1977_WANFL_season

1977 WANFL season

1977 WANFL season

Australian rules football season


The 1977 WANFL season was the 93rd season of the Western Australian National Football League in its various incarnations. It followed on from the previous season's high scoring to set another record for the highest average score in WANFL history[1] at 109.57 points per team per game, which was to be broken substantially in the following few years due to the introduction of the interchange rule allowing for a faster game with less exhausted players. 1977 was in fact that last WA(N)FL season with no score of over 200 points until 1988.

Quick Facts Teams, Premiers ...

The season saw Perth win their second consecutive premiership with a resounding win and record WA(N)FL Grand Final score over East Fremantle who were in the finals for the first time since their last premiership in 1974. It was the fifth premiership in twelve seasons for the Demons, and their last as of 2022: Perth have not played in a Grand Final since 1978, and did even not qualify for the finals between 1997 and 2020.

To counter the uneven quality of inter-league matches between the WANFL and the VFL due to recruiting of top interstate players by Victoria, a State of Origin match was held in Perth the week following the Grand Final. Western Australia showed its quality as a developer of Australian Rules talent with a crushing 94-point win over the best players bred in Victoria, and until the advent of the national competition and the West Coast Eagles State of Origin football, this proved very popular with Western Australian and South Australian crowds and television in Victoria. However, after that it declined to the point of being abandoned after 1999.

Home-and-away season

Round 1 (Easter weekend)

More information Round 1 ...

Round 2

More information Round 2 ...

Round 3

More information Round 3 ...

Round 4

More information Round 4 ...

Round 5

More information Round 5 ...

Round 6

More information Round 6 ...

Round 7

More information Round 7 ...

Round 8

More information Round 8 ...

Round 9

More information Round 9 ...

Round 10

More information Round 10 ...

Round 11 (Foundation Day)

More information Round 11 ...

Round 12

More information Round 12 ...

Round 13

More information Round 13 ...

Round 14

More information Round 14 ...

Round 15

More information Round 15 ...

Round 16

More information Round 16 ...

Round 17

More information Round 17 ...

Round 18

More information Round 18 ...

Round 19

More information Round 19 ...

Round 20

More information Round 20 ...

Round 21

More information Round 21 ...

Ladder

More information Pos, Team ...
Source: WAFL Footy Facts
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

First semi-final

More information First semi-final ...

Second semi-final

More information Second semi-final ...

Preliminary final

More information Preliminary final ...

Grand Final

1977 WANFL Grand Final
Saturday, 24 September Perth def. East Fremantle Subiaco Oval (crowd: 44,381)
4.4 (28)
12.7 (79)
19.10 (124)
 26.13 (169)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.3 (15)
6.4 (40)
10.9 (69)
 14.12 (96)
Umpires: Ross Capes, Ron Powell
Simpson Medal: Wim Rosbender (Perth)
Couper 6, Farrant 4, Mitsopoulos 3, Wiley 3, Hargrave 3, Currie 2, Johnson 2, Gibellini, Hill, Rosbender Goals Judge 4, Turco 3, Durnthaler 3, Peake, Jez, Reid, Ryan
Currie, Inman, Rosbender, Watt, Johnson, Hargrave, Day Best Reid, Neesham, Becu, Peake, Durnthaler, Diver

Perth’s brilliant fleet of small men, with Wiley back for the first time in nine weeks, and a fast-running defence, completely outplays Old Easts to kick the highest ever WA(N)FL Grand Final score.

State of Origin match

More information Western Australia vs Victoria ...

References

  1. Poat, Peter, ed. (1977). "Scoring Record". Ross Elliott's West Australian Football Register: 15.
  2. Hopkins, Colin; ‘Swans Run South into the Ground’; The West Australian, 28 March 1977, p. 71
  3. East, Alan; ‘12-goal Sewell Seals It for East F‘Tle’; The West Australian, 29 March 1977,pp. 84, 83
  4. Christian, Geoff; ‘Ruck-Rovers Get Eats F‘Tle Machine Rolling’; The West Australian, 4 April 1977, p. 72
  5. Wright, Frank; ‘Campbell Is a Saviour’; The West Australian, 4 April 1977, p. 72
  6. Hopkins, Colin; ‘High-Flyer to Set the Turnstiles Clicking’
  7. Christian, Geoff; ‘South Welcome Siren – And First Win’; The West Australian, 12 April 1977, p. 88
  8. "WAFL Footy Facts: Quarters and Halves". Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  9. Hopkins, Colin; ‘Perth Beaten – But a Problem Solved’; The West Australian 25 April 1977, p. 66
  10. East, Alan; ‘Casey the Inspiration’; The West Australian; 25 April 1977, p. 66
  11. East, Alan; ‘Subiaco Take It to East Perth’; The West Australian; 2 May 1977; p. 63
  12. "WAFL Footy Facts: Biggest Wins with Less Scoring Shots". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  13. Wright, Frank; ‘Odds Had to Go the Way of South’; The West Australian; 16 May 1977, p. 86
  14. Hopkins, Colin; ‘South Defence Is Looking Tougher’; The West Australian; 23 May 1977; p. 54
  15. Christian, Geoff; ‘West Perth Salvo Sinks South’; The West Australian; 30 May 1977, p. 87
  16. Hopkins, Colin; ‘100 on a Countback’; The West Australian; 15 August 1977; p. 58
  17. Hopkins, Colin; ‘Subiaco’s Hopes Shattered’; The West Australian; 30 May 1977, p. 87
  18. Christian, Geoff; ‘West Perth Get Record Hiding’; The West Australian; 13 June 1977, p. 75
  19. Wright, Frank; ‘Shades of 1964 at East Fremantle’; The West Australian; 20 June 1977; p. 62
  20. Christian, Geoff; ‘Bold Move Pays Off Handsomely’; The West Australian; 11 July 1977, p. 75
  21. Hopkins, Colin; ‘One Bad Quarter Spells End for South’; The West Australian; 7 August 1977
  22. Hopkins, Colin; ‘East Fremantle Now Have What It Takes’; The West Australian; 15 August 1977; p. 58
  23. ‘East Perth Need to Liven Up’; The West Australian; 22 August 1977; p. 83
  24. Hopkins, Colin; ‘Armstrong Will Have His Work Cut Out’; The West Australian; 29 August 1977, p. 83
  25. See East, Alan; ‘Perth Far too Nimble’; The West Australian; 20 June 1977, p. 62 for details of Swan Districts’ injury troubles
  26. Hopkins, Colin; ‘West Perth Were Too Systematic’; The West Australian; 5 September 1977
  27. Christian, Geoff; ‘This Makes It a New Ball Game’; The West Australian; 10 October 1977, p. 64
  28. Phillips, Steven (10 October 1977). "Vics Get 94-Point Hiding". The Age. p. 32.

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