[DownloadMan]

(Cross-posted from BigFooty - this might interest at least 1 other person)

Just finished a huge audit (so to speak) of the 1979 season. East Fremantle were premiers, East Perth's Phil Kelly won his second straight Sandover Medal, and East Fremantle rover Kevin Taylor was the leading goalkicker with 86 goals in the H&A season (he'd add another 16 in the finals to take his season tally to 102).

Top 5 Highest scores:

1) Swan Districts 40.11 (251) vs Subiaco 20.7 (127), Rd 19
2) Claremont 35.8 (218) vs Perth 14.15 (99), Rd 21
3) East Fremantle 32.23 (215) vs West Perth 19.12 (126), Rd. 19
4) Swan Districts 31.16 (202) vs Subiaco 11.12 (78), Rd. 5
5) East Perth 31.10 (196) vs East Fremantle 13.15 (93), Rd. 18

Goalscoring:

I've noted 317 players who played during the 1979. Of these 317… 246 troubled the scorers with at least 1 behind.

Most Goals in a Game:

13 Goals

13.4 - Ray Bauskis (SF vs Subiaco, Round 11)
13.3 - Mark Olsen (SD vs Subiaco, Round 19)

10 Goals

10.3 - Murray Couper (Perth vs West Perth, Round 11)

9 Goals

9.3 - Simon Beasley (SD vs SF, Round 14)
9.3 - Norm Uncle (Claremont vs EF, Round 16)
9.3 - Kevin Taylor (EF vs WP, Round 19)
9.2 - Kevin Taylor (EF vs Subiaco, Round 21)
9.1 - Jim Krakouer (Claremont vs Perth, Round 21)
9.1 - Gary Buckenara (Subiaco vs SD, Round 19)

8 Goals

8.6 – Mark Olsen (SD vs Subiaco, Round 12)
8.2 – Phil Krakouer (Claremont vs WP, Round 3)
8.2 – Mark Olsen (SD vs Subiaco, Round 5)
8.2 – Robert Vickers-Willis (Claremont vs EF, Round 9)
8.1 – Rod Alderton (WP vs SD, Round 6)
8.1 – Ray Bauskis (SF vs SD, Round 8 )
8.1 – Simon Beasley (SD vs Perth, Round 17)
8.0 – Archie Duda (EP vs EF, Round 18)

40 Goals or More in the Season by team:

Claremont

59.31 - Norm Uncle
51.37 - Ross Ditchburn
49.22 - Graham Moss
46.37 - Phil Krakouer
44.27 - Steve Malaxos
41.28 - Jim Krakouer

East Fremantle

102.64 - Kevin Taylor
55.31 - Jim Sewell
45.59 - Tony Buhagiar
45.25 - Ian Thomson*
40.34 - Ken Judge

*Thomson didn’t kick his first goals until he kicked 6.0 in Round 13.

East Perth

50.20 - Paul Arnold
47.15 - Archie Duda

Perth

61.30 - Peter Bosustow*
46.31 - Murray Couper

*Need to check this tally, as the WA Football Register for 1979 has 63 goals for Bosustow

South Fremantle

76.41 - Ray Bauskis
53.23 - Mark Jackson

Subiaco

None (leading scorer – Ken Marshall with 39.22)

Swan Districts

84.52 - Mark Olsen
46.36 - Simon Beasley
41.28 - Ian Williams

West Perth

None (leading scorer – John Frazer with 39.33)

[atmowasia]

I think Mark "Jacko" Jackson pulled out of the South side on the eve of the Grand Final too.

Kevin Taylor really had a boom season for the "Old Easts". I believe he is the only rover in history to finish as a leading goalkicker in the WAFL. At least he was at the time anyway.

I know the crowds that season were incredible. The Fremantle Derbies had crowds of over 20,000 at two games and including the Grand Final the two clubs attracted over 100,000 people to their 4 games for the year !!

And EP v EF games never had a crowd under 10,000 all season.... not bad... The good old days.

Gotta thank the AFL for ramming it up our ar$es hey...

Good read up for grabs.

[UMATURLIN]

Kevin Taylor never really approached this goalkicking form again. Not sure it was whether he wasn't rested as much in the forward line, I'm not sure... but his goal tallies were only really ever in the 30s I think for the rest of his career (save for his VFL exercises in 1981 and 1984).

Also - here's the 10+ Goals in a Quarter from the year:

1st QTR

10.5 - SD vs Perth, Rd 17

2nd QTR

10.5 - SF vs WP, Rd 9
10.6 - Perth vs Subiaco, Rd 9
10.4 - EF vs Perth, Rd 13
12.1 - SD vs Subiaco, Rd 19

3rd QTR

11.3 - EF vs Claremont, Rd 2
11.6 - EF vs Subiaco, Rd 7
10.8 - SF vs Subiaco, Rd 11
10.2 - EP vs EF, Rd 11
13.4 - SD vs Subiaco, Rd 19

4th QTR

10.10 - Claremont vs WP, Rd 3
10.5 - SF vs Subiaco, Rd 11
10.3 - Claremont vs Perth, Rd 14
10.8 - EF vs WP, Rd 19
12.3 - Claremont vs Perth, Rd 21

[WeightWatchyshow]

I was a member of the EF stats team that season and certainly enjoyed watching some super games. Whilst the Grand Final vixtory over our arch enemies will live in the memory banks forever the best game I saw that season was East Freo's win over East Perth in the first semi by 2 points. UNfortunately for Royals supporters club legend Mick Cronin passed away that night after calling the game.

[poulaMahmah]

Thanks for the memories Red Earth.

Not that I was actually born (that'd have to wait a couple of months after the '79 season ended), but it's hard to think my Royals got pipped in that 1st Semi. Three weeks earlier, they'd beaten Old Easts by 103 points... at East Fremantle Oval no less!

Just out of interest - what kind of stats did you keep?

I'm on a personal crusade to garner as many WAFL stats as possible (something which I'm sure will be a never-ending crusade), and it's great to know the clubs were doing this thing back then.

Are any of them readily available, or is it something only the club would've kept and then eventually discarded?

PS: Out of interest, here's the scores and details from that EF vs EP 1st Semi Final:

EF: 6.2 - 13.4 - 16.8 - 19.14 (128)
EP: 6.4 - 9.9 - 13.14 - 18.18 (126)

Goals:

EF - Thomson 7.2, Judge 4.4, Taylor 4.1, Sims 2.0, Buhagiar 1.1, Peake 1.1, Sewell 0.2, G. Kickett 0.1, Lester-Smith 0.1 (1 Forced)
EP - Arnold 6.3, Nolan 4.4, Spencer 2.2, Allen 2.2, L. Kickett 2.0, Cable 1.2, Kelly 1.0, Jamieson 0.1, Campbell 0.1 (3 Forced)

[Pharmadryg]

Ah yes, what a significant year 1979 was. The year Perth went from a powerhouse to the whipping boys as evidenced by that Rnd 21 game against Claremont. It's been a nightmare we have never woken up from. Just 3 finals appearances since, what a disgrace!

I remember catching public transport to get to and from Tech school that year and thinking, we'll bounce back in a year or two looking at young players coming through like Len Gandini, Lyndsay Carter, Doug and Wayne Simms, Barry Kimberly etc..... Those players might have come a year or two later but I'm still waiting for the revival. : :'(

[Nfxutkpa]

You did beat both Grand Finalists, though... so I suppose there's that at least!

Alan Joyce really stuffed that team. My wife's uncle played a few games for them in the early 80s under Joyce and says the club was pretty toxic back then. Players sniping behind each others backs, rumours about players sleeping with team mates wives/girlfriends.

Plus the fact that Joyce was a militant coach who trained the players to the ground. Pity really, because the talent was there, just never came together on the field.

[Azzi_Kahlila]

Stats in those days were pretty basic. (No computers then) From memory it was mainly kicks, marks, handballs, tackles, ruck knocks, freekicks and scores. Our stats team consisted of several past players and we were assisted by about six Year 12 students from Melville Senior High. There no special boxes in grandstands those days. At the Grand Final that year we actually had a reserved area on the front row against the fence. I doubt whether anyone has kept the stats sheets as they were given to the coaching staff at each break and after the game.

On one occasion I can remember that Bradley-Smith went ballistic at half-time when a now prominent football identity was blasted for not having laid a tackle.

[MwhwF6bp]

Stats in those days were pretty basic. (No computers then) From memory it was mainly kicks, marks, handballs, tackles, ruck knocks, freekicks and scores. Our stats team consisted of several past players and we were assisted by about six Year 12 students from Melville Senior High. There no special boxes in grandstands those days. At the Grand Final that year we actually had a reserved area on the front row against the fence. I doubt whether anyone has kept the stats sheets as they were given to the coaching staff at each break and after the game.

On one occasion I can remember that Bradley-Smith went ballistic at half-time when a now prominent football identity was blasted for not having laid a tackle.

No wonder i struggled keeping up, I did it for Brownie in 86 and it was all me and i tried keeping all those stats. I even had to draw up the sheet myself. It was good fun being in the inner sanctum though and got to sit in the coaches box. It felt good when you were thinking along the same lines as the coach and you had just tallied the stats of a certain player when the coach asks "how many kicks/possessions has so and so had?" and you can fire it out quickly.

Remember Mark Watson copped a grilling at half time at Leederville oval and Brownie wanted to know his stats til half time and in the first semi final against Claremont Brownie wanted to know the stats of a skinny 17 yr old aboriginal kid playing just his 3rd league game (I think) by the name of Chris Lewis, who was causing a few headaches.

A young reporter learning the ropes was a guest in the coaches box that day too by the name of Michael Thompson.

[HBPujWBe]

Really interesting thread and contributions. Good read.

[hablyShappY]

Will hopefully get other, similar threads going. Have recently temporarily liberated the WA Football Registers from 1974-1990 from my father in law. Sort of going to the state library and digging around (which I still may do), these books are a holy grail of info.

[BriKevin]

Will hopefully get other, similar threads going. Have recently temporarily liberated the WA Football Registers from 1974-1990 from my father in law. Sort of going to the state library and digging around (which I still may do), these books are a holy grail of info.

Great stuff mate. Would love to read about 1974. That was the year I was first able to be old enough to go to the footy every week.

[boffincash]

I did once have copies of all the registers from about 1980 onwards until they stopped making them. It was a bible for me & my brother as we would always be reading it and basically solving arguments with it.... Unfortunately I have lost many of them. I think I still have a few around, but not many.

I can remember going to the footy in the late 70's with my old man. I always have this memory of Barry Cable playing for EP in a game at East Fremantle Oval. I dont know why but I can remember that for some unknown reason. That would have been in either 1978 or 1979.

But the early 80's I remember very well as a kid. The crowds at most EP games (which were the only games we attended) were generally big, especially against sides like WP,SD and SF. I remember quite clearly on several occasions me & my brother collecting steel beer cans and stacking enough of them so we could stand on them and see the game. That is how it was at times during the big games. I do recall being perched up in a tree at Perth Oval watching the Royals against Swans. It was the only way we could see what was going on, and we had the best view. The old man would buy us a hotdog and a choc milk and pass it up to us so we didnt have to get down. They were remarkable times for local suburban footy. Young kids today wouldnt really understand or appreciate what we are talking about. Saturday afternoons in winter were all about the footy. If you were not at a game it just felt weird.

[cbUDaNFRu]

I don't think there was anything better than being a young boy and going to a WAFL game in the 80s or earlier. Sure, I'm a mad Eagles man, but I've been a Royals man for longer. I sure know that when I have kids I'll introduce them to the game not by going to an AFL match, but by taking them to watch the Royals.

[Frodogzzz]

I still love the WAFL too mate... I do take a keen interest in the AFL but to me there is still nothing better than watching a WAFL game on the outer banks. The kids can run amok and dad can relax a bit more. Cant do that at an AFL game these days (or cant get in - period).

The WAFL actually takes on alot more importance these days than in the past because the AFL rely on it more for producing quality players. It takes on a totally different phase now, but it's still another option for the regular footy fan when it comes to thinking of something to do on a Saturday. And given the huge obstacles the WAFL has faced not only over the past 20 years but the last 5 years, crowds are stabalising well and in some cases increasing. There is no doubt the standard has improved and semi-proffessional footballers are lifting their standards and expectations.

Looking forward to getting Christmas & New Year out of the way and hitting the down hill slope into the new season. Might try and catch a few practice games in February too.

[Sleedyhex]

There was a big kerfuffle a few years back when John Todd came out and said they should change the name of the Sandover Medal because it was an insult to the blokes who won it years ago to have their name associated with the blokes who won the medal in the late 90s and early 00s.

Now, I don't agree with that at all (Todd's always been one to shoot his mouth off for a soundbite), but you couldn't say that about the league these days.

IMHO, there's been a massive upturn in the level of play in the past few years and it's great to see.

[lollypopz]

When I first started taking an interest in attendances in 2002/2003, no club could average 2000 per game, now all are except for Peel. Most well beyond 2000. We're on the up.

[WUlcN1Rz]

I actually love Toddy. Him and Browny and all those blokes were up front, powerful men in WAFL circles back in the day.

But I would hate it if they changed the name of the Sandover. That is like saying winners of today eg. Matt Priddis and now Andy Krakouer are not worthy of it... A bit hypocritical when blokes like these two are playing at the highest level now.

Its yet another way of changing something simply for the sake of change - and nothing else.

Like when they changed the WAFL to Westar so it would connect with all the younger folk... Yeh great move. I could just see all the skateboards around Perth with "Westar" stickers on them. Bloody ridiculous.

[Ikhqgvas]

Yeah - should've mentioned that I've got nothing against Toddy. WA Football's always been a priority of his, and that's never a bad thing. I see him wandering and driving around Applecross all the time. But his comments were a little off regarding the Sandover then, and would especially be so now.

Andrew Krakouer's 2010 season is more than worthy of standing side-by-side with those of years gone by.

[Ternneowns]

Originally Posted by Red Earth Stats in those days were pretty basic. (No computers then) From memory it was mainly kicks, marks, handballs, tackles, ruck knocks, freekicks and scores. Our stats team consisted of several past players and we were assisted by about six Year 12 students from Melville Senior High. There no special boxes in grandstands those days. At the Grand Final that year we actually had a reserved area on the front row against the fence. I doubt whether anyone has kept the stats sheets as they were given to the coaching staff at each break and after the game.

On one occasion I can remember that Bradley-Smith went ballistic at half-time when a now prominent football identity was blasted for not having laid a tackle.

No wonder i struggled keeping up, I did it for Brownie in 86 and it was all me and i tried keeping all those stats. I even had to draw up the sheet myself. It was good fun being in the inner sanctum though and got to sit in the coaches box. It felt good when you were thinking along the same lines as the coach and you had just tallied the stats of a certain player when the coach asks "how many kicks/possessions has so and so had?" and you can fire it out quickly.

Remember Mark Watson copped a grilling at half time at Leederville oval and Brownie wanted to know his stats til half time and in the first semi final against Claremont Brownie wanted to know the stats of a skinny 17 yr old aboriginal kid playing just his 3rd league game (I think) by the name of Chris Lewis, who was causing a few headaches.

A young reporter learning the ropes was a guest in the coaches box that day too by the name of Michael Thompson. Had the same job with Swans from 1989-2006 after 4 years with Armadale in the SFL from 1985-88. Started with Ed Blackaby, then Toddy, Graham Melrose, Phil Cronan, Peter Wilson, Toddy again and finally Steve Turner. Would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in footy and can spare a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. Had a great time during those 18 years, got to meet a lot of legends I never dreamed of meeting as a kid.