The 2000 Westar Rules season was the fourth season of ‘Westar Rules’ and the 116th season of the various incarnations of senior football in Perth. It was the last season before the competition's name was changed back to the traditional ‘WAFL’ as it was clear the public had not been attracted by the change.[1]Owing to the Sydney Olympics, Westar Rules shortened the 2000 season from twenty to eighteen matches per club, and retained this eighteen-match season in 2001 and 2002 before going back to the current twenty-match season.
The 2000 season saw East Perth freed from the coaching and ground disputes that had wiped out their 1999 season, aided by a host club arrangement with West Coast and with Leederville Oval as home ground and Tony Micale as coach. The team rose from second last, with only five wins, to top of the table losing only three games. The Royals were to decisively win the 2000, 2001 and 2002 premierships for the first “hat-trick” since Swan Districts between 1982 and 1984, and their only premierships since 1978. Cinderella club Peel Thunder rose off the bottom for the first time, winning twice as many matches as in their first three seasons combined.
Perth were affected by the loss of 1999 standout player Gus Seebeck at only twenty-three to become a member of the Australasian PGA after a brief second stint with South Fremantle,[2] and also lost Leon Davis, Richard Kelly, Chance Bateman, Richard Pang and Russel Thomas.[3] The Demons’ 2000 season was until the last game an unmitigated disaster that saw a twenty-game losing streak. This constitutes Perth's longest run of losses and the equal seventh longest in WAFL history.[4]
Subiaco, previously criticised as “soft”, produce a superb display in difficult conditions due to a strong sea breeze.[6]
Injury-plagued Swan Districts ruckman Travis Edmonds leads the Swans to a comfortable win after being behind all day.[7] Swans kick the last eight after Perth won the first three quarters.
Peel Thunder record their first ever home-ground win, ending a run of 32 home-ground losses.
For the third straight week, Perth fade out in the last quarter, this time after Cleve Humphreys of South Fremantle kicks out on the full from point blank range.[8]
Peel Thunder kick their first score of twenty goals, and their score remains easily the Thunder’s highest losing score on record (the nearest approach being 121 points against Claremont in the last round of 2006)[10]
Despite the loss of Andrew Donnelly, Subiaco crush the previously promising Thunder with state centre half-back Richard Ambrose taking over his centre half-forward role and the Peel midfield thrashed.[15]
1999 Simpson Medallist Christian Kelly ends East Perth’s unbeaten start to 2000 with a superb display on the ball, backed up by outstanding display from the whole West Perth defence.[16]
After revealing they required $200,000 to pay off crippling debts and avoid folding, Swan Districts overcame wet conditions in the first half to kick 8.5 (53) to 3.3 (21) after the long interval, with half-forward flanker Mark Piani kicking four goals.[17]
Sixteen-year-old Trinity College boy Ashley Sampi steals the show during a brilliant return to form by South Fremantle with seventeen kicks and some amazing individual skills.[20]
Peel, with Dean Buszan out for the season due to persistent ankle problems, are restricted to 0.1 (1) in the first half as Anthony Jones shows himself ready for an AFL recall and Claremont keep their finals hopes alive.[21]
Westar Rules schedule games for the Pilbara town of Karratha and the Kimberley town of Kununurra. Despite good attendances, the experiments were not repeated until 2011 and 2013 respectively.
Swan Districts record what would become their last win against the Lions until the Foundation Day Saturday of 2006, setting a record streak of thirteen losses in between.[22]
Peel Thunder become the first WANFL/WAFL/Westar Rules team to fail to score in the second half since Subiaco against East Fremantle in 1954. The Thunder kick 4.4 in the first nineteen minutes in heavy rain and gale-force winds but only one point midway through the second quarter afterwards.[23]
In perhaps the highest-standard Westar Rules match for a long time despite rainy conditions,[25]Josh Wooden’s running play allows East Perth to defeat the finals charge of the financially stricken Swans.[26]
Peel’s wasteful forwards and an elementary error during a late-game kick-in where they leave reigning Simpson Medallist Christian Kelly unmarked cost it a fifth win[27]
On a rainswept Arena Joondalup,[28] strong rivals West Perth and East Perth play the lowest-scoring WANFL/WAFL/WASFL/Westar game since West Perth 5.4 (34) beat Perth 3.4 (22) in 1964.[29]
The score is West Perth’s lowest since kicking 2.9 (21) against East Fremantle in the 1925 Semi-Final.[30]
In Toodyay, Perth, despite having 33 more marks and 20 more kicks, still cannot break their duck for the season as Clayton Gardiner’s size and power convert chances too well.[31]
After John Todd tries to play Craig Callaghan, who was controversially ruled ineligible for the Westar finals and is taken off after tossing, the Swans fall under on- and off-field pressure against the seventh-placed Bulldogs.[32]
Perth escape their first-ever winless season with a convincing victory over Swan Districts. Perth were previously winless with a round to play and won in 1923, though they had drawn one game.
The Demons are neck-and-neck with Swan Districts before the report and send-off of Swan fullback Steve Kelderman for striking an umpire lets Perth run away and kick 10.7 (67) to 0.2 (2) for the rest of the game.[33]
East Fremantle give West Perth, who needed to win by eight-and-a-half goals to make the four, not the slightest whiff of a chance with a solid win that made critics rethink their finals chances.[34]
Tregenza 3, Scott Spalding 3, Morgan 2, Willison, Bowden, Roser
Cox, Wheatley, Wooden, Chambers, Barnard, Wilson
Best
Morgan, Gaspar, Spalding, Roser, Tregenza, Green
Kane Marsh (jaw)
Injuries
Leigh Willison (cheek)
East Perth overcame the loss of vice-captain Rod Wheatley (hit in the face by a ball soccered by Leigh Willison) to win their first premiership in 22 years comfortably.[37]
References
^Devaney, John; Full Points Footy’s WA Football Companion; p. 96. ISBN9780955689710
^Reid, Russell; ‘Bulldogs Tugging at Leash’; in The Game, p. 11; from The West Australian, 24 April 2000
^Casellas, Ken; ‘Youngster Impresses as Future AFL Star’; in The Game, p. 11; from The West Australian, 3 April 2000