Life isn’t fair, and neither is football. If it did, Perth would take away this year’s WAFL premiership because the Demons haven’t won a flag since 1977.
For those struggling with math, that was 45 years ago when the brand new space opera multimedia franchise Star Wars had just launched. Talk about a galaxy far, far away.
That’s not to say my old club won’t win this year’s title, but if they don’t, I will urge the WA Football Commission to take extensive measures to support one of their most beloved clubs.
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And there are plenty of good reasons for that, aside from the fact that we were all watching the new miniseries Roots, the last time the Demons held the trophy on the big final day.
The WAFL would greatly benefit from having a strong football club in Perth. The Redlegs, as they used to be called, are the Richmond of local football, with a huge, latent following just waiting to rise.
The Richmond Tigers were a struggling club over a decade ago, but their transformation has helped the AFL become the preeminent sport in Australia.
Four clubs with huge fan bases in WA have won just one premiership since 2004.
Camera IconSwan Districts are among those itching to rejoin the cheer squad. Credit: Blake Parry/Blake Parry
East Perth, East Fremantle, Swan Districts, and Perth fans are eager to rejoin the cheerleading squad as their teams compete for the flag again. The windfall and publicity for the WAFL from these clubs would be enormous, with West Aussies from across the State streaming back into local football.
The WA Football Commission has some good people overseeing the game, and things like the progress in online coverage of matches this year have been incredible. You can now even watch Colts games on your phone.
But the one glaring, pulsating, redraw boil that needs poking fun is the disparity in the competition.
And I know you’ll think the powerhouse clubs must work harder off the field. Well, that’s not right either.
This season I have an insider’s look at the Perth Football Club, and they are going as fast as any other club.
There must be an imbalance when the colt team from one of the strong clubs (colts footy is under 20) has played finals in 40 of the last 45 years.
That points to a problem with the recruitment zones and the division of the State among the nine clubs.
It’s about fairness, equality, and the desire to see the WAFL tap into an army of fans waiting to be mobilized.
Who can forget the scenes when the Melbourne Demons broke their 57-year premiership drought last year?
The youngest premiership player of the Perth Demons is Peter Bosustow: he is 64.
The fans who loved watching Buzz and other superstars like Barry Cable, Merv McIntosh, and Robert Wiley are ready and willing to return to the WAFL en masse – give them something to cheer them up.
