2001 WAFL season
| 2001 WAFL season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 9 |
| Premiers |
East Perth (16th premiership) |
| Minor premiers |
Claremont (12th minor premiership) |
| Matches played | 85 |
| Bernie Naylor Medallist | Paul Medhurst (Claremont) |
| Sandover Medallist | Ryan Turnbull (East Perth) |
|
← 2000 (Westar Rules)
2002 →
|
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The 2001 WAFL season was the 117th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. Following the off-season “Fong Report” by WAFC President Neale Fong which was written as a response to the problems then faced on-and off-field by AFL and domestic football in Western Australia, the league reverted to calling itself the ‘WAFL’ because it was acknowledged ‘Westar Rules’ was painfully contrived and did not reflect the history or traditions of the local game.
2001 also saw the abandonment of the “double-header” system of playing finals that began with the replay of the 1989 First Semi-Final, and also an unsuccessful experiment of giving each club four byes during the home-and-away season rather than three.
East Perth continued on from their dominance of the 2000 season to win a second successive premiership for the first time in forty-two seasons, thrashing a South Fremantle team that came from third position – after along with minor premiers Claremont completely dominating the season up to the end of May – to the Grand Final. Former West Coast Eagle regular Ryan Turnbull became the second player in four seasons to complete the Sandover/Simpson double. 2000 Grand Finalists East Fremantle, after having the best WAFL/Westar record during the 1990s, fell to second-last ahead of only financially crippled Swan Districts and were to play only one final during the rest of the decade. Peel Thunder, after advancing to four wins in 2000, advanced further despite the “Fong Report” recommending the withdrawal of their licence and at one time looked a chance for the finals, but the off-field pressure caused them to falter severely in the run home.
New skipper Marshall Stockden, replacing the retired Stephen Bilcich, gives the Sharks a splendid comeback win with a goal from a bouncing shot almost on the siren.
For the only time to date, the WAFL play a match in the coal-mining town of Collie, in East Perth’s country zone. The game becomes Peel’s first win over an eventual premier club, and continues East Perth’s hoodoo in matches staged in country centres, as former Thunder star Buszan scores 2.7 (19).
Led by Ryan Turnbull and Devan Perry, East Perth win a thrilling match with two goals direct from clearances in the final minute and remain in touch with top club Claremont.
Troy Wilson, despite playing with three pairs of socks in the boots of Dean Buszan, kicks seven goals to ward off a potential Shark upset.
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