Wafl teams that have not met in a final for many years

[emuboy]

With the WAFL finals just a week away, I was thinking about finals match-ups between the WAFL sides that have not ocurred for many years.

Discounting Peel Thunder, which has not played in a finals series in 15 seasons to date, I don't recall the last time Perth played West Perth in a finals match.

Most of this is due to the fact that the Perth Demons have played just 3 finals series (1986, 1991 & 1997) since 1978; but have managed to meet Claremont, Subiaco, East Perth, Swan Districts & South Fremantle in their few and far-between September engagements, while the Demons' last premiership was achieved in 1977 against East Fremantle.

Can anyone let me know when the last Perth-West Perth final was, or any other finals pairings that haven't come up for some time?

 

[UpForGrabs]

1976 1st Semi Final

Perth 20.18 (138) def. West Perth 13.4 (82)

 

[emuboy]

Thanks Up For Grabs, that was the only one that eluded me and it is currently the longest non-meeting in finals for WAFL teams.

Therefore the ten longest current non-meeting of finals teams in the WAFL (discounting Peel Thunder) are:

Perth vs West Perth, 1st Semi Final, 1976 (35 years)
Perth vs East Fremantle, Grand Final, 1977 (34 years)
Perth vs Claremont, 1st Semi Final, 1986 (25 years)
Subiaco vs Perth, Preliminary Final, 1986 (25 years)
East Fremantle vs Swan Districts, 1st Semi Final, 1987 (24 years)
Swan Districts vs Perth, 1st Semi Final, 1991 (20 years)
Perth vs East Perth, 1st Semi Final, 1997 (14 years)
South Fremantle vs Perth, Preliminary Final, 1997 (14 years)
South Fremantle vs East Fremantle, Grand Final, 1997 (14 years)
West Perth vs South Fremantle, Grand Final, 1999 (12 years)

These do not come anywhere near some of those in the AFL. Hawthorn & Richmond, Carlton & the Bulldogs and the Bulldogs & Richmond have never played a final against each other, while Melbourne & Richmond last met in a final when the Demons thrashed the Tigers to take out the 1940 Grand Final, and they last played in the same finals series in 1941! Also remarkable is that Hawthorn and Collingwood have not met in a final since 1978.

I wonder if there are any long droughts of SANFL & VFL/A teams meeting each other in the finals?

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Haven't played Claremont in a final since the 1993 Granny I think. Subiaco and Souths we've won premierships against in recent times though.

 

[UpForGrabs]

1976 1st Semi Final

Perth 20.18 (138) def. West Perth 13.4 (82)

Some more on this game for anyone who's interested:

P: 1.3 - 4.9 - 9.12 - 20.18 (138)
WP: 5.1 - 9.1 - 12.3 - 13.4 (82)

11.6 (72) to 1.1 (7) in the last quarter

Goalkickers:

Perth: Couper 4.2, Wiley 4.1, Parker 3.4, Hill 3.0, Hargrave 2.3, Farrant 1.4, Johnson 1.2, Gibellini 1.0, Herbert 1.0, Currie 0.1 (1 point forced)

WP: Watling 3.1, Northcott 2.1, Valli 2.0, Fong 1.0, Wilson 1.0, Adamson 1.0, McGuinness 1.0, Halley 1.0, Knell 1.0, Browne 0.1, Smeath 0.1

Free Kicks:

P: 36 (plus four 15m penalties)
WP: 40 (plus five 15m penalties)

Crowd: 23,091

 

[emuboy]

Haven't played Claremont in a final since the 1993 Granny I think. Subiaco and Souths we've won premierships against in recent times though.

Claremont and West Perth played in the 2006 First Semi Final, but it is probably a game that the Falcons would prefer to forget, with the Tigers winning by 86-points.

 

[emuboy]

Some more on this game for anyone who's interested:

P: 1.3 - 4.9 - 9.12 - 20.18 (138)
WP: 5.1 - 9.1 - 12.3 - 13.4 (82)

11.6 (72) to 1.1 (7) in the last quarter

Goalkickers:

Perth: Couper 4.2, Wiley 4.1, Parker 3.4, Hill 3.0, Hargrave 2.3, Farrant 1.4, Johnson 1.2, Gibellini 1.0, Herbert 1.0, Currie 0.1 (1 point forced)

WP: Watling 3.1, Northcott 2.1, Valli 2.0, Fong 1.0, Wilson 1.0, Adamson 1.0, McGuinness 1.0, Halley 1.0, Knell 1.0, Browne 0.1, Smeath 0.1

Free Kicks:

P: 36 (plus four 15m penalties)
WP: 40 (plus five 15m penalties)

Crowd: 23,091

That's an amazing final quarter, much like the grand final the year before, where West Perth kicked 10.5 to 0.1 against South Fremantle in the last term, taking out the premiership by 104 points.

These don't come close to the 1959 first semi final though, where Subiaco kicked 16.8 to 0.1 in the third term against Perth, the Lions destroying the Demons 26.23-179 to 7.8-50 in the process.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Claremont and West Perth played in the 2006 First Semi Final, but it is probably a game that the Falcons would prefer to forget, with the Tigers winning by 86-points.

Ah yes, was living in London then. WAFL coverage doesn't quite make it on the BBC 5.