2003 WAFL season

2002 wooden spooners Swan Districts record a controversial draw against the three-time premiers after rover Shane Beros kicked a behind which East Perth claimed was touched after the siren to preclude a score^[5] – this was ultimately denied. It proved the last draw in the WAFL for 500 matches until Round 9, 2008.^[6][7]

East Perth win well but are upset at the condition of Arena Joondalup, which caused the Royals two major knee injuries.^[8]

Skipper Joel Cornelius is wary of Swan Districts’ flying start after winning only one game in 2002, despite the team kicking 19.20 (134) to 5.4 (34) after quarter-time in a result that fails to vindicate Peel’s new five-year licence.^[2]

• Troy Wilson’s intimidating presence crushes Claremont, who were ineffective in over a third of their 247 disposals.^[10]
• Peel led by six points at half-time but rookie Thunder coach John Ditchburn becomes angry at their fade-out in the second half after two Bulldog 50-metre penalties result in goals.^[11]

Despite the loss of coach John Northey due to a health scare from his wife, South Fremantle stay undefeated against a persistent Swans team that never has the class to overpower the Bulldogs.^[12]

• West Coast draft pick Adam Selwood shows he justified the Eagles’ choice via a fine display against the winless Demons after a recurring calf injury limited him to five matches during 2002.^[13]
• Former Shark Brad Dodd, despite being nervous playing against his old team, revives a decrepit Tiger midfield to keep the Sharks winless.^[14]

• Despite severe stomach cramps, Subiaco’s Anthony Beattie produces a devastating display on the half-forward flank and gives a stern warning to the other eight WAFL clubs against the previously unbeaten Bulldogs.^[15]
• Claremont get out of jail against the still-winless Demons after playing extremely poorly for three quarters through failing to follow basic instructions by coach Guy McKenna.^[16]

Led by West Coast recruit and late inclusion Jeremy Humm, East Perth take revenge for their controversial opening round draw by crushing the Swans, in the process scoring 11.3 (69) in the last quarter.^[18]

• A controversial goal by West Perth’s Travis McLean (believed to have been kicked after the three-quarter-time siren) drives the Falcons to their seventh consecutive victory in their last match before the Foundation day derby with undefeated East Perth.^[19]
• Swan Districts rebound with a fighting win over Claremont, who score only 1.4 (10) after half-time but lead throughout until a five-goal burst, led by former Kangaroos player Adam Lange, from halfway through the final quarter.^[20]

• East Perth’s tough defence keeps Subiaco to 1.0 (6) after the early minutes of the third quarter.^[21] The results wins the Royals the ‘Prestige Loans Cup’ as the best-performed club of the first full round.^[b]
• With Darren Glass permanently playing in the AFL, Stan Magro moves half-back Simon Rudd to full-back and he decimates the Peel forward line, in the process moving the Demons two games clear off the bottom.^[22]

• The loss of Richard Kelly with a serious wrist injury devastates Perth when five goals ahead early in the second quarter – the Demons score 3.3 (21) to 21.13 (139) during the remainder of the match.^[24]
• Peel recruit Scott Simister nearly leads East Fremantle to a second victory but South, ahead all day, hang on in a scrappy finish.^[25]

• Chris Maguire kicks five of Perth’s six goals, but with Jacob Surjan moving into the middle after kicking three goals, Perth have no chance of improving a record of only five wins at Fremantle Oval since 1979.^[27]
• Peel’s score, in what was to become a sequence as embarrassing as any in 1997 or 1999, was the lowest by any visiting team at Bassendean Oval, beating Subiaco’s 5.8 (38) from 1983.^[28] Swans kicked 23.9 (147) to 2.3 (15) after quarter-time.

• Seven-goal Brendan Fewster dominates as West Perth with their tenth consecutive match and move six points clear at the top.^[29]
• A WAFL bye hoodoo affects East Perth as Anthony Jones, despite scoring only 0.3 (3), wins the match with his marking and gathering in attack.^[30]
• A grimly determined Peel, whose lack of fitness and finesse costs it a first win for 2003, are held off by 258-games Marty Atkins the very match before he breaks Tom Grljusich’s club games record.^[31]

• Stan Magro’s ruggedness rubs off on struggling Perth as they end West Perth’s ten-match winning streak kicking 7.3 (45) to 0.5 (5) on a waterlogged ground, with top goalkickers McLean and Fewster scoring only one between them.^[32]
• East Perth hold out lowly East Fremantle as Jeremy Barnard kicks five goals in tough conditions for the Sharks fifth loss by under two goals during 2003.^[33]

• On a windy and showery day in Kalgoorlie,^[35] Swan Districts kick the most inaccurate league score since East Perth kicked 3.30 (48) – ironically against the Swans – in 1957.^[36] Brad Smith score four goals after half-time.
• A second successive upset victory in heavy conditions by Perth spoils Barnard’s two hundredth match. Chris Maguire kicks six goals as Perth take full advantage of only 42 inside 50s for the whole game.^[37]

• West Perth spoil Joel Cornelius’ one hundred and fiftieth consecutive WAFL match with a crushing win over a depleted Swan team as Mark Seaby and the Falcon centreline again become unstoppable.^[38]
• Peel kick the lowest score against the Royals since Swan Districts kicked 2.8 (20) in 1968.^[39] It is the lowest score ever in a WAFL game at Rushton Park.^[40]
• Adam Selwood crushes Peel’s one dangerous player in 32-year-old Derek Hall as Peel go inside 50 only 14 times during a crushing defeat.^[41]

• Claremont’s crushing win, achieved despite losing midfielder Jaxon Crabb for the season to a knee reconstruction, set numerous records:

1. Peel’s score in the lowest ever conceded by Claremont, beating Swan Districts’ 3.3 (21) from 1964.^[43]
2. Peel become only the second side since the 1924 final and Grand Final to score three goals or fewer in consecutive matches, after West Perth in 1996.
3. The Thunder become only the third team in open-age WAFL competition to lose three successive matches by over 100 points, repeating their own ignominy from 1997.^[44]
4. Claremont’s 109-point half-time margin was the highest in open-age league football to that point, beating 104 points by South Fremantle against West Perth from 1981.^[45]

• East Perth spoil South Fremantle veteran Tom Bottrell’s last appearance despite a committed final stanza challenge that culminates in a ferocious last fifteen minutes where only 0.4 (4) is scored between the two teams.^[46]
• 1996 colts premiership star Sam Griffiths plays his fiftieth league game after a succession of knee injuries and kicks three goals in his new role as a forward – in the process snuffing out the persistent Swans.^[47]
• After a promising start, Peel are overwhelmed in a game where coach John Ditchburn had set them for a “big” performance, as their established players fail completely. East Fremantle win each of the first three quarters by an even sixteen points, but overwhelm the Thunder in the last.^[48]

• Stan Magro’s new playing style hurts returning Demon Richard Kelly more than his wrist or the Peel players – whose first goal comes from a 100-metre penalty eleven minutes into the third quarter.^[50]
• A brilliant first quarter from Paul Ridley ensures East Perth a critical victory – but in the process they lose co-captain Wheatley and midfielder Cowell.^[51]
• Seven straight goals in windy conditions from Zane Parsons leaves Claremont out of the running for the top two and causes critics to think the Tigers have no pretentions for the premiership.^[52]

• The switch of Luke Toia to defence works wonders for Subiaco after being scoreless at quarter-time, as along with Mark Nicoski, his dashes break up the crowded play.^[54]
• On a rainswept Arena Joondalup,^[55] East Perth, against all advice kicking into the breeze after winning the toss, set several unwanted records:

1. The Royals became the first WAFL/WANFL/WASFL/Westar Rules team to score no goals in a match since West Perth themselves kicked 0.10 (10) against Midland Junction in Round 1, 1916.^[1]
2. Their score was the lowest in the league since Claremont kicked 1.3 (9) against Perth in Round 15, 1945; the previous lower was 1.2 (8) by Subiaco against East Perth in Round 13 of 1920.
3. It was East Perth’s lowest since they kicked 1.3 (9) against West Perth in 1913;^[56] their sole lower tally being 0.6 (6) against East Fremantle in 1909.^[57]

In hot, sunny weather, West Perth continue their form in the rain at Joondalup the previous Sunday to firm as flag favourites and leave South Fremantle, playing the winless Thunder, with a golden opportunity to displace Claremont from a top four that had looked settled for many weeks.^[59]

• Claremont confirm their finals berth with a thrilling win over a depleted East Perth, who almost made amends for their goalless Joondalup debacle when Troy Wilson was denied a mark in front almost on the siren.^[60]
• Four quick goals early in the final quarter provide previously winless Peel with the upset of the season against a South Fremantle side without key forward Zane Parsons. The Thunder were so ecstatic at avoiding a second winless season that they sang their song out on the playing arena.^[61]
• East Fremantle, who had won only once in their first thirteen matches, completely outplay the premiership favourites in the second and third quarters. Midfielders Kris Miller and Craig Treleven have 40 and 33 possessions respectively and Scott Simister kicks seven goals.^[62]
• The Perth game was Subiaco’s last home game at Subiaco Oval before they moved to Leederville due to lower overheads.

• Perth coach Magro confirms he will remain with the Demons for 2004^[c] as the Demons shrug aside West Perth in a low-scoring game where the Demons’ defence comfortably holds off a last-quarter siege.^[64]
• Subiaco, in wrapping up the first of four consecutive minor premierships, kicked the highest-ever score and biggest win at Rushton Park.^[40]

East Perth send a timely reminder of their power to Subiaco and West Perth with their seventh straight finals win in wet conditions.^[65]

• Since the two semi-finals were played on the same day at the same venue, the attendance figure is the same.
• Subiaco overcome a finals hoodoo against West Perth dating back to the 1973 Grand Final with two late goals in the rain from pint-sized Allistair Pickett.^[66]

West Perth kick nine goals to nil in the second quarter to end East Perth’s run of finals victories despite omitting 1999 Simpson Medallist Christian Kelly.^[67]

The loss of leading full-forward Brad Smith and a shock decision to kick into a strong wind ruin Subiaco’s hopes of a first premiership since 1988.