West Perth | ||
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Names | ||
Full name | West Perth Football Club | |
Former name(s) | Victorians Football Club (1885–91) Metropolitans Football Club (1891–92) |
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Nickname(s) |
Official: Falcons Previous: Cardinals Colloquial: Garlic Munchers |
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Motto | "Does Your Heart Beat True?" | |
2016 season | ||
After finals | Semi Finalists | |
Home-and-away season | 3rd | |
Leading goalkicker | Michael Lourey (39 goals) | |
Best and fairest | Jay Van Berlo | |
Club details | ||
Founded | 1885 | |
Colours | Red Blue | |
Competition | West Australian Football League | |
Chairman | Scott Ballem | |
Coach | Bill Monaghan | |
Captain(s) | Jay Van Berlo | |
Premierships |
List
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Ground(s) | Arena Joondalup (capacity: 16,000) | |
Uniforms | ||
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Other information | ||
Official website | falconsfc.com.au |
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 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.
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.
The West Australian Football Club was established in 1886 and were admitted to the competition for the 1887 season. 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. The team changed its name to West Perth after two seasons as Metropolitans and in 1897 won its first premiership.
In 1915 the team became the original tenant of the newly built Leederville Oval where it would remain based until 1993, at which 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 four premierships from seven grand finals, the most recent of which was in 2013.