SOUTH FREMANTLE - Part One: 1900 to 1947
Affiliated: WAFA 1900-1907; WAFL/WANFL 1908-present
Club Address: P.O. Box 368, Fremantle 6160, Western Australia
Home Ground: Fremantle Oval
Formed: 1900
Colours: White and red
Emblem: Bulldogs
Premierships: SENIORS 1916-17, 1947-48, 1950, 1952-53-54, 1970, 1980, 1997, 2005, 2009 (13 total) RESERVES (from 1925) 1936, 1952-3-4, 1985-6, 1991-2, 2004, 2009 (10 total) COLTS (from 1957) 1970, 1982-3-4-5, 2002-3 (7 total) OTHER PREMIERSHIPS - R.P. Rodriguez Shield: 1983-4, 1992, 2001, 2004, 2009 (6 total)
Sandover Medallists: J.Rocchi 1928; F.Jenkins 1937; C.Lewington 1947; S.Marsh 1952; J.Todd 1955; S.Michael 1980 & 1981; M.Bairstow 1986; C.Edwards 1989; T.McGrath 2005 (9 Medallists/10 Medals)
Tassie Medallists: Stephen Michael 1983; Brad Hardie 1984 (2 total)
All Australians: Steve Marsh 1953; John Gerovich 1956; Cliff Hillier 1956; John Todd 1961; Brian Ciccotosto 1972; Stephen Michael 1983 (6 total)
League Top Goalkickers: H.Kelly (50) 1905; G.Thomas (31) 1910; H.Campbell (47) 1922; S.Lawn (75) 1928 & (96) 1929; B.Naylor (131) 1946, (108) 1947, 91 (1948), (147) 1952, (167) 1953, (133) 1954; J.Gerovich (74) 1956, (101) 1960 & (74) 1961; R.Bauskis (108) 1977 & (82) 1978; C.Edwards (54) 1992; J.Dorotich (88) 1996 & (114) 1997; Z.Parsons (65) 2002 (20 total)
Highest Score: 40.18 (258) vs. West Perth 12.6 (78) at Fremantle Oval in round 21 1981
Most Games: 266 by Marty Atkins
Record Home Attendance: 23,109 in round 10 1979: South Fremantle 20.30 (150); East Fremantle 20.15 (135)
Record Finals Attendance: 52,781 for 1979 grand final at Subiaco Oval: East Fremantle 21.19 (145); South Fremantle 16.16 (112)
Overall Success Rate 1900-2009: 53.1%
For almost a decade after the second World War South Fremantle had indisputably the finest team in the WANFL. Indeed, so consistently successful were they when pitted against interstate opposition that a good argument could be made for their also being the strongest team in Australia at that time. During the ten year period from 1945 to 1954 South won six premierships and were runners up twice, finishing 3rd and 4th on the other two occasions. In 1948 the club undertook a three week tour of the eastern states during which victory was achieved in all four matches played, against a combined Goldfields team (by 16 points), a combined Collingwood-Fitzroy side (by 54 points), Canberra (by 29 points), and New South Wales (by 36 points). Three years later crack VFL team Collingwood went under by 39 points at Subiaco, a fate which was shared by Footscray in 1953 (by 46 points), and Carlton in 1954 (by 19 points). Even more impressive were victories in 1954 over a South Australian number two state side in Adelaide by 7 points, and over Collingwood in Melbourne by 20 points. The general consensus in Victoria at the time was that, although perhaps lacking somewhat in the height and weight divisions, South Fremantle would more than hold their own in the VFL. Whether or not this is true is of course impossible now to verify, but what can not be doubted is that, during the first decade or so after World War Two, South Fremantle boasted an extremely accomplished side indeed.
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One of South Fremantle's early players, Billy Franklin. Note the high-necked, lace up guernsey, typical of the first decade of the 20th century. (Image kindly supplied by Steve Davies.) |
Unfortunately, the remainder of the history of the South Fremantle Football Club has been nowhere near as illustrious, and South's overall total of twelve flags is comfortably exceeded by three other clubs. Nevertheless, a club's reputation does not rest exclusively on its tally of premierships, and down the years South have carved out a unique identity for themselves which is based as much on intangible attributes like determination and fighting spirit as on the tangible evidence of success such as premierships and medals won. The South Fremantle Football Club came into existence in 1900, in part from the remnants of the Fremantle Football Club which, because of escalating debts, had just been forced to disband after more than a decade as arguably Western Australia's premier club. South Fremantle's first ever match took place on 26 May 1900 against East Fremantle. Press reports indicate that South Fremantle's team was essentially the same as that which had ended the previous season wearing Fremantle colours. It was not an auspicious start, however, as East Fremantle won by 26 points, 5.7 (37) to 1.5 (11). Any thoughts that the newcomers would prove to be a chopping block were quickly dispelled, though. A week later South Fremantle downed reigning premiers West Perth 6.15 (51) to 5.10 (40) and for the remainder of the season the Southerners proved competitive but not quite good enough to wrest the premiership from their near neighbours and soon to be arch rivals, East Fremantle. |
The admission of North Fremantle and Subiaco to the competition in 1901 brought the number of competing sides to six and, for a while at least, assured South Fremantle of at least 4 easy wins each season. Despite this, East Fremantle and West Perth in particular regularly proved to have the Southerners' measure, and indeed for three seasons from 1902-4 even finals participation proved unattainable.
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The 1905 season saw Midland Junction enter the WAFA and South enjoyed their best campaign to date, heading the ladder after the home and away season with 15 wins from 17 matches. However, a semi final loss to West Perth brought the season to a premature and highly unsatisfying conclusion. [see footnote 1] Despite its competitiveness on the field, South Fremantle was in dire trouble off it, and in 1908 it seemed certain that, owing to heavy debts, the club would go the same way as its predecessor, Fremantle. However, following an emergency meeting the club members and supporters dug deeply into their pockets and sufficient money was raised to enable the club to continue. Ultimate success still proved elusive, however, and South remained essentially a middle of the road side until 1914 when they reached their first ever challenge final, only to lose to East Fremantle. It took another two years before South Fremantle had a team capable of going all the way, but for some time prior to the start of the 1916 season there appeared to be every prospect of the club being forced to go into abeyance because of a lack of players. Fortunately, there was an upsurge in interest as the season approached and, after some patchy form during the first few matches, the team's performances improved dramatically. South Fremantle qualified for the challenge final by virtue of victories over West Perth by 21 points in a semi final and minor premiers East Fremantle in the final. East Fremantle provided a sterner challenge in the flag decider, but once again South proved to have their measure. Final scores were South Fremantle 7.12 (54) to East Fremantle 5.5 (35) with the victors best served by centre half back Frank Collins, centreman Norm McIntosh, half back flankers Gordon Tuxford and 'Bonny' Campbell, and ruckman Hector Groom. |
Len Pierce, who played with distinction for South Fremantle between 1907 and 1914, and who was made a life member of the club in 1921. (Image kindly supplied by Steve Davies.) |
South's dominance continued in 1917 as the side finished the minor round 2nd on percentage to East Fremantle before outpointing Subiaco in the semi final and 'Old Easts' in both the final and challenge final to take out the premiership in impressive style. The challenge final was a low scoring affair played in wet, windy conditions, and "In kicking, system, combination and all the main departments of the game South were masters of their opponents. They played solid, wet weather tactics all through and they profited accordingly." [see footnote 2]
Best for South Fremantle in the 1917 challenge final included followers Hec Groom and Mick Kenny, half back flanker 'Nashy' Brentnall, half forward flanker Bill Whiteley, and rover Charlie Stewart.
South Fremantle's 1918 campaign ended on a demoralising note with a 65 point semi final loss to East Perth, and this defeat signalled the onset of a frustrating twenty-nine year run during which the club were consistently 'thereabouts' but never 'there'.
The South Fremantle combination which went 'back to back' in 1917.
The 1920s turned out to be a topsy-turvy decade. The club made the finals on seven occasions but also suffered the ignominy of finishing last in both 1920 and 1925. South also had to endure the embarrassment of being the first side to lose a match to newcomers Claremont-Cottesloe, which entered the league in 1926. On 7 August that year the fledgling side achieved victory by the narrowest of margins, 7.11 (53) to 7.10 (52).
The 1926 season also saw South Fremantle undertake a tour of the eastern states but the era of the club's invincibility in interstate football was still to come, and both matches played - against Port Adelaide and Fitzroy - ended in defeat.
The 1930s opened promisingly with consecutive finals appearances in 1930-1-2, but the next five years brought only 42 wins from 116 matches, a wooden spoon in 1936, and no further taste of the September action. The 1930s saw club nicknames become fashionable and for a time South Fremantle gloried in the inspiring label of 'Seaside Reds' (as distinct from Perth, who were known, equally imaginatively, as the 'City Reds').
By 1939 South Fremantle once again had a side capable of matching it with the best but a lack of big game experience proved to be their undoing as they went down by 19 points to East Perth in a high scoring 1st semi final. The following year, however, a 19.16 (130) to 17.13 (115) 2nd semi final victory over Claremont earned the team justifiable premiership favouritism for the grand final re-match a fortnight afterwards. Alas, however, it was not to be, as a combination of injuries to key players and poor kicking for goal gave Claremont the edge in a closely contested game. Final scores were Claremont 13.13 (91) to South Fremantle 9.20 (74) before a crowd of 19,876.
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Record-breaking full forward, Bernie Naylor. (Click to enlarge.) |
The 1941 season saw the debut of eighteen year old full forward Bernie Naylor who would go on to amass in excess of 1,000 goals in a 194 senior game career which went on until 1954 (with a three year gap when the WANFL senior competition went into abeyance because of the war). Naylor managed a comparatively modest 60 goals during his debut season but gave a better indication of what was to come when he booted 9 of South's 15 1st semi final goals in a 17 point win over Claremont. The side managed a further 15 goals in the preliminary final a fortnight later but became only the second team in WANFL history up to that stage to register 100 points in a finals game and still lose. East Fremantle won by 39 points 21.13 (139) to 15.10 (100) but went down in the grand final to West Perth. South Fremantle's record during the under age competition which the WANFL conducted from 1942-4 was poor (sixth out of seven clubs in 1942, and last of eight in both the following seasons) and did not engender confidence for the resumption of the 'real stuff' in 1945. Unknown to everyone, however, South were about to embark on the greatest decade in their history, indeed on one of the most impressive concerted spells of success ever managed by a major club anywhere in Australia. |
Despite being without Bernie Naylor, who was still to return from military service, South Fremantle played excellent football for much of the 1945 season to finish the home and away rounds in 3rd spot with 12 wins from 20 matches. Rover Steve Marsh, in his debut season, was especially prominent, as were ruckman Jack Reilly (who was named club fairest and best), centreman Harry Carbon, centre half back 'Scranno' Jenkins, and 2nd ruckman cum full forward Alby Higham.
In the 1st semi final South Fremantle played all over Swan Districts to win by 44 points, and when they repeated the dose in the preliminary final against West Perth they had a lot of people tipping them as likely premiers. However, on grand final day South's local rivals East Fremantle proved much too accomplished, winning with ease by 36 points, 12.15 (87) to 7.9 (51). South Fremantle's era of greatness still lay a couple of years in the future.
Had the side been capable of kicking straighter in the 1946 1st semi final, however, that era of greatness might well have arrived sooner; Subiaco downed the Seaside Reds by 3 points, 16.4 (100) to 14.13 (97), after South had squandered numerous comparatively easy scoring opportunities late on. Given that Bernie Naylor topped the league goalkicking list for the first time that year with 131 goals, the failure to convert is all the more surprising.
Naylor booted another ton the following year, and this time his team mates came to the party too, as the side won 16 out of 19 home and away games to head the ladder comfortably going into the finals. Included in those 16 wins was a 4 point triumph over East Fremantle at Fremantle Oval in round 4 which brought to an end a WANFL record 35 consecutive wins by the easterners. A then record minor round crowd of 17,538 was treated to an absorbing tussle during which there were never more than a couple of goals separating the sides.
In the finals, South were twice confronted by West Perth, winning impressively by 43 points in the 2nd semi, but failing to play to full potential two weeks later when the margin was a disappointing (from a South Fremantle point of view) 15 points, after the Cardinals had led by 17 points at the final change. Nevertheless, over the course of the entire season South Fremantle had clearly been the dominant side in the competition, as was evidenced by the fact that, in addition to the premiership, the club provided both the top goalkicker in the shape of Naylor and the Sandover Medallist in the person of Clive Lewington.
Best players for South in their 13.8 (86) to 9.17 (71) grand final triumph watched by 25,112 spectators included wingman Eric Eriksson (Simpson Medal), rover Steve Marsh, follower Percy Renfrey, ruckman Jack Reilly, centre half back 'Scranno' Jenkins and wingman Frank Price.
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Footnotes
1. Unfortunately for South Fremantle, the challenge system of playing finals would not be introduced until the 1909 season. Return to Main Text
2. From 'The West Australian' and quoted in The South Fremantle Story 1900-1975 Volume 1 by Frank Harrison and Jack Lee, page 143. Return to Main Text