TOPIC:

Time For a Flag wrote: Plenty of supporters at Shark park they just don't travel that well.

I doubt that they're ok - It's the dogs that don't travel and haven't done for years !!

La Hincha wrote: I'm pretty sure East Fremantle are sitting top of the attendance table for 2014, so they're doing well. South on the other hand are 8th, only above Claremont.

Nevertheless, East Fremantle could do with some younger members and supporters, as could we all. I "think" Murdoch would solve that problem.

I like your idea LH - It's fresh and different - Just what EF and the WAFL needs. As the dinki die supporters will go to Murdoch and hopefully a new breed of supporters will develop from the move ? I've always thought that a new venue should be community orientated with a range of other sporting/social clubs and associations at the same venue to make a more vibrant varied larger numbered club and area which would make the club/sporting complex the place to be ??? Possibly a place for meals and a drink like a Kardy Tavern style set-up could attract more people to the clubrooms ???

Chopper wrote:

La Hincha wrote: I'm pretty sure East Fremantle are sitting top of the attendance table for 2014, so they're doing well. South on the other hand are 8th, only above Claremont.

Nevertheless, East Fremantle could do with some younger members and supporters, as could we all. I "think" Murdoch would solve that problem.

I like your idea LH - It's fresh and different - Just what EF and the WAFL needs. As the dinki die supporters will go to Murdoch and hopefully a new breed of supporters will develop from the move ? I've always thought that a new venue should be community orientated with a range of other sporting/social clubs and associations at the same venue to make a more vibrant varied larger numbered club and area which would make the club/sporting complex the place to be ??? Possibly a place for meals and a drink like a Kardy Tavern style set-up could attract more people to the clubrooms ???

Thanks mate.

Yeah if it comes off, I reckon East Fremantle would be set-up for life - if they put in the hard work and integrate themselves totally with the students.

You never know mate, if the students kick-on after the game, it could be one of the few WAFL clubs that doesn't shut the bar as soon as the awards are done.

Gaining some momentum here

Time For a Flag wrote: Plenty of supporters at Shark park they just don't travel that well.

beggar to differ....and have only missed 1 game in the last 5 years including country games

If this EF move to Murdoch does get up off the ground it would be the first time old mate Freeze has been to University!

Maybe they could rebadge them the Murdoch Mustangs! ..Nah EFFC cant afford to lose its Freo heritage whether its at Freo Oval, EF oval, Gil Fraser or anywhere else in Freo

Beasley Hutton wrote: If this EF move to Murdoch does get up off the ground it would be the first time old mate Freeze has been to University!

Old mate Frosty & his chirpy mates got their Fat heads smashed today lads hahahaha can you hear the crickets in the silence

Ahhhhhhhh life is very good

I know it's nice to look back fondly at the way football was when we were growing up. It's only natural but the way footy was when we were kids isn't the way the WAFL always was. Far from it in fact.

You only have to go back to 1959 when Perth moved from the WACA to Lathlain. Apparently there were old timers who disapproved of the move. The WACA, along with Fremantle Oval, was the only ground that had survived the entire century as a league venue. Some long time supporters had spent a lifetime following the Redlegs at the WACA. It's understandable that there was resistance but it turned out to be a great move.

Interestingly, Subiaco used East Fremantle Oval as their home ground for a season almost 50 years before Old Easts moved there permanently. East Fremantle it seems did play some games there in 1906 with Subiaco. Odd! Shortly after Subiaco moved into Subiaco Oval. Their previous home ground at Shenton Park was always flooding, so much so, that commentators used to observe teams kicking with the tide rather than the wind.

Even the case of Bassendean Oval is interesting. The home of Eastern Suburbs footy could of so easily been Midland Oval instead as it was in the early part of the century when Midland-Junction were part of the comp instead of Swans. There was a time in the 1920's when Bassendean (Swans) and Midland were both keen to be part of the WANFL. Midland Junction were in the process of trying to rebuild their club after having to disband due to WWI. According to old accounts, they were fiercely opposed to Bassendean group entering a team. Both Bassendean and Midland submitted applications to be admitted into the competition. From what I can tell the WANFL chose the Bassendean group proposal instead of the Midland one for two reasons. 1-The WANFL judged Bassendean Oval to be superior to Midland Oval. 2-The WANFL were keen to tap into the modern and fast growing suburb of Bayswater and other nearby. I guess even back then they were thinking of how to grow the game. Of course the two parties joined forces over time.

East Perth spent time at Wellington Square, then the WACA before moving into Perth Oval and more recently Leederville Oval.

Claremont started at the Showgrounds, then moved to Claremont, and now are back at the Showgrounds for 2 years. There seems to be some opposition to league football being played at the Showgrounds by certain members of the RAS going way back to the 1920's when the ground was used as a neutral venue and maybe for Claremont-Cottesloe in the B-grade as well?. Not sure why.

West Perth didn't start playing at Leederville until 1913 from what I can gather. I guess they were at the WACA before that. The Joondalup move came in 1994 from memory. The Esplanade was also used as a WANFL venue by someone. Not sure who.

South Fremantle have never moved from what I can tell. I think Fremantle Oval is one of, if not the most important ground in the league and must never be removed as a WAFL venue in my opinion.

As for name changes. I don't agree with them. They achieve nothing. Haven't done North Melbourne or Footscray any good. If Murdoch wanted to change East Fremantle's name then I would scrap the ground idea immediately.

Nicknames I couldn't care less about. They've changed constantly in the WAFL and AFL depending on trends. Animal nicknames were cool apparently in the 1970's and 80's. Nowadays it seems as though it is concept nicknames like Power, Thunder, Giants, Dockers, Suns that are cool. Cool things go out of fashion pretty quickly. They're all pretty lame if you ask me. If East Fremantle were nicknamed the "Intellects" or "scholars" or whatever instead of the Sharks then big deal. Preferred "Old Easts" myself. But the world didn't end when they changed it to Sharks.