Rockingham Vipers
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The Rockingham Vipers were established in 1996 with the merging of the Rockingham Dolphins and the Fremantle Seahawks. The Dolphins were a young club with a lot of talent and the Seahawks were an experienced campaigner. The results of the merger were immediate with the Vipers making the Semi-Final of Gridironwest in their inaugural year. The Vipers quickly became one of the top-tier sides while gaining a reputation for physical and aggressive (sometimes referred to as a nasty streak) style of play.
[edit] History
The Rockingham Vipers are celebrating its 10th year in Gridironwest & what better way then to look at the clubs great history. The Rockingham Vipers have played finals football in all of its 10 years, the Vipers have played in the Gridironwest Grand final 5 of the last 6 years.
In 2001/02 season the Vipers played in there first Grandfinal against the Westside Steelers in a battle that has created a rivalry matched by no other two clubs in Gridironwest. An experienced Steelers side gave the Vipers a lesson in football that might have started something they wished they never had.
The 2002/03 season brought satisfaction as the Vipers returned to the Grandfinal and defeated the Leederville Giants in a thrilling game where Defense dominated. Led by the awesome Middle line backing Duo of #60 Jason Gastarov and #56 Chris Tracy the Viper D was ferocious, constantly shutting down the Giants offense. The game was a defense showdown until the Viper offensive line #69 Pete O'Neil and #74 Ricky "Ruckus" Read opened up a massive hole in which the Vipers Running Back and superstar of the game #21 Desi Dugoid ran in a 35 yard touchdown in the dying seconds to seal the game. THAT WAS CHAMPIONSHIP #1.
In the following season the Vipers managed too lose only 1 game as they defended the title they had fought so hard for the last 7 years and now that it was there’s had no plans of letting go. They would find themselves against a seasoned campaigner QB #10 Ben Newton led Claremont Jets team who were looking too Knock the Vipers off there perch. But with another marvelous coaching job, Head Coach Phil Mullin had his boys ready. As the game went on it was all but over by halftime as the Viper Offense Led By Game MVP QB #13 Ben Gastarov hit there stride and never looked back, always knowing that defense was going too do there job it was the O that surprised with 42 points in a game they were not meant to win according too critics. THAT WAS CHAMPIONSHIP #2.
The game most Vipers had been waiting for since there first grandfinal. They would finally meet the Steelers in another grandfinal. This game started as a defensive one and as I remember the pressure was on from the first play onwards. It was an even game all the way till half time with both defenses not giving an inch. At halftime Coach Phil threw out his challenges too his offense and if memory serves correct there were some pretty stern words directed at one of the games most potent offenses at the time. As the O captain I felt it was time for us too show what we are made of and first play back in the 3rd quarter it all started with some brilliant catches by TE #85 Simon Popplier that ended up with him scoring a touchdown over 3 defenders in a jump ball situation. The rest of the team responded and before you knew it we were holding our 3rd championship trophy.
In the next season there was a mass exodus with 10-15 veteran players retiring and 4-5 moving too other teams in addition too losing Head Coach Phil Mullin too work commitments. This proved to be costly as the Vipers Slipped too 4th on the ladder and got knocked out of the finals by eventual champions Leederville Giants. The season was long and hard as the team only had 12 full-time players and a few that came and went, but all was not lost as the Rockingham Vipers found some potential superstars in rookies Jason Miles and Ben Jardine of who both would play on and be a major part of the next season.
In the 05-06 season there would be a few surprises with new players Sean Bruce, Drazen Vucic, Bojan Vucic and the well campaigned veteran running back Justin Rogers switching sides too join a Viper team that was on the move back up again. One surprise that nobody expected was the welcomed return of Club Stalwart Coach Phil Mullin in which he produced one of his finest displays of coaching throughout the season. The season would take the team on some highs and lows as the Vipers would meet an old foe in the Grandfinal.
