West Perth and Swan Districts will clash on Anzac Day next year. Picture: George Copley Jnr
IN a major coup for West Perth, the WA Football Commission has supported the club’s bid with Swan Districts for a 2013 Anzac Day match at Arena Joondalup.
West Perth president Brett Raponi said the WAFL match would be a significant fixture on the club’s calendar.
“We are delighted the WAFL has decided to allocate this game to us on such a historic day, just as much as we appreciate Swan Districts agreeing to the challenge,” he said.
“I hope supporters of both clubs get behind the initiative and support the players by making it the highest attended game of the season.”
A sizeable crowd is expected for the match, with West Perth-Swan Districts clashes attracting the Falcons’ second-biggest attendance after East Perth derbies.
Adding to this, the Falcons and Swans were the biggest WAFL crowd pullers in 2012.
Arena Joondalup averaged 2750 people a game – 11 per cent more than Swan Districts in second place.
It is understood at least two other WAFL games will be played on Anzac Day, but Raponi was not concerned with how it might affect crowd numbers.
“Only West Perth and Swan Districts fans would come and watch anyway,” he said.
A WAFC spokesman said fixtures were not yet official, but would be finalised next week.
Excellent idea and good to see these two clubs work together. This can replace the old derby!
Sart it a bit latter so fans can watch the Dons v Pies then off to the footy for real life action
This is excellent news, Garlic Munchers V Bombo Valley Boys, hope it becomes just as big as the old Perth derbies, congratulations to those who got this over the line..
I see Anzac day is on a Thursday April 25 2013. Looking at the article it indicates this game and 2 others will be played on the day.
So do we have clubs playing on the Thursday or will the Anzac day game be on the Saturday?
Looking forward to the Fixtures for the WAFL to see how they pan out.
Unfortunately being a vet and marching and then going to a Reunion I wouldnt be able to attend on the 25 April..so would prefer Saturday.
We will have to wait and see
Should be a big crowd puller and lookng forward to it although the average crowd Brett has stated there is a little inflated by 2 big crowds at the English game of 6000 v Subi and the Mon holiday game (a holiday Swans dont get the chance to utilise) v East Perth, Swans have the greater consistency of bigger crowds over 2000 in 2012 8 to 5
Yeah, look forward to this one Dog, thats what an average is mate, e.g.:if we had 40k turn up to round 1 and no one walked through the gates for the remainder of the season, we still averaged 2k. We had more people through the gate than Swans !
Good to see and a decent break after the short break from Sat - Thursday
ROUND 7 (ANZAC Day)
Colts Reserves League
Thursday 25 April 9.10 11.40 2.10 Perth v East Perth Brownes Stadium
Thursday 25 April 9.10 11.40 2.10 South Fremantle v East Fremantle Fremantle Oval
Thursday 25 April 5.15 11.40 2.10 West Perth v Swan Districts Arena Joondalup
Saturday 27 April 9.10 11.40 2.10 Peel Thunder v Claremont Bendigo Bank Stadium
BYE: Subiaco
AFL Game:
Friday 26 April, Fremantle v Richmond, 6:40pm, Patersons Stadium
Saturday 27 April, Port Adelaide v West Coast, 7:10pm, AAMI Stadium
ROUND 8
Colts Reserves League
Saturday 4 May 9.10 11.40 2.10 Claremont v Perth Claremont Oval
Saturday 4 May 9.10 11.40 2.10 East Fremantle v West Perth East Fremantle Oval
Saturday 4 May 9.10 11.40 2.10 East Perth v South Fremantle Medibank Stadium
Saturday 4 May 9.10 11.40 2.10 Peel Thunder v Subiaco Bendigo Bank Stadium
BYE: Swan Districts
AFL Game:
Saturday 4 May, Gold Coast v Fremantle, 7:40pm, Metricon Stadium
Sunday 5 May, West Coast v Western Bulldogs, 2:40pm, Patersons Stadium
Ahahaha i was hoping you would pipe up! it just a bit misleading thats all, SD had consistently higher attendances at home than WP last year..its a good story though
From the WPFC Annual report 2012. Presidents message.
The season just passed saw more fans pass through our turnstiles at Arena Joondalup than any other club in the competition. We were 11% ahead of Swan Districts and South Fremantle at an average of 2,750 per game.
We had 8 games over 2000 WP 5, West Perths average is great but a little misleading as 11K turned up to 2 games, 1 on the Mon holiday when Swans never play
Yeh agree it goes on to mention EP games and a Subi game
But all up good for the WAFL as we are having a bit of a resurgance with TV audiences etc etc. Whether this still continues with this Alignment crap could cause a problem. We will have to wait and see.
ABC possibly losing the TV rights eventually could also put a dampener on viewing especially in Country area’s who wont get the broadcast.
Bloody tragic all of it as far as I am concerned
Yeh agree with that, if channel nine pick it up then the country will get duped. I did hear the ABC will be packaging the games into smaller times, so they wont have the QT and 3QT breaks or the half time stuff, this apparently costs a shitload..there will be a foul taste in the mouth of most WAFL fans when it all gets under way
Have the other channels that are bidding for it made a commitment that they will still play a game live on a Saturday arvo. I have a bad feeling it will be delayed late at night. Just ask channel 10 how their NBL coverage worked last year after the “great news” that basketball was coming back to free to air
ABC 1 did show replays this year each night of the week in 2012.
Whether this continues has to be seen but if a commercial network gets the WAFL game forget it.. Heres a post by Tigress on the Goss..
I did record a few of these games this year. You could also watch the games on IVIEW on your computer
Good news gentlemen!! Seems ABC1 is now airing replays of the previous week’s WAFL, VFL and SANFL fixtures. Hubby was working nightshift this week and when he came home, was flipping through the channels and stumbled across a replay of last week’s SANFL match. They show a bit of the game, then preview the week’s upcoming matches.
So I looked through ABC’s tv guide for the upcoming week and have discovered that ABC1 has the SANFL match starting at 3am Thursday mornings, VFL match at 3am Wednesday mornings and the WAFL match at 3am on Friday mornings.
Now I know none of us ever knew that a 3am existed (except in my younger party girl days which sadly, is a long distance hazy hungover memory!) so may I suggest “set your recorder.” It might not be much and at an ungodly hour but at least it’s something. Especially if you’re interested in the other local leagues.
