| Photographs of Perth, Western Australia | |||
WAFL Grounds in Western Australia The West Australia Football league has a competition of nine teams, eight Perth based, and one from Mandurah. The league was formed in 1885 but was then known as an association. The first football club was formed around 1881 and was known as Unions. They later changed their name to Fremantle. Swans joined soon after. By 1906 there were eight clubs: South, East and North Fremantle, Perth, East and West Perth, Subiaco and Midland Junction |
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Bassendean Home of W.A.F.L. club Swan Districts - the Swans - who have occupied this ground since their 1934 inception. Originally called Bassendean Oval, a fairly recent sponsorship agreement saw this re-named to "Steel Blue" Oval. However the reserve pre-dates the Swans by a few years. The Heritage Gates at the south-west corner of the ground were built in 1929. Photo - May 2008 |
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Bassendean Swan Districts was the last of the "traditional" eight clubs to join the league. This occurred in 1934. Swan Districts were not the same "Swans" from 30-odd years earlier. Swan Districts won their first premiership in 1961 under captain Haydn Bunton Jnr. This team was the dominant side in the early 1960's and also scored another hat-trick of premierships in the early 1980's. Photo - October 2012 |
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Bassendean The main Swan Districts club room building, members lounge and administration centre in the John Cooper, John Todd Pavilion. Those names are a couple of greats who played for the team. Photo - October 2012 |
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Bassendean Inside the oval, two more Swans legends lend their names to this enclosed stand - Haydn Bunton and Percy Bright. Photo - October 2012 |
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Bassendean Bill Walker was one of Swans best known champions. This is a stand named in honour of Bill and the picture is taken from down on the oval. Photo - October 2012 |
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Bassendean Another stand around from the Bill Walker stand is the R. A. McDonald stand which is also pictured from on the oval. Photo - October 2012 |
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Bassendean These gates are the main entrance for spectators entering Bassendean Oval. The gates are at the south-west corner of the ground, on the corner of Old Perth Road and West Road. The gates were constructed in 1929 and are now commonly referred to as "The Heritage Gates". Swan Districts Football Club has called Bassendean Oval home since 1934. Photo - May 2014 |
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Claremont On Davies Road, this is the entrance to Claremont Football Club's R.J. Kyle Pavilion and through here are the club rooms and facilities and access to the main grandstand. The Claremont/Cottesloe football club joined the WAFL in 1926. Later they changed their name to simply Claremont. Photo - July 2011 |
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Claremont Inside Claremont Oval, this is a view looking up into the main grandstand, the John O'Connell Stand. Photo - July 2011 |
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Claremont To the right of the John O'Connell Stand (when looking from the oval) is this stand which looks like it contains the Football Club's room and memorabilia. Photo - July 2011 |
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Claremont Looking down across the oval from the John O'Connell Stand. Today hundreds of lower primary school children, almost all decked in their Tigers shirts, are taking part in a school-holiday football workshop. Photo - July 2011 |
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East Fremantle East Fremantle Football ground. East Fremantle was one of the earliest teams to join the WAFL competition which occurred in 1898. This is the main entrance to the club rooms and the football administration section. Photo - November 2013 |
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East Fremantle East Fremantle Oval also known as Shark Park. Blue and white seats for members. Seating shown is in the William "Nipper" Truscott Stand. Photo - November 2013 |
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East Fremantle A view across part of the playing area of East Fremantle Oval taking in a section of the stand to the north of the main grandstand. Some famous footballers who played for this club include Harry and Gerard Neesham, Bob Johnson and Jim Sewell. Photo - November 2013 |
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East Fremantle The Shark Pit. A bar under the main grandstand in East Fremantle Oval. Photo - November 2013 |
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Fremantle The first football club to join what is now the WAFL was Unions who then changed their name to Fremantle. However, the viability of the club was short-lived despite its on-field successes. It went broke after 13 seasons and the South Fremantle club was formed in 1899 out of the ashes of the old club. In this picture the home team is playing West Perth. Photo - July 2012 |
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Fremantle A view up inside the old wooden grandstand which backs onto Henderson Street, inside Fremantle Oval. Many famous South Fremantle players came from southern-European backgrounds, this area being a popular settlement district for migrants from this part of the world. Prominent names include Gerovich, Sumich, Grljusich, Jakovich, Magro and Ciccotosto. Stephen Michael, the Matera brothers and the Rioli brothers were all champion indigenous players for the club. Photo - January 2012 |
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Fremantle Fremantle Oval was built in 1895 and was originally called Barracks Green Field and was used then for cricket. Fremantle Oval is now used as a base and training facility for the A.F.L. club the Fremantle Dockers although they play all their home games at Subiaco. This photograph is of the South Fremantle Football Club members club rooms and bar. Photo - January 2012 |
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Fremantle Inside the Fremantle Oval is this broadcast and media box. This is used by television, radio and press journalists covering the football games. The box has been dedicated to the memory of the late George Grljusich. Mr Grljusich was an extremely witty broadcaster, he was always interesting to listen to, and he had a vast knowledge of many sports certainly not limited to Australian rules football. Photo - December 2014 |
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Joondalup Arena Joondalup is a multi-purpose sports complex which opened in 1994. Today, under leaden skies, this is a view along the front - the Kennedya Drive side. Along with the WA league football facilities, the centre has a swimming centre, netball/basketball courts, a gymnasium plus administration offices, a cafe and a bar. Photo - July 2011 |
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Joondalup The West Perth Football Club relocated from Leederville Oval to Arena Joondalup in 1994. Here is the entrance to the football ground. The Les Fong Gates. Les Fong was a champion player with West Perth when the club was located at Leederville. Photo - July 2011 |
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Joondalup Inside the football ground, here is a view of the (Mel) Whinnen, (Bill) Dempsey Grandstand - named after two of West Perth's most famous and champion players. Photo - July 2011 |
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Joondalup The West Perth Football Club was one of the earliest teams to join the then Association. The club was originally based at Leederville Oval on Vincent Street. The club not only changed its home, but earlier changed its "nickname" from the Cardinals to the Falcons. Today is match day at the Arena with West Perth playing Perth. Photo - July 2011 |
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Lathlain Park Here is the Lathlain Park football ground, established 1886, and at present called Browne's Stadium. This is the main entrance to the ground. This is the home of the Perth (Demons) Football Club. An early version of the club was the Rovers which was essentially made up of boys from Perth High. Photo - July 2013 |
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Lathlain Park Thus far Perth's most successful period was a trio of premierships in 1966 through 1968. Well remembered champions over the years include Barry Cable, Mal Atwell, Merv McIntosh, Ken Armstrong and Robert Wiley. This photograph captures a school holidays football clinic for young children. Photo - July 2013 |
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Lathlain Park Apart from the obvious attraction of going to see a football match, most of the WAFL grounds contain significant grassed areas around the playing area which are great for kids for running around. Children can also go onto the ground itself at half time to kick their footballs. A good family atmosphere. Here is a photo of Lathlain's "Bar on the Hill". Photo - July 2013 |
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Leederville At Leederville Football Oval here are the Phil Matson Gates. The entrance is off Vincent Street next to the Department of Sport and Recreation building. The ground opened in 1915 and was home to the West Perth Football Club from 1915 to 1993. Prior to commencing their 1915 tenancy here, West Perth and Perth shared the W.A.C.A. ground. West Perth moved to Arena Joondalup in 1994. The facility is now known as Medibank Stadium. Photo - July 2013 |
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Leederville This is a fairly new appendage to the main grandstand. It's on the southern side. This is the East Perth's clubrooms. East Perth moved here from Perth Oval (now NIB Stadium) in 2003. Subiaco moved out of Subiaco Oval in 2004 and is now a co-tenant at Leederville with the Royals. The Subiaco rooms are at the other end of the grandstand. Photo - July 2013 |
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Leederville The rear of the main grandstand at Leederville Oval looms high. The stand was refurbished in 1958 as the ground was to be used as one venue (amongst others for example Perry Lakes) for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Many other sporting events have been held here, indeed the Western Australian Amateur Athletic Association leased the complex for a number of years. Photo - July 2013 |
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Leederville Standing on the oval itself and looking back towards the R. P. Fletcher grandstand. East Perth has their own much smaller spectator stand off to the left and Subiaco has something very similar off to the right. Photo - July 2013 |
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Mandurah The home of WAFL Club, Peel Thunder. Here is the front section of Rushton Park. This forms the administration area and fronts on to Dower Street. Rushton park would only be about a 10 minutes walk from Mandurah railway station. Photo - January 2014 |
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Mandurah Under its sponsorship arrangement, Rushton Park is also known as Bendigo Bank Stadium. The is the spectator entrance used on game days. Photo - January 2014 |
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Mandurah Peel Thunder joined the expanded WAFL competition in 1997. From 2014, Thunder will be the host club of the Fremantle Dockers. The club's fortunes are probably about to change. One notable player to emerge from Peel is Dockers player Haydn Ballantyne. He has the scoreboard wing named after him. Photo - January 2014 |
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Mandurah Here is a fine view of the new Rushton Park stadium and facilities. This building was constructed by the City of Mandurah and was completed in 2011. The ground can hold around 10,000 people and has adequate ground lighting to host night football games. Photo - January 2014 |
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Mandurah The Peel Thunder 100 Club room. Membership to the club is $100 per annum and funds (subscriptions and fund-raising events) are used for ground and facilities development. Photo - January 2014 |
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Perth This is the entrance to Perth Oval. This sports ground was home to the East Perth Football Club from 1910 to 2002. After 2002 East Perth's home ground has been at Leederville. The gates pictures were constructed in the 1930's and are now heritage listed. Photo - July 2013 |
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Perth Inside of Perth Oval, this is the rear of the Frederick Book Stand, built in 1956. Mr Book was a long-standing East Perth Football Club administrator. Indeed he served the club for 45 years (1928 - 1973). During that time, he spent 20 years as President. Photo - July 2013 |
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Perth These days Perth Oval is known as NIB Stadium and is home to two other football codes. These are soccer (Perth Glory) and Rugby League (West Coast Pirates). Perth Glory has played here since 1996. The ground has recently had these grandstands constructed and in 2004 the playing area was converted from an oval into a rectangle. Photo - July 2013 |
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Subiaco "Home of Football" this sign says on the super-structure of Subiaco Oval. And in Western Australia it surely is. Subiaco Oval was constructed in 1908 and in those days was known as Mueller Park. Today the complex seats a maximum of 43,500 spectators making this the highest capacity (seated) football ground in Western Australia. Photo - 2007 |
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Subiaco The stands inside Subiaco Oval. Over the years the grassy banks have been replaced by stands offering all fans a seat. The WAFL Subiaco Club moved out of the stadium in 2004 and now plays all its home games at Leederville. However, the WAFL Grand Final is still played here. The ground now hosts home games for A.F.L. teams West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers. Photo - 2007 |
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Subiaco These are the historic main gates to Subiaco Oval. They are located on Haydn Bunton Drive. In 1997, four light towers were erected at the ground to enable night games to be played. The ground is currently named Paterson's Stadium under a commercial sponsorship agreement. Photo - July 2011 |
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Subiaco Subiaco Oval with entrance gates. The Patersons Stadium livery appeared in 2010 when the sponsorship agreement commenced. Apart from being a football venue, this complex has hosted quite a number of music concerts over the years, artists including Led Zeppelin, Bee Gees, Genesis, Paul McCartney, Eagles, Billy Joel, Elton John, AC/DC and Rod Stewart. Photo - July 2011 |
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Subiaco This is the West Coast Eagles merchandise shop at the side of the oval on Roberts Road. West Coast Eagles entered the expanded V.F.L. competition in 1987 led by inaugural coach Ron Alexander and captain Ross Glendenning. The A.F.L. was formed in 1990. The club won premierships in 1992 and 1994 under coach Mick Malthouse, and again in 2006 under coach and former champion club player John Worsfold. Photo - July 2013 |
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Subiaco Here is the Fremantle Dockers merchandise shop at Subiaco Oval. Fremantle entered the A.F.L. competition in 1995. Their inaugural coach was former East Fremantle, Swans and Claremont champion Gerard Neesham, and the captain was Ben Allan, formerly of Claremont and Hawthorn. The club played in its first grand final in 2012. In the picture to the right you can see Matthew Pavlich. Photo - July 2013 |
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