1979 WAFL Grand Final

Build Up

Astonishingly throughout the 1979 season it was Claremont who had looked the strongest side in the league, during the home and away season they had handed heavy defeats to the Fremantle clubs. When finals came around though both East Fremantle and South Fremantle hit form. Souths defeated the minor premiers in the major semi final to advance directly to the Premiership decider, whilst East comfortably overcame East Perth in the minor semi final before downing Claremont in the Preliminary Final. It was East Fremantle' second Grand Final appearance in three years.

Match Summary

The match is often Cited as one of the greatest Grand Finals of all time (in any State League). It was typified by two players in particular, Kevin Taylor of East Fremantle (who kicked seven goals from a midfiled position and claimed the Simpson medal) and Maurice Rioli of South Fremantle. The game was a see sawing affair in which both teams both took and gave away potential match winning leads. In the end it was East Fremantle who had more poise and went on to win the match.

East Fremantle	21.19(145)
South Fremantle	16.16(112)

Attendance

The official game attendance of 52,781 is (even to this day) the record for the largest turn out to an Australian Rules football game in Western Australia, and for that matter the largest crowd of any football code in WA history.

East Fremantle 1979 Grand Final Team

Backs: A.Purser R.Crouch M.Dobson// Half-backs: M.Carrott D.Green P.LeCras// Centres: R.Lester-Smith S.Green J.Sims// Half-forwards: M.Turco J.Sewell W.Cormack// Forwards: K.Judge I.Thomson K.Taylor// Ruck: G.Carter B.Peake T.Buhagiar//

Interchange: R.Johnson G.Kickett