Western Australia Australian rules football team

The Sandgropers is the representative side of Western Australia in the sport of Australian rules football. The team is currently the representative team of the West Australian Football League and West Australian under-age footballers.

History

Throughout the majority of the team's history its players came from the West Australian Football League. Between 1977-1999 West Australian players in the Victorian Football League played State of Origin football for the Sandgropers. Since 1999 the team reverted to a league representative team for the WAFL. West Australian AFL players were represented in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match against Victoria in 2008.

Western Australia won the historic first State of Origin game against Victoria in 1977 by 94 points. This game was a significant endorsement of the concept since the Victorian Football League team beat the West Australian Football League team by 64 points in the same year. ^[2]

Carnival History

• 1908: 2nd
• 1911: 4th
• 1914: 3rd
• 1921: 1st
• 1924: 2nd
• 1927: 2nd
• 1930: 3d
• 1933: 3rd
• 1937: 2nd
• 1947: 2nd
• 1950: 3rd
• 1953: 3rd
• 1956: 2nd
• 1958: 2nd
• 1961: 1st
• 1966: 2nd
• 1969: 3rd
• 1972: 2nd
• 1975: 4th
• 1979: 1st
• 1980: 3rd
• 1988: 4th, Section 1 ^[3]

National Under 18 Championships

• 4: 1985, 1999, 2007, 2009

Simpson and Moss Medals

The best player for Western Australia is awarded the Simpson Medal. The Simpson Medal has been awarded since 1946. Between 1995-1998 the Simpson medal was awarded only for games played representing the West Australian Football League, with the Graham Moss Medal being awarded in State of Origin games.

List of representatives

References