This is a list of the
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League (WAFL "waffle" or "W-A-F-L") is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting f ...
premiers, the premier state-based
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
league in
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, and includes premiers of the Western Australian Football Association (1885–1906), West Australian Football League (1907-1924), Western Australian Football League (1925-1927), Western Australian National Football League (1928–1979), West Australian Football League (1980-1989), WA State League (1990), West Australian Football League (1991-1996), Westar Rules (1997–2000) and West Australian Football League (2001-).
In 1967, WAFL football historian Dave Clement discovered a discrepancy between the official premiership list as published by the league and what he had determined from examination of records from the time. The original list has Fremantle winning six of the first seven premierships; however, documentation was found that the Unions club had won three premierships in succession.
The discrepancy was not officially acknowledged and fixed until the League's centenary in 1985.
In the early years, a number of cups were awarded to clubs who won the premiership, including the "Dixson Cup"
and the "Farley Cup".
On March 27, 1907, the WAFA was renamed the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
The
1907 grand final ended in a controversial manner, after
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
were awarded their first premiership by protesting the results.
On Wednesday October 12, 1927, the WAFL was renamed the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL) – the "national" in the name being adopted by the SANFL, TANFL and other leagues when the Australian Football Council became the Australian National Football Council earlier in that year.
Prior to 1931, premierships were either awarded to the team leading the
ladder
A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps commonly used for climbing or descending. There are two types: rigid ladders that are self-supporting or that may be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rollable ladd ...
or who won a final. If the top team lost the final, then they had the right to call for a challenge match to be played the following week to determine the premiership.
In 1931 the system changed to the
Page finals system where the top two teams play in the second semi final, with the loser having a second chance and the winner progressing straight to the Grand Final. The winner of the third and fourth placed teams who played in the first semi final play the loser of the second semi final in the preliminary final.
Since 1945, the best player on ground in the Grand Final has been awarded the
Simpson Medal
The Simpson Medal is an individual prize awarded for Australian rules football in Western Australia. The medal has been donated by Dr Fred Simpson and family since 1945.
Simpson Medals are currently awarded to the following players:
*The best pl ...
.
Premiers
Western Australian Football Association (1885–1906)
West Australian Football League (1907–1927)
Western Australian National Football League (1928–1979)
West Australian Football League (1980–1989)
W.A. State League (1990)
West Australian Football League (1991–1996)
Westar Rules (1997–2000)
West Australian Football League (2001–)
Records
Premierships
Current clubs
Defunct Clubs
Consecutive appearances
Consecutive Premierships
Consecutive Grand Finals
Prior to
1904
Events
January
* January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''.
* January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
* ...
, the premiership and runners-up of the season were decided by position on the ladder (1st and 2nd, respectively). From 1904 onwards, a grand final was played to determine the premiers of that year. Since no grand final was played prior to 1904, despite
East Fremantle
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...
either winning a premiership or being determined as the runners-up in the years of
1899
Events January
* January 1
** Spanish rule formally ends in Cuba with the cession of Spanish sovereignty to the U.S., concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas.''The American Monthly Review of Reviews'' (February 1899), p ...
-
1903
Events January
* January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India.
* January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...
(L, W, L, W, W), these years are not counted additionally towards
East Fremantle
East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...
's consecutive grand final appearances from
1904
Events
January
* January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''.
* January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
* ...
-
1912
This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15.
In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
.
1 East Fremantle drew the
1905 WAFA Grand Final and was defeated by West Perth in the replay.
2 Claremont drew the
1938 WANFL Grand Final, and defeated East Fremantle in the replay.
Grand Final Matchups
Grand finals commenced from
1904
Events
January
* January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''.
* January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system.
* ...
, onwards. Grand final replays are not counted as individual appearances.
This table is a list of all the grand final matchups in the
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League (WAFL "waffle" or "W-A-F-L") is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting f ...
by order of how often two teams have played against each other. The table denotes the number of grand final appearances between two teams, the year(s) both teams have played against each other, and the premiership years(s) of each team (if any at all).
Premiership Droughts
The following tables summarise the different premiership droughts for each club. The first table is limited to droughts lasting twenty or more seasons, while the other three are specific to each club (two of which span the entire competition, including all 21 teams). The duration of the drought is given as the number of full seasons contested between premierships; the season in which the drought is broken is considered to be part of the drought, and if the drought began from a club's entry to the league, the club's inaugural season is also considered to be part of the drought. Grand final replays are not included in grand final appearances.
Longest Premiership Droughts
''Table correct to the start of the 2025 season''.
Longest club premiership droughts
''Table correct to the start of the 2025 season''.
Current club premiership droughts
''Table correct to the end of the 2024 season''.
Time taken to win first premiership
''Table correct to the start of the 2025 season''.
Minor grades
Reserves premierships
*1925: Perth (1)
*1926: East Fremantle (1)
*1927: West Perth (1)
*1928: Subiaco (1)
*1929: Subiaco (2)
*1930: West Perth (2)
*1931: Subiaco (3)
*1932: East Perth (1)
*1933: East Perth (2)
*1934: East Perth (3)
*1935: East Perth (4)
*1936: South Fremantle (1)
*1937: Claremont (1)
*1938: East Fremantle (2)
*1939: East Fremantle (3)
*1940: East Fremantle (4)
*1941-45: not awarded (
WW2
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...
)
*1946: Swan Districts (1)
*1947: West Perth (3)
*1948: East Perth (5)
*1949: Perth (2)
*1950: East Fremantle (5)
*1951: East Fremantle (6)
*1952: South Fremantle (2)
*1953: South Fremantle (3)
*1954: South Fremantle (4)
*1955: Perth (3)
*1956: West Perth (4)
*1957: Perth (4)
*1958: Subiaco (4)
*1959: Subiaco (5)
*1960: West Perth (5)
*1961: East Perth (6)
*1962: East Fremantle (7)
*1963: Perth (5)
*1964: Swan Districts (2)
*1965: East Perth (7)
*1966: East Perth (8)
*1967: East Perth (9)
*1968: Perth (6)
*1969: Subiaco (6)
*1970: East Fremantle (8)
*1971: Perth (7)
*1972: Subiaco (7)
*1973: Perth (8)
*1974: Perth (9)
*1975: Perth (10)
*1976: East Perth (10)
*1977: Claremont (2)
*1978: East Perth (11)
*1979: Swan Districts (3)
*1980: Claremont (3)
*1981: East Perth (12)
*1982: Claremont (4)
*1983: East Perth (13)
*1984: Subiaco (8)
*1985: South Fremantle (5)
*1986: South Fremantle (6)
*1987: Claremont (5)
*1988: Perth (11)
*1989: East Fremantle (9)
*1990: Claremont (6)
*1991: South Fremantle (7)
*1992: South Fremantle (8)
*1993: East Fremantle (10)
*1994: East Fremantle (11)
*1995: Subiaco (9)
*1996: Perth (12)
*1997: Subiaco (10)
*1998: Subiaco (11)
*1999: Subiaco (12)
*2000: Claremont (7)
*2001: East Fremantle (12)
*2002: Subiaco (13)
*2003: Subiaco (14)
*2004: South Fremantle (9)
*2005: Subiaco (15)
*2006: Swan Districts (4)
*2007: Subiaco (16)
*2008: East Fremantle (13)
*2009: South Fremantle (10)
*2010: Claremont (8)
*2011: Claremont (9)
*2012: Claremont (10)
*2013: South Fremantle (11)
*2014: West Perth (6)
*2015: South Fremantle (12)
*2016: Claremont (11)
*2017: Subiaco (17)
*2018: Subiaco (18)
*2019: West Perth (7)
*2020: East Perth (14)
*2021: Perth (13)
*2022: Subiaco (19)
*2023: Swan Districts (5)
*2024: East Fremantle (14)
Source where unlisted
Colts (under-19) premierships
*1957: Swan Districts (1)
*1958: Swan Districts (2)
*1959: Perth (1)
*1960: Perth (2)
*1961: Perth (3)
*1962: East Fremantle (1)
*1963: Perth (4)
*1964: Perth (5)
*1965: Perth (6)
*1966: East Fremantle (2)
*1967: East Perth (1)
*1968: West Perth (1)
*1969: East Fremantle (3)
*1970: South Fremantle (1)
*1971: Swan Districts (3)
*1972: Perth (7)
*1973: East Fremantle (4)
*1974: Subiaco (1)
*1975: East Perth (2)
*1976: Claremont (1)
*1977: Claremont (2)
*1978: Claremont (3)
*1979: Claremont (4)
*1980: East Perth (3)
*1981: East Fremantle (5)
*1982: South Fremantle (2)
*1983: South Fremantle (3)
*1984: South Fremantle (4)
*1985: South Fremantle (5)
*1986: Claremont (5)
*1987: East Fremantle (6)
*1988: Claremont (6)
*1989: Subiaco (2)
*1990: West Perth (2)
*1991: Swan Districts (4)
*1992: East Fremantle (7)
*1993: Claremont (7)
*1994: Claremont (8)
*1995: Claremont (9)
*1996: Claremont (10)
*1997: Claremont (11)
*1998: East Fremantle (8)
*1999: Perth (8)
*2000: East Perth (4)
*2001: East Fremantle (9)
*2002: South Fremantle (6)
*2003: South Fremantle (7)
*2004: Peel Thunder (1)
*2005: Peel Thunder (2)
*2006: East Perth (5)
*2007: Swan Districts (5)
*2008: Swan Districts (6)
*2009: Claremont (12)
*2010: East Fremantle (10)
*2011: South Fremantle (8)
*2012: South Fremantle (9)
*2013: Claremont (13)
*2014: Swan Districts (7)
*2015: Claremont (14)
*2016: Claremont (15)
*2017: East Fremantle (11)
*2018: Subiaco (3)
*2019: Claremont (16)
*2020: Subiaco (4)
*2021: Swan Districts (8)
*2022: Peel Thunder (3)
*2023: Claremont (17)
*2024: Claremont (18)
Source
Fourths premierships (1965–1974)
*1965: East Perth (1)
*1966: Claremont (1)
*1967: East Perth (2)
*1968: Claremont (2)
*1969: Swan Districts (1)
*1970: Subiaco (1)
*1971: Swan Districts (2)
*1972: East Fremantle (1)
*1973: Swan Districts (3)
*1974: East Fremantle (2)
Source
See also
*
List of WAFL Women's premiers
References
WAFL Premiers & Runners Up
{{West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League Premiers, List of
*
WAFL premiers