The 1925 WAFL season was the 41st season of the West Australian Football League. It was notable as the season where a fully-fledged system of district football was firmly in place after two seasons of planning, with Perth divided into eight zones, one of which was allocated to Claremont in preparation for their entry to senior WAFL ranks for 1926 and another covered the Midland area later to be allocated to Swan Districts.[1] Along with this, the WAFL introduced a reserves competition for players not good enough for their club's league team.
The season saw East Fremantle gain revenge for the previous season's Grand Final loss against a Subiaco team often thought to be the most talented that club had fielded so far in its history[2] with three exceptional finals performances.
A notable incident during the season was a postponement of the Round 12 match between East Perth and West Perth because the Cardinals failed to return on time from a tour of Tasmania, due to being entertained by Senator Pearce in Melbourne the day the ‘Kalgoorlie Express’ was due to leave from Melbourne.[3]
The new rule (as in the VFL) of awarding a free kick against a player who puts the ball out of bounds is regarded as a great success: it was estimated that in one game there were only seventeen stoppages.[7]
Subiaco, with Ahearn kicking eight goals in the absence of top goal-sneak Rodriguez, move to a clear top. In the process the Maroons end the most recent run of 100 games without reaching 100 points.[18]
1924 wooden spooners West Perth, in rainy conditions, win their fourth straight game by thrashing a depleted Royal team with 8.9 (57) to 2.3 (15) after half-time.
During the two weekends following this round, Western Australia were thrashed at the MCG by 8.10 (58) to 22.11 (143)[42] and then at the Adelaide Oval on 1 August by 7.8 (50) to 12.22 (94).[43]
West Perth went on a tour of Tasmania at this time and played two games against representative teams there, beating Northern Tasmania 10.7 (67) to 7.10 (52) on 25 July[44] and losing 8.5 (53) to 8.12 (60) against Southern Tasmania on 1 August.[45]
East Fremantle continue their form of the previous two finals to have the premiership sealed by half-time, aided by a wind that lost its force during the second quarter.
Notes
a The only subsequent King's Birthday games in the WA(N)FL occurred in 1946, the season after government bans on weekday sport during the Pacific War were lifted. b Until 1947, WA(N)FL attendances were almost never quantified except for finals matches, and before 1920 they were not quantified even then – gates were used as an indication of the number watching.
References
^Casey, Kevin; The Tigers’ tale : the origins and history of the Claremont Football Club; pp. 12-15; ISBN0-646-26498-2
^Spillman, Ken; Diehards: The Story of the Subiaco Football Club 1896-1945; pp. 100-101 ISBN0-646-35834-0
^ ab“West Perth Team Entertained in Melbourne”; Kalgoorlie Miner; 6 August 1925; p. 6
^‘Perth Defeat East Perth: An Interesting Game’; The West Australian, 4 May 1925, p. 10
^‘Subiaco Vanquish West Perth’; The West Australian, 4 May 1925, p. 10
^‘East Fremantle Win’; The West Australian, 4 May 1925, p. 10
^‘Football: Opening of the Season’; The West Australian, 4 May 1925, p. 10
^‘Perth Win Easily’; The West Australian, 11 May 1925, p. 10
^‘East Perth’s Narrow Win: An Exciting Finish’; The West Australian, 11 May 1925, p. 10
^‘Subiaco v East Fremantle – Poor, Yet Exciting Football’; The West Australian, 11 May 1925, p. 10
^“Coach” (pseudonymous author); ‘Football: The Australian Game’; Western Mail, 14 May 1925, p. 24
^‘East Fremantle Defeat West Perth’; The West Australian, 18 May 1925, p. 11
^‘Subiaco v Perth – Maroons Win Comfortably’; The West Australian, 18 May 1925, p. 11
^‘East Perth Win’; The West Australian, 18 May 1925, p. 11
^‘Subiaco Still Unbeaten’; The West Australian, 25 May 1925, p. 11
^‘East Fremantle Beat Perth’; The West Australian, 25 May 1925, p. 11
^‘West Perth Win’; The West Australian, 25 May 1925, p. 11
^‘West’s Narrow Win; Umpire Threatened’; The West Australian, 6 July 1925, p. 10
^‘East Fremantle Defeat Perth’; The West Australian, 6 July 1925, p. 10
^‘East Perth v Subiaco – A Rugged Battle’; The West Australian, 6 July 1925, p. 10
^‘Perth’s Brilliant Victory: West Perth Decisively Beaten’; The West Australian, 13 July 1925, p. 9
^‘East Fremantle Win’; The West Australian, 13 July 1925, p. 9
^‘Subiaco v South Fremantle’; The West Australian, 13 July 1925, p. 9
^‘Subiaco Defeat West Perth: A Last Quarter Victory’; The West Australian, 20 July 1925, p. 10
^‘South Fremantle Win’; The West Australian, 20 July 1925, p. 10
^‘East Perth v Perth – A Poorly-Contested Game’; The West Australian, 20 July 1925, p. 10
^“Kudos” (pseudonymous author); ‘A Drubbing for Our Footballers: Victoria’s Overwhelming Victory; Surprising and Disappointing Result’; The Daily News, 27 July 1925, p. 8
^“Kudex” (pseudonymous author); ‘Badly Beaten: State Team’s Failure: South Australia’s Easy Win’
^‘West Perth v Tasmania: WA Team Successful’; The Sunday Times, 26 July 1925, p. 4
^‘West Perth Beaten: Hobart, Aug. 2.’; The West Australian, 3 August 1925, p. 7
^‘Subiaco v East Fremantle – A Great Game: A Stirring Finish’; The West Australian, 10 August 1925, p. 10
^‘Perth Beat South Fremantle’; The West Australian, 10 August 1925, p. 10
^ ab‘The League Season: West Perth v East Perth – A Disappointing Game’; The West Australian, 17 August 1925, p. 9
^“Football: The League Season”; The West Australian, 10 August 1925, p. 10
^‘West Perth v East Fremantle – An East Debacle’; The West Australian, 24 August 1925, p. 10
^‘Subiaco Beat Perth’; The West Australian, 24 August 1925, p. 10
^‘East Perth Win Easily’; The West Australian, 24 August 1925, p. 10
^‘East Fremantle Defeat Perth’; The West Australian, 31 August 1925, p. 11
^‘West Perth Win’; The West Australian, 31 August 1925, p. 11
^‘Subiaco v East Perth – Subiaco Victorious’; The West Australian, 31 August 1925, p. 11
^‘East Perth v East Fremantle – East Perth Victorious’; The West Australian, 7 September 1925, p. 11
^‘Subiaco Beaten’; The West Australian, 7 September 1925, p. 11
^‘West Perth Win’; The West Australian, 7 September 1925, p. 11
^‘Yesterday’s Football: East Fremantle Win Their Way to Final’; The Sunday Times, 13 September 1925, p. 7S
