1976 WANFL season

• 1975 premiers West Perth’s depleted side offers no answer to the Royal midfield whilst 17-year-old full-back Geoff Hendricks conceded nine goals to Archie Duda,^[5] who missed 1975 with cartilage problems.^[6]
• With Norm Uncle kicking seven goals and contrasting with inaccuracy by the Demons, 1975 wooden spooners Claremont win a thriller otherwise dominated by several Victorian imports.^[7]

• Subiaco, unable to retain any of their early-1970s stars,^[3] are demolished after half-time when Claremont move future Collingwood defender Kevin Worthington to centre-half-forward and score 13.10 (88) to 2.1 (13).^[8]
• Victorian recruits Stuart Magee and Gordon Casey compensate for the loss of several stars from 1975 as Swans hold on after being thirty-two points ahead at half-time in a 1975 second semi-final replay.^[9]

• South Fremantle take revenge for their humiliating 1975 Grand Final defeat with a nine-goal burst in fifteen minutes of the third quarter after the Cardinals took the lead.^[11]
• Claremont equal their 1975 win tally after an amazing comeback from 6.6 (42) to 13.5 (83) down early in the third quarter. East Fremantle fail to goal in the final forty-five minutes.^[12]

• Owing to an interstate game, this WANFL round was played on the Monday following Anzac Day.
• Claremont’s size, strength and stamina allows the Tigers to outlast East Perth and exceed their 1975 win tally in a month.^[13]
• With the return of 1973 leading goalkicker Phil Smith after playing 1974 at Woodville and missing 1975 due to injury,^[14] West Perth easily win the battle of the only winless clubs.

Subiaco record the biggest loss in the WANFL since they themselves lost to South Fremantle in 1953,^[15] despite Ray Bauskis kicking 6.10 (46).^[16]

Claremont’s bubble bursts as – minus Mal Brown and Barry Price – on a partially soft ground they cannot match South Fremantle’s skilled and speedy following division in which Eddie Bauskis is dominant.^[17]

Perth kick twenty of the last 26 goals after being down 1.2 (8) to 9.5 (59) as flag stars-to-be Wiley and Rosbender come to dominate. The last quarter Perth took thirty marks to ten and had 72 kicks to the Tigers’ 46.^[18]

• The reutrn to form of Bill Valli, discarded at the end of 1975, awakens West Perth, second last on the ladder, after Phil smith injures a knee again.^[19]
• With their win over a disappointing East Fremantle, Perth move two games clear inside the four despite having several key players in the reserves. Injury-plagued Chester McKean dominated the ruck.^[20]

• Despite losing the last three quarters and being without full-forward Gary Fathers, Subiaco win their first game for 1976 against the eventual premiers.^[21]
• With Norm Uncle kicking eight and veterans Bennett and Hayes back in form, Claremont suggest they will be a strong double chance candidate despite not displace South Fremantle from second.^[22]

• Owing to National Football League matches against VFL and SANFL clubs, there were no WANFL games on Saturday 12 June
• In front of Claremont’s second biggest home-and-away crowd to that point,^[23] East Perth, boosted by the move of full-back John Daniel to attack, crush the Tigers and stamp themselves as strong premiership favourites.
• On the first wet day of the season^[24] and despite West Perth “still diappointing” apart from seven-goal full-forward Northcott,^[25] Subiaco are the last WA(N)FL team goalless in the second and third quarters until East Fremantle against Claremont in the second last round of 1981.
• Perth blanket Brian Ciccosto and Maurice Rioli to kick 10.4 (64) to 0.5 (5) during the third quarter and stand only percentage behind the Bulldogs in the quest for second position.^[26]

• Ian Logan and veterans Whinnen and Dempsey return to their 1975 form to lift West Perth to sixth and suggest they still can defend their premiership.^[27]
• During the third quarter, Perth players were robbed of cash, watches and jewellery by a thief.^[28]
• Claremont equal the 1970 record for the highest losing score in WANFL history^[29] in a shootout dominated by full-forwards Mark Olsen with nine goals and Norm Uncle with ten, including five in as many minutes during the third quarter.^[30]

• Unexpected moves, notable Maurice Rioli to a back pocket, allow South of overcome being jumped by Old Easts for an easy derby win to keep second position.^[31]
• With the decline of early-season stars Barry Price (centre) and Greg Bennet (rover), Claremont look certain to lose their finals place as West Perth retain their 1975 form.^[32]

• On a windy day, Perth thrash the Royals – flattered by the score – with a superb display in defence led by young full-back Brian Cook.^[33]
• Mel Whinnen’s dominance and East Fremantle’s repeated use of the “dead” side on a windswept ground ensure the Cardinals enter the four for the first time in 1976 – in the process blacking East Fremantle’s only chance to do so.^[34]
• A magnificent goal by Swans’ Garry Sidebottom after the black and whites looked like kicking themselves out of the contest at 5.16 (46) pushed Swan Districts to an easy win over the cellar-dwelling Lions.^[35]

• Perth’s direct play and the roving of Wiley (seven goals) ensures they defeat an improved Claremont in a high-scoring game that was close for over a half.^[36]
• Given an incentive of $3,000 to win three games in the third series, Subiaco, with rovers Vin Catoggio (in his third WANFL game), Graeme Schultz (ex-Essendon) and Neil Randall dominant, thrash finals hopeful East Fremantle despite spearhead Fathers kicking 3.6 (24).^[37]
• Swan Districts do not goal until the 14-minute mark of the third quarter, becoming the last WA(N)FL team goalless at half-time until West Perth at Claremont Oval in the sixteenth round of 1989, as future Collingwood star Stan Magro dominates the packs.^[38]

• West Perth’s impressive win over Swan Districts goes a long way towards sealing the four – the loser of the game between Claremont and East Fremantle became sure to drop out of the running.^[39]
• In Tom Grljusich’s 300th game of senior football, the Bulldogs struggle gamely after being outscored with the wind in the opening quarter, despite a superb lone hand in a depleted ruck by Stephen Michael.^[40]

• Without Mel Whinnen, West Perth nonetheless produce an impressive win led by the revitalised Bill Valli to give a look ominously similar to that before their devastating displays in the 1975 finals.^[41]
• East Fremantle show what “might have been” as they exploit superbly Claremont’s roving weakness and end the Tigers’ finals hopes.^[42]

Perth take second position with a convincing win over an injury-depleted South Fremantle, as Robert Wiley finally confirms himself Western Australia’s best rover since Cable with six goals and superb work on the ball.^[43]

• On Perth’s wettest football day since the infamous “Swim Through Perth” of May 1956,^[44] Perth produce a vintage display, holding West Perth to 1.7 (13) in the final three quarters whilst Murray Couper – given a roving commission – kicks 6.4 (40) himself.^[45]
• Subiaco’s stubborn backline and a five-goal burst in ten minutes nearly steals the game from an inaccurate South Fremantle – looking to get several key players into full fitness for the finals.^[46]
• Claremont lose despite dominating the play as Victorian recruit Gordon Casey plays his best game for Swans and Tiger defender Kim Craig kicks a rare misdirected pass for the first of two winning behinds.^[47]

• Claremont coach Mal Brown illegally brought back John Colreavy when Jeff Murray was injured in a collision with Norm Uncle, which led to the introduction of the interchange rule despite a West Perth protest.^[48]
• In Colin Williams’ record 252nd match for the club, Subiaco win an amazing match with a record 19.3 (117) kicked in the third quarter^[49] before Subiaco’s defence holds East Perth goalless in the last and overpowers the top-of-the-ladder Royals. Subiaco runner Darryl Foster was reported for abusive language.^[50]

A brilliant display by Sandover Medallist Spencer in wet conditions silences Perth’s on-ball brigade to place the Demons in an encomfortable position against West Perth in the first semi.^[51]

Young ruckmen Dean Herbert and Wim Rosbender revitalised Perth to a remarkable comeback from 34 points down halfway through the third quarter to kick 16.7 (103) to 2.1 (13) for the remainder of the match.^[52]

East Perth win well despite playing the last three quarters with sixteen fit players,^[53] which leads to angry criticism by Bulldog coach Colin Beard about his team’s last two finals efforts.^[54]

A decision to give Perth first use of the wind backfires as an inaccurate South Fremantle are never in the match and coach Beard said he was ready to give up despite the club’s confidence in him.^[55]

In a dour game in windy conditions, Perth via a superb defence^[56] comfortably account for a Royal team only kept in the game by accuracy.