1926 WAFL season
# 1926 WAFL season

The 1926 WAFL season was the 42nd season of senior football in Perth, Western Australia.

Desire had existed upon some stakeholders to expand the competition ever since it contracted to six clubs during World War I, but because districts were not applied to the senior competition until 1925, the leading contenders, former club Midland Junction and established B-grade club Claremont-Cottesloe, were not able to attract or keep top players. Claremont, wearing the blue and gold colours of the local swimming club, were admitted at a meeting on 19 August 1925 and made their debut in 1926 but former “B” grade Claremont juniors with established WAFL clubs like Jerry Dolan and Pat Rodriguez were permitted to stay with their current clubs. Claremont had an exceedingly inexperienced team and were only able to win one game and that by a single point. Patronisingly called the “babies” in their early years in the WAFL, Claremont were not to finish above second-last in their first ten seasons, and were not helped by being the worst sufferer from the interstate recruiting drives of VFL clubs when the Great Depression began.

With the return of champion coach Phil Matson after he was widely tipped to take over the reins at Richmond, East Perth won their sixth premiership in eight seasons. West Perth, who had been last in 1924 but had a new grandstand constructed during the season at their eleven-year-old home base of Leederville, rivalled them until September before the Royals showed themselves clearly the best team in the run home. Subiaco, who had developed what many regard as the best team it ever fielded in the previous season, were disappointing until a stirring run from a mathematical chance for the four drives them to the Grand Final only to be thrashed – a scenario repeated by the Maroons in 1933.

## Home-and-away season

### Round 1

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 6.10 (46) | def. by | East Perth 16.21 (117) | Claremont Showground |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 7.12 (54) | def. | Perth 6.8 (44) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.7 (73) | def. by | South Fremantle 11.10 (76) | Subiaco Oval |
| | Bye West Perth | Bye West Perth | Bye West Perth | |
| Claremont-Cottesloe make their league debut with only one established player in Norm McIntosh (formerly of Richmond) and are outplayed but viewed as “promising”. ||||||

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 1 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 9.11 (65) | def. | East Perth 9.10 (64) | WACA |
| Saturday, 1 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 9.10 (64) | def. | East Fremantle 8.10 (58) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 1 May (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.14 (80) | def. by | West Perth 7.14 (56) | Subiaco Oval |
| | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 8 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 7.17 (59) | def. | South Fremantle 5.9 (39) | Perth Oval |
| Saturday, 8 May (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.8 (50) | def. by | Subiaco 15.19 (109) | Claremont Showground |
| Saturday, 8 May (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 7.8 (50) | def. by | West Perth 9.4 (58) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye Perth | Bye Perth | Bye Perth | |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 15 May (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.8 (62) | def. by | East Fremantle 22.13 (145) | Claremont Showground |
| Saturday, 15 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 11.6 (72) | def. | Subiaco 8.4 (52) | WACA |
| Saturday, 15 May (2:45 pm) | West Perth 7.9 (51) | def. by | East Perth 8.11 (59) | Leederville Oval |
| | Bye South Fremantle | Bye South Fremantle | Bye South Fremantle | |
| Despite steady rain in what became a record wet year, East Fremantle kick the highest score in the WAFL since 1917, when Perth kicked 24.21 (165) against defunct Midland Junction. ||||||

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 22 May (2:45 pm) | West Perth 18.20 (128) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 8.10 (58) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 22 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 8.14 (62) | def. by | East Fremantle 10.10 (70) | Perth Oval |
| Saturday, 22 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 8.12 (60) | def. | Perth 8.9 (57) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye Subiaco | Bye Subiaco | Bye Subiaco | |
| After Perth came back from three to four goals down all afternoon, Sol Lawn kicked the winning goal when he received a wild kick to open spaces with ninety seconds remaining. ||||||

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 29 May (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 5.13 (43) | def. by | East Fremantle 8.7 (55) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 29 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 11.11 (77) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.2 (44) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 29 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 11.11 (77) | def. by | West Perth 13.18 (96) | WACA |
| | Bye East Perth | Bye East Perth | Bye East Perth | |

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 5 June (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 6.12 (48) | def. by | Perth 22.17 (149) | Claremont Showground |
| Saturday, 5 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 11.10 (76) | def. | South Fremantle 11.8 (74) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 5 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 8.6 (54) | def. | Subiaco 8.5 (53) | Perth Oval |
| | Bye East Fremantle | Bye East Fremantle | Bye East Fremantle | |
| Perth’s thrashing of Claremont-Cottesloe is the second time in four games the new team concedes the highest score in the WAFL since 1917. ||||||

### Round 8 (Foundation Day)

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Monday, 7 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | def. | Subiaco 10.14 (74) | Fremantle Oval |
| Monday, 7 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 9.20 (74) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.11 (53) | Perth Oval |
| Monday, 7 June (2:45 pm) | Perth 9.9 (63) | def. | East Fremantle 9.8 (62) | WACA |
| | Bye West Perth | Bye West Perth | Bye West Perth | |
| The match between Perth and East Fremantle features a remarkable scoreline with quarter-time margins totalling only 4 points (1, 2, 0 and 1 points). ||||||

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 12 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 13.14 (92) | def. | Subiaco 9.11 (65) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 12 June (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 8.20 (68) | def. | South Fremantle 2.7 (19) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 12 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 15.18 (108) | def. | Perth 10.5 (65) | Perth Oval |
| | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | |
| South Fremantle’s score remains their lowest in open-age competition since scoring only 1.8 (14) against Subiaco in 1918. ||||||

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 19 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 7.14 (56) | def. by | East Fremantle 9.9 (63) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 19 June (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 19.9 (123) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 4.9 (33) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 19 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 5.6 (36) | def. by | East Perth 15.15 (105) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye Perth | Bye Perth | Bye Perth | |
| Pat Rodriguez kicks ten goals for Subiaco despite wet conditions, the first time this had been accomplished for the club. ||||||

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 26 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 14.9 (93) | def. | West Perth 11.10 (76) | Perth Oval (crowd:) |
| Saturday, 26 June (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 13.17 (95) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 11.6 (72) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 26 June (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.11 (77) | def. | Perth 10.15 (75) | Subiaco Oval |
| | Bye South Fremantle | Bye South Fremantle | Bye South Fremantle | |
| Subiaco continue their improved form following five consecutive losses to come back and defeat the Redlegs in a stirring match where they withstand the black and reds in the final minute. ||||||

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 3 July (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.10 (64) | def. by | West Perth 14.18 (102) | Claremont Showground |
| Saturday, 3 July (2:45 pm) | Perth 12.15 (87) | def. | South Fremantle 4.7 (31) | WACA |
| Saturday, 3 July (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 8.19 (67) | def. | East Perth 6.9 (45) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye Subiaco | Bye Subiaco | Bye Subiaco | |
| East Fremantle take top position from the Royals with an excellent win despite some exceptionally bad misses from in front and close-in. ||||||

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 10 July (2:45 pm) | West Perth 9.11 (65) | def. | Perth 6.10 (46) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 10 July (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 11.7 (73) | def. | Subiaco 9.10 (64) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 10 July (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 8.17 (65) | def. by | South Fremantle 16.10 (106) | Claremont Showground |
| | Bye East Perth | Bye East Perth | Bye East Perth | |

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 17 July (2:45 pm) | Perth 12.16 (88) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 8.11 (59) | WACA |
| Saturday, 17 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 10.9 (69) | drew with | East Perth 9.15 (69) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 17 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 5.14 (44) | def. by | West Perth 7.11 (53) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye East Fremantle | Bye East Fremantle | Bye East Fremantle | |
| Perth’s ability to turn “every fleeting attack” into a goal allows it to beat the fledgling club despite having little play on a WACA ground turned into a lake by continuous rain. East Perth recorded only their second draw since entering the WAFA in 1906 and first since the fourth round of 1908. The following week, WAFL games were suspended to play an interstate match against Victoria. ||||||

### Round 15

| | Round 15 | Round 15 | Round 15 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 31 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 10.17 (77) | def. | East Perth 3.11 (29) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 31 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.12 (78) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.11 (65) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 31 July (2:45 pm) | West Perth 12.13 (85) | def. | East Fremantle 5.9 (39) | Leederville Oval |
| | Bye Perth | Bye Perth | Bye Perth | |
| South Fremantle unexpectedly crush an East Perth team lacking Duffy, Owens, Campbell and Sherlock. West Perth’s win leaves the equal at the top with Old Easts, who played far below form despite lacking notable absentees. ||||||

### Round 16

| | Round 16 | Round 16 | Round 16 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 7 August (2:45 pm) | Perth 7.10 (52) | def. by | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | WACA |
| Saturday, 7 August (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 4.13 (37) | def. by | West Perth 9.19 (73) | Claremont Showground |
| Saturday, 7 August (2:45 pm) | East Perth 10.8 (68) | def. | East Fremantle 8.6 (54) | Subiaco Oval |
| | Bye Subiaco | Bye Subiaco | Bye Subiaco | |

### Round 17

| | Round 17 | Round 17 | Round 17 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 14 August (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 7.18 (60) | def. | East Fremantle 6.4 (40) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 14 August (2:45 pm) | West Perth 12.16 (88) | def. | Perth 12.7 (79) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 14 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 7.10 (52) | def. by | Claremont-Cottesloe 7.11 (53) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye East Perth | Bye East Perth | Bye East Perth | |
| West Perth’s narrow win enables them to take top position with the Royals having the bye. Claremont-Cottesloe by the narrowest of margins achieve their first WAFL win after South Fremantle attacked for ten minutes but scored only 0.3 (3). ||||||

### Round 18

| | Round 18 | Round 18 | Round 18 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 21 August (2:45 pm) | Perth 11.19 (85) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.10 (64) | WACA |
| Saturday, 21 August (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 8.6 (54) | def. by | East Perth 12.14 (86) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 21 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 10.8 (68) | def. by | West Perth 15.12 (102) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye East Fremantle | Bye East Fremantle | Bye East Fremantle | |
| East Perth, with only seventeen men after half-time as “Digger” Thomas breaks his jaw, easily win a Grand Final preview. ||||||

### Round 19

| | Round 19 | Round 19 | Round 19 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 4 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 12.14 (86) | def. | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.11 (65) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 4 September (2:45 pm) | Perth 5.4 (34) | def. by | Subiaco 4.13 (37) | WACA |
| Saturday, 4 September (2:45 pm) | East Perth 21.8 (134) | def. | West Perth 10.11 (71) | Perth Oval |
| | Bye South Fremantle | Bye South Fremantle | Bye South Fremantle | |
| “Bonny” Campbell breaks his own record with seven goals for a total of seventy-two as East Perth play brilliantly in the meeting for top spot, with rover Duffy their star. The score was East Perth’s first-ever twenty-goal score, though they had scored 19.20 (134) against North Fremantle in 1915. ||||||

### Round 20

| | Round 20 | Round 20 | Round 20 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 11 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 9.12 (66) | def. | Perth 8.10 (58) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 11 September (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 19.18 (132) | def. | South Fremantle 8.7 (55) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 11 September (2:45 pm) | Claremont-Cottesloe 9.7 (61) | def. by | East Perth 16.14 (110) | Claremont Showground |
| | Bye West Perth | Bye West Perth | Bye West Perth | |
| Subiaco, who had looked out of the running a month ago, seize fourth position with their victory, leaving their last round match with West Perth to potentially decide both fourth position and the minor premiership. ||||||

### Round 21

| | Round 21 | Round 21 | Round 21 | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 18 September (2:45 pm) | East Perth 15.17 (107) | def. | Perth 10.11 (71) | Perth Oval |
| Saturday, 18 September (2:45 pm) | West Perth 4.13 (37) | def. by | Subiaco 9.16 (70) | Leederville Oval |
| Saturday, 18 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 12.9 (81) | def. | South Fremantle 11.13 (79) | Fremantle Oval |
| | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | Bye Claremont-Cottesloe | |
| Subiaco spoil the opening of Leederville Oval’s new grandstand before the match and 1925 wooden spooners South Fremantle’s hope to regain fourth place with their convincing win. After not scoring for a quarter-and-a-half after half-time, Old Easts produce an amazing rally to defeat their post rivals after a wonderful goal by Jones where he dodges half a dozen opponents before kicking straight. ||||||

## Ladder

1926 ladder :

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | East Perth (P) | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1443 | 1078 | 133.9 | 54 |
| 2 | East Fremantle | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1226 | 1067 | 114.9 | 48 |
| 3 | West Perth | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1365 | 1200 | 113.8 | 48 |
| 4 | Subiaco | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1313 | 1103 | 119.0 | 38 |
| 5 | South Fremantle | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1119 | 1268 | 88.2 | 32 |
| 6 | Perth | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1267 | 1219 | 103.9 | 28 |
| 7 | Claremont-Cottesloe | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 999 | 1797 | 55.6 | 4 |

## Finals

### First semi-final

| | First semi-final | First semi-final | First semi-final | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 25 September (2:45 pm) | West Perth 8.9 (57) | def. by | Subiaco 8.14 (62) | Perth Oval (crowd: 7,629) |
| Subiaco come back from a half-time deficit to repeat their last-round win. ||||||

### Second semi-final

| | Second semi-final | Second semi-final | Second semi-final | |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 2 October (2:45 pm) | East Perth 11.17 (83) | def. | East Fremantle 5.9 (39) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9,098) |
| East Perth run away after a close first half to win very easily over their rivals of the time. ||||||

### Grand Final

| | 1926 WAFL Grand Final | 1926 WAFL Grand Final | 1926 WAFL Grand Final | | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Saturday, 9 October (2:45 pm) | East Perth | def. | Subiaco | WACA Ground (crowd: 8,722) | |
| | 0.4 (4) 6.10 (46) 8.12 (60) 11.19 (85) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 1.1 (7) 2.1 (13) 4.5 (29) 5.5 (35) | Umpires: Frank O‘Connor | Umpires: Frank O‘Connor |
| Campbell 4, Sparrow 2, Walsh, Gepp, Hubble, Duffy, Western | Campbell 4, Sparrow 2, Walsh, Gepp, Hubble, Duffy, Western | Goals | Grigg 2, Cockburn, Leonard, Green | Grigg 2, Cockburn, Leonard, Green |
| Walsh (best on ground), Guhl, O‘Meara, Gepp, Sherlock, C. Mitchell, Sparrow | Walsh (best on ground), Guhl, O‘Meara, Gepp, Sherlock, C. Mitchell, Sparrow | Best | Outridge, Brophy, Hickey, Leonard (until injured), Green | Outridge, Brophy, Hickey, Leonard (until injured), Green |
| | | Injuries | Leonard (concussion) | Leonard (concussion) |
| This was the last WAFL Grand Final at the WACA, and saw East Perth’s most decisive triumph during its 1919 to 1927 dynasty. Bonny Campbell took his goalkicking record to 89. ||||||
