claremont could not turn the tables on its arch-rival and the margin was similar to what we had been accustomed to from the clashes between these two teams in the early-1980s: Swans won by a convincing margin but it was no thrashing. You have to feel somewhat sympathetic towards Graham Moss and Claremont: they must have been one of the best WAFL teams of any era, golden or otherwise, to win only one league premiership. Of course West Perth had Swans’ measure in 1982, 1983, and 1984 (winning five out of the nine contests) but that is another story [by Jack Frost, 16 February 2012].

Facebook comment by Brad Willey (11 September 2018): "I went to the match just to watch the Swans v Claremont game. Ed Blackaby gave a glimpse of what he could have been had injuries and ill health not affected his time at Swans."

Likely line-ups:

(Source: The West Australian, Friday, 3 October, 1986, p. 79, country edition)

Swan Districts FC Club of Origin team

Backs: Holden, Kenny, A Sidebottom

Half-backs: Langsford, Rance, Solin

Centres: K Narkle, Neesham, P Narkle

Half-forwards: M Richardson, Nowotny, Holmes

Forwards: Blackaby, Beasley, Sartori

Ruck: Boucher, Fogarty, Melrose

Interchange from: Skwirowski, G Sidebottom, Kimberley, M Smith, Gillespie, Hutton, Casey, Caton, Baker

Claremont FC Club of Origin team

Backs: L Kickett, Betts, Beecroft

Half-backs: Morton, Hepburn, Hutton

Centres: Gooding, Blackwell, Panizza

Half-forwards: P Krakouer, Ditchburn, Hunter

Forwards: Shaw, Ralph, D O’Connell

Ruck: Moss, Annear, J Krakouer

Interchange from: D Kickett, Lewis, McKenna, Pearce, Scott, Goulding, Melville, Colreavy, S Reynolds, Craig, Solomon

Match results – Saturday, 4 October, 1986, Subiaco Oval (curtain-raiser)
Swan Districts FC Club of Origin 3.6 8.9 12.13 17.15 (117) d Claremont FC Club of Origin 5.2 10.4 11.7 14.7 (91)

Scorers: SD: Beasley 5.1, Blackaby 3.4, Holmes, Boucher 2.0, Kimberley, P Narkle 1.1, Richardson, Casey, Sartori 1.0, Holden, G Sidebottom 0.2, Melrose, M Smith, Caton 0.1, Forced 0.1.

C: P Krakouer 3.0, Beecroft 2.0, Annear 1.3, Hunter 1.1, J Krakouer, D Kickett, Shaw, Ditchburn, D O’Connell, Melville, Blackwell 1.0, Scott, Panizza 0.1, Forced 0.1.

Weather: Mainly fine with light and variable winds.

Attendance: 20,600.

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 6 October, 1986, p. 96)

Best players GARY STOCKS:

SD: E Blackaby 1, S Beasley 2, P Narkle 3, R Boucher 4, G Sidebottom 5, P Sartori 6.

C: W Blackwell 1, K Hunter 2, J Krakouer 3, J Annear 4, D O’Connell 4, B Beecroft 6.   

(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 6 October, 1986, p. 96) [archival research by Jack Frost].