The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia. West Perth competes in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW) and is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. Originally located at Leederville Oval, the team was relocated in 1994 to Arena Joondalup, a sports complex in the northern suburbs of Perth. The team's club song is "It's a Grand Old Flag" and its traditional rivals are East Perth.
History
The Victorian Football Club was established at a meeting on 2 May 1885. The new team was to play its games at the Recreation Ground (now Esplanade Reserve) and wear the colours cardinal and navy. Two weeks after the establishment of the new club it formed the WAFA together with Rovers and Fremantle. The three clubs, along with High School (now Hale School) were to play out the 1885 season, however High School dropped out after just two rounds.FOOTBALL. – The West Australian. Published Wednesday, 13 May 1885. Retrieved from Trove, 1 July 2012.
The West Australian Football Club was established in 1886 and were admitted to the competition for the 1887 season.NEWS OF THE DAY. – The Daily News. Published Saturday, 17 July 1886. Retrieved from Trove, 27 June 2012. At a meeting of the two clubs on 16 April 1889, it was unanimously decided to amalgamate the two clubs – West Australian and Victorians – into a single club known as the Metropolitan Football Club for the 1889 season. The West Australian colours of black and red were to be maintained for the new club.FOOTBALL. – Western Mail. Published Saturday, 27 April 1889. Retrieved from Trove, 27 June 2012. In 1891, a meeting of footballers was held to form a new team, to be called West Perth, which embraced the members of the then-defunct Metropolitan Football Club. The West Australian. Published Friday, 15 April 2016.Cowan, Sean (18 April 2015). "Historian debunks West Perth claim". The West Australian. The new club was immediately granted entry into the WA Football Association (later called the WA Football League) and won its first premiership in 1897.
In 1915 the team became the original tenant of the newly built Leederville Oval where it would remain based until 1993, at which time the team moved to Joondalup to play games at Arena Joondalup from the 1994 season onwards. Since relocating, the Falcons have enjoyed relative success with five premierships from nine grand finals, the most recent flag coming in 2022.
In 2022 the club became the seventh active club to participate in the WAFL Women's (WAFLW), the premier state-based competition for female footballers.
In February 2024, the City of Joondalup asked the football club to consider changing their name to the 'Joondalup Football Club' or 'Northern Football Club,' considering they have resided in Joondalup for 30 years. The football club and the City of Joondalup are yet to agree on a naming deal.
Ever since it joined the WAFLW league, the club has been experiencing great success by getting to the preliminary final after only three seasons. This made the West Perth Football Club Women's WAFLW team the most successful expansion team in the history of the competition.
West Perth Football Clubs' Rogers Cup side (U19s competition) is amongst some of the most successful teams in Australian sporting history. Winning the flag in an undefeated season in 2021, this was backed up by 2-undefeated seasons in 2023 and 2024, culminating in a further 2 premierships for the club. As at August 2024, the Rogers Cup team sit at 34 wins in a row - An impressive undefeated streak.
Club song
"It's a Grand Old Flag" "(Sung to the tune of "You're a Grand Old Flag")"
It's a grand old flag it's a high flying flag, It's the emblem for me and for you, It's the emblem of the team we love, The team of the red and the blue, Every heart beats true for the red and the blue, And we sing this song to you, Should old acquaintance be forgot, Keep your eye on the red and the blue!
Honours Club honours PremiershipsCompetitionLevelWinsYears won West Australian Football LeagueMen's Seniors201897, 1899, 1901, 1905, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1941, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2013, 2022Men's Reserves71927, 1930, 1947, 1956, 1960, 2014, 2019Colts (Boys U19)21968, 1990Rogers Cup (Girls U19)42021, 2023, 2024, 2025 Other titles and honoursRodriguez ShieldMultiple41960, 1999, 2002, 2022State PremiershipMen's Seniors (1904–1924)11905 Finishing positions West Australian Football LeagueMinor premiership (men's seniors)101897, 1899, 1901, 1905, 1942, 1948, 1960, 1975, 1993, 2022Grand Finalists (men's seniors)201891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1898, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1973, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018Wooden spoons (men's seniors)121895, 1918, 1919, 1930, 1938, 1939, 1964, 1974, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2026Wooden spoons (women's seniors)12022
Individual honours Sandover Medallists: (12 total)
1922: Harold Boyd 1924: Jim Gosnell 1927: Jim Craig 1930: Ted Flemming 1940: Terence O'Keefe 1942: Laurie Bowen 1946: John Loughridge 1951: Fred Buttsworth 1959: Brian Foley 1992: Robert West 1993: Neil Mildenhall 2014: Aaron Black
Simpson Medallists: (11 total)
1946: John Loughridge 1949: Jack Larcombe 1951: Don Porter 1960: Brian Foley 1969: Bill Dempsey 1971: Shane Sheridan
1975: Mel Whinnen 1995: Darren Harris 1999: Christian Kelly 2003: Brent LeCras 2013: Mark Hutchings 2022: Luke Meadows
Bernie Naylor Medalists: (20 total)
1894: Bill Duffy (15) 1898: Herb Loel (N/A) 1899: Herb Loel (50) 1900: Albert Daly (30) 1901: Herb Loel (45) 1902: Herb Loel (35) 1903: Tom McNamara (32) 1911: William Bellion (30) 1925: Ted Flemming (50) 1930: Frank Hopkins (79) 1932: Ted Tyson (96) 1936: Ted Tyson (126) 1942: Ted Brunton (94)
1945: Bill Baker (91) 1951: Ray Scott (141) 1955: Ray Scott (83) 1963: Ron Evans (97) 1973: Phil Smith (84) 2018: Andrew Strijk (51) 2019: Tyler Keitel (50) 2021: Tyler Keitel (64) 2023: Tyler Keitel (57) 2024: Tyler Keitel (56) 2025: Tyler Keitel (52)
All-Australians:
1961: Ray Gabelich 1972: Alan Watling
300 games
Mel Whinnen (371) Bill Dempsey (343)
200 games:
Aaron Black* (285) Alan Watling (284) Les Fong (284) Paul Mifka (283) Ray Scholfield (277) Shane Nelson* (259) Wally Price (256) Peter Menaglio (236) E J (Ted) Flemming (229) Bill Rainoldi (228) E A (Ted) Tyson (228)
Ken Ashdown (218) Jason Salecic (212) Norm McDiarmid (210) Max Tetly (210) Chris Keunen (209) Jim Craig (203) Brian Foley (202) Len Harman (201) Eddie Wylde (200)
(*) Indicates current listed players
Club records
Highest score: Round 10, 1981, 37–17 (239) vs. East Fremantle at Leederville Oval Round 10, 1987, 37–17 (239) vs. South Fremantle at Leederville Oval
Lowest score: Round 1, 1912, 0.3 (3) vs. Subiaco at WACA
Most games: Mel Whinnen 367This tally refers to premiership (home-and-away and finals matches) only. (1960–1977)
Highest goal kicker (season): E. Tyson 143 goals (1934) R. Scott 143 goals (1953)
Highest goal kicker (game): E. Tyson 17 goals v. Swan Districts (1934)
Highest goal kicker (career): E. Tyson 1196 goals
Longest serving captain: Les Fong, 7 Seasons (1980–1986)
Longest serving coach: Bill Monaghan, 10 Seasons (2009 – 2018)
Most club champion awards won: Mel Whinnen, 9
Record home attendance: Round 21, 1978, 24,567 vs. East Perth at Leederville Oval
Record finals attendance: 1975 Grand Final, 52,322 vs. South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval
WA Football Hall of Fame West Perth players who have been inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame: Player Year inducted Fred Buttsworth 2004Bill Dempsey 2004 Brian Foley 2004 Barney Grecian 2004Stan Heal 2004 Fred McDiarmid 2004 Ray Schofield 2004 Ray Scott 2004 Max Tetley 2004 Ted Tyson 2004 Mel Whinnen 2004 Jim Craig 2005 Les Fong2006 Brian France2006 Jim Gosnell2007 Alan Watling2009 Wally Price2010 Don Marinko, Sr.2011 Frank Hopkins2013 John Wynne2015 Derek Kickett2017 John Loughridge2019
Premierships
Grand finals
1897:
1899:
1901:
1905: West Perth 4–7 (31) def East Fremantle 3–9 (27)
1932: West Perth 18–9 (117) def East Perth 11–8 (74)
1934: West Perth 11–7 (73) def East Fremantle 5–9 (39)
1935: West Perth 11–8 (74) def Subiaco 7–9 (51)
1941: West Perth 14–14 (98) def East Fremantle 10–17 (77)
1942: West Perth 19–16 (130) def Claremont 11–13 (79)
1949: West Perth 16–13 (109) def Perth 12–7 (79)
1951: West Perth 13–10 (88) def South Fremantle 12–13 (85)
1960: West Perth 17–13 (115) def East Perth 12–11 (83)
1969: West Perth 21–21 (147) def East Perth 10–14 (74)
1971: West Perth 14–17 (101) def East Perth 9–15 (69)
1975: West Perth 23–17 (155) def South Fremantle 7–9 (51)
1995: West Perth 21–11 (137) def Subiaco 12–9 (81)
1999: West Perth 14–13 (97) def South Fremantle 11–6 (72)
2003: West Perth 13–9 (87) def Subiaco 9–10 (64)
2013: West Perth 20–11 (131) def East Perth 12–10 (81) 2022: West Perth 10-9 (69) def Claremont 8-9 (57)
Last premiership team
Club coaches
1919: Paddy Willoughby 1920–21: Tony Tyson 1921–22: Tom Soutar 1923: Archie Herd 1923–24: Jack Leckie 1925: Bert Taylor 1926–27: Tom Soutar 1928–30: Harold Boyd 1931: Sam Tyson 1932–33: Jack Cashman 1934–35: Johnny Leonard 1936: Jack Cashman 1937: Johnny Leonard 1938–39: Max Tetley 1940–41: Ross Hutchinson 1942–45: Joe Brooker 1946: Ross Hutchison 1947–52: Stan Heal 1953–54: Peter O'Donohue 1955: Don Scott 1956–57: Frank Sparrow
1958: Ray Schofield 1959: Don Marinko, Jr. 1960–63: Arthur Olliver 1964: Clive Lewington 1965–67: Bob Spargo 1968–71: Graham Farmer 1972: Peter Steward 1973–74: Dennis Jones 1975–77: Graham Campbell 1978–79: Percy Johnson 1979–81: Graham Campbell 1982–84: Dennis Cometti 1985–86: John Wynne 1987–88: Bruce Monteath 1989–91: George Michalczyk 1992–94: Jeff Gieschen 1995–99: John Dimmer 2000–01: Andrew Lockyer 2002–05: Darren Harris 2006–08: Todd Curley 2009–17: Bill Monaghan 2018–21: Geoff Valentine 2022-23 Darren Harris 2024-25 Jason Salecic 2025-26 Paul Sanzone
Club captains
1885–86: Alexander Rankin 1887: Horace Wilson 1888: Harry Sadler 1889: Frederick McDonough 1890: Jack Kneale 1891: Ken McKenzie 1892: Alfred Newlands 1893–94: George Sykes 1895: James Morgan 1896: Jack Coward and David DeCoit 1897–1900: Barney Grecian 1901: Les Jones and Billy Plunkett (1) 1902: Herbert Loel (1) 1903: Herbert Loel (2) and Bundy McNamara 1904: Billy Plunkett (2) 1905: Billy Plunkett (3) and Shooter Ford (1) 1906: Shooter Ford (2) 1907: Gerald Balme (1) 1908: Frederick Strickland 1909: Jim Everett 1910–11: Gerald Balme (2) 1912: Gerald Balme (3) and Bill Mose 1913–14: Samuel Rowe 1915–16: Anthony Austin 1917: Samuel Jeffery 1918: Jack O'Dea 1919: Paddy Willoughby 1920: Tony Tyson 1921–22: Tom Soutar (1) 1923–24: Harold Boyd 1925: Bert Taylor 1926: Tom Soutar (2) 1927: Donald Sinclair 1928: Bill McRae, Jim Gosnell, Jim Craig (1), and Jack McDiarmid 1929: Ernest Moyle 1930: Jim Craig (2) 1931: Ted Flemming (1) 1932–33: Jack Cashman 1934–35: Don Marinko, Sr.
1936: Bill Benton 1937: Ted Flemming (2) and Wally Buttsworth 1938–39: Max Tetly 1940–41: Dick Hill 1941: Spike Pola (1) 1942–43: Len Harman 1944: Fred Buttsworth 1945: Spike Pola (2) 1946: Ross Hutchinson 1947–51: Stan Heal 1952: Ray Schofield (1) 1953–54: Peter O'Donohue 1955: Don Scott 1956: Frank Sparrow 1957–58: Ray Schofield (2) 1959–60: Don Marinko, Jr. 1961–64: Brian Foley 1965–67: Bob Spargo 1968–71: Graham Farmer 1972: Peter Steward 1973–76: Bill Dempsey 1977: Mel Whinnen 1978: Arthur Duckworth 1979: Geoff Taylor 1980–86: Les Fong 1987–89: Peter Menaglio 1990: Paul Hasler 1991: David Palm 1992–94: Craig Nelson 1995–96: Darren Harris