The 1934 WANFL season was the 50th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. Following upon numerous unsuccessful attempts to revive Midland Junction during the 1920s,[2]Bassendean-based Swan Districts were admitted to the competition. The black and whites were more competitive than previous new clubs owing to the presence of a number of players with previous WANFL experience,[3] including Fred Sweetapple from West Perth, captain-coach "Judda" Bee from East Fremantle and Nigel Gorn from South Fremantle, but after five promising campaigns were to endure nineteen open-age seasons without once winning as many matches as they lost.[3]
The 1934 season saw the only finals success during the inter-war period for Perth, who became known as 'Victoria Park' for this season and the following as the Redlegs planned to develop a new oval at Raphael Park. Because Parliament failed to pass an Act to allow the club to acquire Raphael Park, however, Perth reverted to their old name two seasons later.[4] Subiaco, after a stirring run to the 1933 Grand Final, fell to their worst season since 1922 due to the loss of Westy Gilbert and major injuries to Bill Brophy, Bill Bant, Lloyd Strack, Norm Stehn, Les Mills and Syd Briggs, whilst West Perth under the coaching of ex-Maroon Johnny Leonard were to win a second flag in three seasons over East Fremantle.[5] Old Easts won a seventh successive minor premiership[a] but gave a surprisingly poor display in the Grand Final.
The 1934 season is most famous, however, for the unprecedented goalkicking success, despite some exceptionally wet Saturdays,[6] of spearheads George Doig and Ted Tyson, both of whom completely smashed previous WANFL goalkicking records. In the end, despite neither achieving much on a windy day in the Grand Final, Doig finished with 152 goals and Tyson with 143, tallies not bettered until Bernie Naylor did so in the early 1950s.
Victoria Park fall two points shy of the current record WA(N)FL score set in 1916.[24] Gook kicks eight goals for his first major WANFL performance and veteran Johnston six from a half-forward flank.
West Perth play superbly in a preview of the Grand Final, with George Doig held to two goals.
Tyson kicks thirteen goals in slippery conditions to give the newcomers their third straight loss, whilst East Fremantle end Victoria Park’s run of four wins in a row.
Jerry Dolan, who had transferred to the Royals after ten seasons with East Fremantle, returns as a player as East Perth downs Subiaco.
Victoria Park play their best game for many years in extremely wet conditions with two-day rainfall of 97 millimetres (3.82 in)[42] to outplay the leaders with a superb first half of 9.6 (60) to 2.8 (20).
Despite the wet conditions, George Doig maintains his amazing average of eight goals per game.
Swan Districts took the field with only seventeen men against Victoria Park before the injured Krepp and Mosey strip, but still kick their lowest three-quarter time score until 1946 and fifth-lowest on record.
East Fremantle play superbly in awful conditions with 71 millimetres (2.80 in)[42] over two days. Tyson is kept to one goal by Woods, whilst the Cardinals cannot cover injuries to key defender Tetley and rover Rainoldi.
Claremont-Cottesloe’s score, on a waterlogged ground after another 50.5 millimetres (1.99 in) of steady rain during the previous four days[60] remains its lowest-ever against East Fremantle.[61]
A severely depleted West Perth produce an amazing comeback from 13.11 (89) to 3.8 (26) down at three-quarter time to be only 14 points down with five minutes to go before the Maroons – who had not entered attack all quarter – steady.
In conditions which shocked the South Australians as Adelaide had been experiencing extremely dry weather and dust storms,[63] Western Australia’s extraordinary accuracy with a slippery ball – 11.0 (66) to late in the second quarter – ensures the locals an untroubled victory in the first interstate match played in Perth since 1929.[62]
Daily, George Doig, Shepherd, Clarke, Fitzgerald, Booth
Best
Dermody (best on ground), Hooper, Burton, Allington, Jarvis, Sallis
Walsh (knee)
Injuries
In conditions totally different from the rainy Saturday,[60] South Australia produce an impressive display to win after being narrowly behind most of the afternoon.
In a close match of low standard due to the absence of interstate players such as George Doig, Gook, Jarvis, Shepherd, McGlinn and Fitzgerald, Victoria Park move with their narrow win and West Perth’s surprise loss to second position.
Ted Tyson kicked fifteen goals, at the time a WA(N)FL record.[85] In doing so, he reaches the hundred as the Cardinals inflict Claremont-Cottesloe’s biggest loss until 1952 and still their fourth-biggest ever.[86]
On another wet Saturday,[6][91] East Fremantle comfortably account for West Perth even with George Doig only kicking one goal six. The final four is settled with three rounds remaining, and Old Easts seal an unprecedented seventh successive minor premiership.[a]
George Doig beats Tyson’s record against the Tigers, kicking nineteen of twenty-two goals against that same club, who were handicapped by full-back Batt having an injured hand.[92] It remained a WANFL record until 1953[b] when Bernie Naylor set the current record of 23 against Subiaco.
Albert Gook kicks seven as Victoria Park lead 19.22 (136) to 6.10 (46) at the last change before easing off.
East Fremantle kick 17.12 (114) to 5.4 (34) after quarter-time, with George Doig kicking another thirteen goals. In the process Old Easts seal the finals matchups by depriving Victoria Park of any chance to take second position.
This was Victoria Park’s first finals win since 1915 when known by their more familiar name of 'Perth', which they reverted to before their next senior finals appearance in 1947.
McDiarmid (best on ground), O‘Keefe, Kenna, Green, Anderson, Morgan
W. James for striking O‘Keefe W. James for striking Morgan
Reports
Morgan for striking W. James
In a dour struggle, West Perth are unexpectedly far too good for Old Easts, who are saved from a worse thrashing only by full back Dave Woods, who restricts Ted Tyson to 2.2 and kicks brilliantly.
Notes
a The nearest comparable feat would be Melbourne's six straight minor premierships between 1955and 1960 or Port Adelaide's six minor premierships with a combined total of ten minor round losses between 1909 and 1915. b Equalled by George Moloney in 1940 and Naylor in 1952.
References
^"Follower" (pseudonymous author); 'Fairest and Best Player – Sandover Medal to Clarke; Jarvis Finishes Second and Davey Third' – The West Australian, Tuesday, 18 September 1934, p. 9
^East, Alan (2005); From Redlegs to Demons: A History of the Perth Football Club from 1899; pp. 42-43
^ abDevaney, John; Full Points Footy’s WA Football Companion, pp. 291-292 ISBN9780955689710