1987 WAFL season

Clubs

Home-and-away season

Round 1

• Former forward Tony Beers, moved at the last minute to defence, does an outstanding job on the previously potent Perth forward line to produce a convincing revenge for Claremont's 1986 first semi-final defeat.}}

Round 2

• Future Eagle stars Hart and Worsfold dominate for South Fremantle against a disappointing Perth team affected by injuries and Eagle commitments, turning Perth's WACA "homecoming" sour.}}

Round 3 (Easter weekend)

• Ninety seconds from the final siren David Hart receives two fifteen-metre penalties against West Perth's Gavin Wake – the first for running over the mark and the second for delaying in giving the ball – to move from 70 m to 40 m from goal and kick the winner in a fluctuating match where a mid-game burst of 8.4 (52) to a behind with six goals from much travelled Mark "Jacko" Jackson is decisive.}}

Round 4 (Anzac Day)

• In a typically tough derby, centre half-back John O‘Sullivan, full-back Colin Waterson, debutant Jon Derecourt and Tony Solin break down South Fremantle's attacking power, especially during the third quarter when South score only one goal and are left with too difficult a deficit to make up.}}

Round 5

• After the loss of numerous premiership players and a disappointing beginning to the season, Subiaco – with Rod Willett taking over Dwayne Lamb's role as a defensive ruck-rover – thrash the Bulldogs, who had previously looked rejuvenated after three disappointing seasons since 1984.
• Superb defensive work by Kickett, McKenna, Beers and former spearhead John Scott restrict Swan Districts to 2.6 (18) after half-time, as Claremont suggest tremendous potential for the 1987 season after a slow start.}}

Round 6

• Three goals from free kicks in six minutes gives Swan Districts a decisive break in the rainy conditions – as the Bulldogs appear to relax after allowing only one goal in the first half.
• Brian Peake's dominance and East Fremantle's solid defence – helped by West Perth consistently using the defensive side of the ground when kicking with the wind – ensures an easy win wherein the Falcons kick the lowest WAFL score since Claremont's 3.4 (22) in June 1980.}}

Round 7

• Prime Minister Bob Hawke – South Fremantle's number one badge-holder – was a guest for the second time at a red and white match, but as in the 1981 Grand Final to no avail as the score flatters South Fremantle who were poor for three quarters and hindered in their last-quarter comeback by eight behinds from "Jacko".}}

Round 8

• In a violent match that continues South Fremantle's decline, Bulldog skipper Brad Collard was suspended for four weeks for kicking rookie sensation Pyke in the head when a pack formed ten minutes into the second quarter after umpire Grant Vernon said "it was no accident". A week and three days after regular WAFL Tribunal hearings, after an investigation into a broken jaw sustained by Bulldog ruckman Dean Irving, Claremont's Peter Higgins was suspended for six matches.
• In the South Fremantle v Claremont colts match, a South Fremantle player was alleged to have bitten the ears of Craig Tester of Claremont.No AFL player was ever charged with biting any part of an opponent until Chris Lewis was charged with biting Todd Viney in the sixteenth round of 1991. At the Higgins hearing this player was identified as Richard Zurnoch and outed for three matches.}}

Round 9

• Peter Melesso kicked a behind from fifty metres out after the siren to draw after missing two easier shots that could have given the Tigers another win, whilst Todd Breman proves the outstanding player of the match with 7.3 (45) including all Subiaco's last four goals – one after the third quarter siren.
• In Bryan Cousins' three-hundredth league match, Perth cannot overcome a woefully inaccurate 2.10 (22) in the first quarter, and coach Brown points a finger at the umpires at the last change.}}

Round 10

• Paddy Maddafari scored ten goals, whilst in the third quarter South Fremantle's Scott Wilcox, whose injury left them with seventeen men and eighteen injured senior players, was carried off by West Perth trainers as the Bulldog ones had supposedly "gone home".
• In a top class game Claremont move to the top permanently by taking advantage of East Fremantle giving them first use of the wind when the weather was dry – rain fell through the second half and East Fremantle could not make up a six-goal deficit at the last change. Derek Kickett, back in attack, scores two wonderful goals.
• 10.2 (62) by Perth in the third quarter gives the Demons a thrilling win after being six goals down at half-time, as Mark Watson takes over the centre from Peter Spencer.}}

Round 11

• Swan Districts surprisingly outscore East Fremantle 19.6 (120) to 7.5 (47) from the eighteen-minute-mark of the second quarter, as they exploit the Sharks' lack of pace and unexpected unwillingness to contest.}}

[[Interstate matches in Australian rules football|Interstate match]]

Round 12

• Subiaco's players claim the first half – when the Lions scored 10.8 (68) to 2.1 (13) in wet conditions – was the least competitive football they had played at WAFL level, although South do show some pride after the long interval.}}

Round 13

Round 14

• Despite setting the pace for forty minutes, West Perth are overrun by a depleted Subiaco team, whose ability to switch centre-half-forwards Langdon and Georgiades is never countered by the Falcon defence.}}

Round 15

• South Fremantle – after their effort against Claremont red-hot favourites to win and seal the wooden spoon for the Royals – produce a bleak display that sees them score nothing against East Perth's 8.8 (56) between the 22-minute mork of the first term and halfway through the second, to leave the game out of reach by half-time.}}

Round 16

• Allan Daniels consigns South Fremantle to a thirteenth consecutive defeat and keep the wooden spoon battle alive with three late goals – while the Bulldogs lose key forward Merv Dellar in unusual fashion as his collarbone breaks when he is running into an open goal.}}

State-of-Origin Match

Jimmy Krakouer 2.2 Ishchenko 2.1 Rance, Rioli 1.2 Narkle 1.1 Michael Mitchell, Hart, Dorotich 1.0 Breman, Holden 0.1 3.1 Royal 2.2 Morris 2.0 Rhys-Jones 1.1 Williams 1.0 Murphy, Johnston, Foster 0.4 Weightman 0.1 Loveridge, Osborne

Round 17

Round 18

• Kevin Caton score 10.6 (66) and combines with ruckman Jim Buckley and on-ballers Troy Ugle and Joe Cormack to hold off West Perth‘s challenge for fourth position after Swans‘ previous defeat.
• Although Sumich and Edwards lead a charge of ten first-quarter goals, South lose yet again as Browning boots nine majors and Bushell seven, while the Bulldogs fail completely in the third quarter.}}

Round 19

• Peter Sumich's power against a Lion defence minus the injured Greg Wilkisnon nearly gives South Fremantle an end to their losing streak, despite scoring only 2.5 (17) in perfect conditions to half-time – Graham Kickett kicked what would have been a match-winning goal but it was disallowed because a Subiaco mark had been paid.}}

Round 20

• With Ralph kicking nine goals nine behinds and young Pyke eight goals as a rover, Claremont kick the highest score against the Royals and inflict the blue and black's worst-ever defeat.}}

Round 21

• East Perth – last the whole season – avoid the wooden spoon with a fairytale victory for the retiring Peter Spencer, who was best afield despite having to play with headgear and protective padding.}}

Ladder

Finals

First semi-final

Second semi-final

• Warren Ralph kicked ten straight goals to three-quarter time, including five into the wind in the second quarter, but Joe Ahmat was forced to kick one himself when he wanted Ralph to beat Bennett's WA(N)FL finals record from the previous season, and late in the quarter Ralph kicked his only behind from a difficult angle.}}

Preliminary final

Grand Final

Main article: 1987 WAFL Grand Final

Notes

References

References

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