John Ironmonger (East Perth) Bryan Cousins (Perth)[a]
Bernie Naylor Medallist
Warren Ralph (Claremont)
Matches played
88
← 1982
1984 →
The 1983 WAFL season was the 99th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. The season opened on 31 March and concluded on 17 September with the 1983 WAFL Grand Final contested between Claremont and Swan Districts.
South Fremantle, after a disappointing 1982, and Claremont dominated the competition for most of the year before Swans – after a slow start due to numerous injuries with four losses from eight matches – came home very strongly for a second premiership win in a row. East Perth, with a new coach and required to play fourteen men new to league football, missed the finals for only the second time in eighteen seasons and indeed only the fifth since their dynasty between 1956 and 1961,[1] though a reserves premiership after a drawn preliminary final was partial compensation.
The continuing fall in WAFL attendances despite the growth of Perth's metropolitan population,[2] loss of many star players to the VFL, and resultant financial difficulties for all clubs, led the government of Brian Burke to undergo a review of the WAFL's needs, especially club finances and ground leases, but future seasons did not prove the move successful. In an effort to update their images East Fremantle adopted the moniker "Sharks" and West Perth the "Falcons", and despite considerable scepticism both clubs have retained these nicknames to the present. The blue and whites dominated the pre-season[3] and recovered from a very bad start in the home-and-away rounds to reach fourth position in the last round, but were out of their depths against the top three – who lost only three matches to the remaining five teams all season. The Sharks did win the experimental "Emu Export" lightning carnival held at Subiaco Oval on May 14 and 15, which was regarded by the WAFL as a major flop and never repeated.[4]
For the first time the WAFL allowed six home-and-away matches to be played on Sunday and televised direct to Perth viewers, but attendances at these matches were about half what would have happened otherwise[5] and the WAFL abandoned this for the 1984 season.
^Christian, Geoff; ‘Alexander to Think It Over’; The West Australian, 22 August 1983, pp. 84, 80
^See Barker, Anthony J.; Behind the Play: A History of Football in Western Australia. ISBN 0975242709
^Young, Doug; ‘Subiaco’s Victory Looks Ominous’; The West Australian, 28 March 1983, p. 69
^Christian, Geoff; ‘No, Say the Fans’; The West Australian, 16 May 1983, pp. 72, 67
^Christian, Geoff; ‘Telecasts Should Be Reviewed’; The West Australian, 20 June 1983, p. 84
The 1983WAFLseason was the 99th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. The season opened on 31 March and concluded...
The 2024 WAFLseason is the 140th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL). The season commenced on the 28th of...
The 2018 WAFLseason (officially the 2018 McDonald’s WAFL Premiership Season) is the 134th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football...
The 2023 WAFLseason was the 139th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL). The season commenced on 7 April and...
The 2020 WAFLseason (officially the 2020 Optus WAFL Premiership Season) was the 136th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football...
The 2019 WAFLseason (officially the 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season) was the 135th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football...
This is a list of records from the West Australian Football League (WAFL) since its inception in 1885 (formerly known as the West Australian Football Association...
The 1982 WAFLseason was the 98th season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 27 March 1982 and concluded...
The 2007 WAFLseason was the 123rd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. The season saw Subiaco, confounding the...
The 2021 WAFLseason (officially the 2021 Optus WAFL Premiership Season) is the 137th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football...
The 2022 WAFLseason is the 138th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL).The season commenced on the 15th of...
The 1981 WAFLseason was the 97th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. The season opened on 11 April and concluded...
The 2010 WAFLseason was the 126th season of the West Australian Football League in its various incarnations. It was notable for the end of the 2000s Subiaco...
The 1909 WAFLseason was the 25th season of senior Australian rules football in Perth, Western Australia. Source: WAFL Footy Facts Rules for classification:...
The 1984 WAFLseason was the 100th season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 31 March and concluded...
The West Australian Football League (WAFL /ˈwɒfəl/ "waffle" or "W-A-F-L") is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The...
The 2001 WAFLseason was the 117th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. Following the off-season “Fong Report” by...
The 1917 WAFLseason was the 33rd season of the West Australian Football League. Source: WAFL Footy Facts Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage;...
The 1918 WAFLseason was the 34th season of the West Australian Football League. Source: WAFL Footy Facts Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage;...
Football League (WAFL) and the WAFL Women's (WAFLW), commonly going by the nickname the Bulldogs. Since its founding, the club has won 14 WAFL premierships...
The 1920 WAFLseason was the 36th season of the West Australian Football League. Source: WAFL Footy Facts Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage;...
The West Australian Football League (WAFL) has utilised a number of different grounds since its formation in 1885. This list comprises grounds currently...
The 2017 WAFLseason was the 133rd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL). The season commenced on 18 March 2017...
The 2016 WAFLseason was the 132nd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL). The season concluded on 25 September...
The 2012 WAFLseason was the 128th season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 17 March, with Subiaco...
The 1986 WAFLseason was the 102nd season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. It was the last season before the introduction...
The 2015 WAFLseason was the 131st season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL). The season began on 20 March 2015...
Global Information