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| Two Applecross Junior Football Club stalwarts reunite 25 years later, Roy "The Spoon" George (centre) and Doug Stirling (right). The positions in this picture are appropriate as Dougy held down the wing position in 1983 (Under 15s) and Roy was often in the ruck or holding down a key position. He later shocked the high-school football community by leaving Applecross mid-season for Karoonda (separate article on this coming soon). Roy was hardcore East Perth and I went with him to this 1984 game at Leederville Oval when the Falcons proved too good in the end for Roy's Royals. |
My WAFL 1984
season notes, compiled during 1984, state that I watched this home game with my
good school friend Roy "The Spoon" George, an East Perth supporter
with a strong dislike of the Garlic Munchers. Like many people in that era, Roy
dressed like a typical 1980s bogan with his black jeans, black DBs (desert
boots), skinhead haircut, and East Perth playing jersey on WAFL match days. He
enjoyed teasing Swan Districts' fan Andrew G. aka "Gilby" for only
daring to wear brown DBs although Gilby assured him that he simply preferred
the brown ones and fear was not the issue! To be completely honest, I do not
have a vivid memory of this game. The West Perth Cheer Squad [1984-86] had
formed by this stage of 1984 but it was still very small and low-key. The cheer
squad probably had five or six people and two flags. Most likely Mike B.,
Courtney, Rohan H., and Thommo were there, along with the eight-year-old
Michael, known as “Half”, from Bayswater. I can’t recall whether the group sat
directly behind the northern end goals, the normal home for West Perth cheer
squads (both this group and the previous one), or further around just behind
the boundary fence in front of the scoreboard bank. Because Roy was there, it
was more likely that everyone sat in that more neutral location, but closer to
the northern-end goals than to the city-end goals. It was a very warm (26.8
degrees) fine Monday of the split-round. West Perth supporters must have
enjoyed the final quarter greatly when West Perth came from behind to win this
close contest. However, Roy G. probably wasn’t very happy with the result!
What is somewhat surprising is Stuart
Crole leading the first ruck for West Perth. (I never regarded Crole as a very memorable type of player.) Note that Craig Nelson was named
at centre-half-forward but was leading the ruck in the last quarter and it was
his rucking efforts, rather than those of Crole, which won the plaudits of
Geoff Christian (see below). Furthermore, West Perth won with Phil Bradmore out
of the team. [Note: Stuart Crole played 18 games for West Perth in 1984-85 and
1989.] The continual appearance of Les Fong and Peter Menaglio in the best
three players on the ground suggests that these two players consistently failed
to receive the accolades and recognition which they deserved. Neither would
have looked out of place in the initial 1987 West Coast Eagles squad although,
arguably, the new expanded VFL team came two or three years too late for them.
The East Perth player “Sheldon” is not to be confused with the Carlton
premiership rover Ken Sheldon who never played in the WAFL. The East Perth
ruck-rover is Lance Kelly and not Phil Kelly.
The WAFL League
Table (below) shows the closeness of the competition after Round 10 with five
of the eight clubs having won five games and the top two having won six. Only
Perth had slipped behind the mid-table teams. East Fremantle recovered very
well to enter the top four after Round 10 and then go on to contest the 1984
grand-final. West Perth was well placed to contest the final round, but to the
acute disappointment of supporters, it drifted away and missed the final-four
in this last year of the Dennis Cometti coaching era. Although Geoff Christian
of The
West Australian is full of praise for West Perth’s victory
against East Perth (see below) the team disappointed by failing to go on to
beat higher-placed teams, especially away from home, after the uplifting home
draw against South Fremantle in Round 6 and the Round 14 home win against Swan
Districts. Nineteen eighty-four was a year where if all games had been played
at Leederville Oval West Perth could have become premiers. (West Perth won six,
drew one, and lost two from its nine Leederville Oval home games in 1984.) By
Round 10 of the season it was already clear that Claremont would struggle to
reach its third consecutive grand-final. It had begun to feel the effects of
player departures to the VFL/AFL as well as the natural aging process [by Kieran James, this revised version
dated 18 October 2013].
Likely line-ups:
(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 4 June, 1984, p. 79)
West Perth FC
Backs: Dayman, Hendriks, Comerford
Half-backs: Lockman, Mugavin, Bonson
Centres: Warwick, Michalczyk, Mifka
Half-forwards: Kickett, Nelson, Falconer
Forwards: Simms, Davis, Gastevich
Ruck: Crole, Menaglio, Fong
Interchange: Fraser, Morgan
In: Crole, Fraser
Out: Bogunovich (thigh), O’Brien
East Perth FC
Backs: Carpenter, Kohlman, Fullarton
Half-backs: Da’Rui, Bartlett, Solin
Centres: Hawkins, Spencer, Williams
Half-forwards: Blakely, Campbell, Sheldon
Forwards: Wilson, Scott, Delborrello
Ruck: Ironmonger, Kelly, Papotto
Interchange: Cocker, Otway
In: Otway, Delborrello, Cocker
Out: Morgan (lacerated chin), Higgins, Berry, R Sparks (thigh)
Selections:
GEOFF CHRISTIAN: West Perth
KEN CASELLAS: West Perth
ROBERT WAINWRIGHT: West Perth
DAVID MARSH: East Perth
TIM GOSSAGE: West Perth
(Source: The West Australian, Monday, 4 June, 1984, p. 79)
Match results – Monday 4 June, 1984, Leederville Oval
West Perth FC 3.8 5.12 7.18 11.22 (88) d East Perth FC 3.4 5.8 9.8 10.10 (70)
Scorers: WP: Kickett 3.2, Simms 2.3, Fong 2.2, Crole, Gastevich 1.2, Nelson, Davis 1.1, Mifka, Menaglio 0.3, Morgan 0.1, Forced 0.2.
EP: Scott, Delborrello 2.1, Otway, Williams, Campbell, Blakely 1.1, Spencer, Sheldon 1.0, Papotto, Wilson 0.1, Forced 0.2.
Weather: Fine, moderate north-westerly breeze.
(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 5 June, 1984, p. 90)
Perth minimum 14.7C at 6.50am, maximum 26.8C at 2.10pm (June averages 10.0 and 18.2)
(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 5 June, 1984, p. 90)
Attendance: 14,011 (from WAFL Online)
Free kicks: WP: 10, 7, 7, 10 – 34.
EP: 9, 7, 10, 4 – 30.
(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 5 June, 1984, p. 90)
Best players:
 |
| Derek Kickett & Les Fong |
2 Peter Menaglio (WP) – A dashing performance as a ruck-rover. Used his speed to brilliant effect in the mid-field.
3 Craig Nelson (WP) – Strong and purposeful effort in the ruck where he held control, especially in the second half.
Team rankings:
WP: L Fong 1, P Menaglio 2, C Nelson 3, G Comerford 4, J Gastevich 5, D Warwick 6.
EP: G Campbell, G Bartlett 2, G Williams 3, M Blakely 4, T Papotto 5, L Kelly 6.
(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 5 June, 1984, p. 90)
P
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
%
|
Pts
| |
S FREM
|
10
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
128.61
|
26
|
SWAN D*
|
10
|
6
|
4
|
-
|
113.50
|
24
|
W PERTH
|
10
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
89.00
|
22
|
SUBI
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
107.76
|
20
|
Clare
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
101.28
|
20
|
E Frem**
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
95.78
|
20
|
E Perth
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
89.02
|
20
|
Perth
|
10
|
2
|
8
|
-
|
83.91
|
8
|
(Source: The West Australian, Tuesday, 5 June, 1984, p. 90)
*eventual 1984 WAFL premiers
**eventual 1984 WAFL runners-up
Match analysis
Quotes from the late GEOFF CHRISTIAN:
“West Perth, inspired by captain Les Fong, produced a magnificent against-the-wind quarter in the final term to break the back of East Perth’s resistance on the way to a stirring 18-point victory - 11.22 to 10.10 – at Leederville Oval yesterday.
“East Perth, two points in front at three-quarter time, managed only a meagre 1.2 in the last quarter as they saw victory slip out of their hands as they slid from fourth to seventh place on the league ladder.
“But they could not find the composure, technique or stamina in the last quarter as West Perth kicked the first three goals of the term and then hung on grimly till the finish.
“West Perth, who kicked a wasteful 5.14 in their two turns with the breeze, were far more effective going the other way, kicking a tally of 6.8, including the match-winning 4.4 in the final quarter.
“It was a performance of sheer guts because the match was as much a test of courage as skill.
“The man who did most to mirror that was [Les] Fong. He was at his typical best and his display, combined with that of co-rover John Gastevich, ruck-rover Peter Menaglio and ruckman Craig Nelson gave the Falcons control on the ball, particularly in the last quarter.
“East Perth’s roving provided by Tony Papotto, Wayne Otway and Angelo Delborrello, lacked the consistency of West Perth’s and so did the quality of their ruck-roving that was solid for 21/2 quarters but disappeared under the pressure of the last quarter.
“East Perth were able to move to the lead against the breeze in the third term because they kicked 4.0 and held West Perth to 2.6.
“East Perth traded heavily for 21/2 quarters on the skills of centre-half-forward Grant Campbell who was a sure avenue to goal in his battle against Noel Mugavin.
“The Royals had a wing winner in Glyn Williams and the defence led by centre-half-back Glen Bartlett (nine marks) and flanker Robert Solin was sound under considerable pressure.
“But West Perth made two significant moves that helped eliminate two winning situations for East Perth by bringing interchange player John Morgan on to a wing in the second quarter and shifting Graeme Comerford to centre-half-back midway through the third.
 |
| Peter Menaglio |
“East Perth’s centre-line problems were compounded because centreman Peter Spencer found opportunities, and room, hard to find in a battle against George Michalczyk.
“Comerford, who had been in excellent touch early, continued in that fashion against [Grant] Campbell, and added extra stability to a West Perth defence that had looked shaky at times.
“With [Grant] Campbell well held in the last quarter, East Perth simply did not have the alternative routes to goal needed to blunt the West Perth offensive”.
(Source: Geoff Christian (1984), “Fong guides West home”, The West Australian, Tuesday, 5 June, p. 92) [archival research by Kieran James].
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