Puneet Varma (Editor)

2012 WAFL season

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Teams
  
9

Premiers
  
Claremont (12th premiership)

Minor premiers
  
Claremont (15th minor premiership)

Bernie Naylor Medallist
  
Ben Saunders (South Fremantle)

Sandover Medallist
  
Kane Mitchell (Claremont)

The 2012 WAFL season was the 128th season of the West Australian Football League and its various incarnations. The season opened on 17 March, with Subiaco hosting West Perth at Leederville Oval, and concluded with the 2012 WAFL Grand Final, in which Claremont defeated East Fremantle by 26 points. The 2012 Sandover Medal was won by Kane Mitchell of Claremont, while the leading goalkicker was South Fremantle's Ben Saunders.

Pre-season News and Rule changes

On 1 February, it was announced that the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) had signed a new three-year deal with sports company Burley-Sekem as the officially endorsed supplier of footballs to all WA competition, maintaining a strong relationship with Burley that dates back to 1907.

The WAFL implemented one major rule change in accordance with changes at AFL level in regard to the rushed behind rule:

  • A free kick would be awarded against a player who intentionally rushes a behind over the attacking team's goal or behind line or into a goal post. The umpires were to give the defender the benefit of the doubt and the point would be awarded if the defender was deemed to be under sufficient pressure.

    • On 27 February the following amendments were accepted by the WAFC Football Affairs Committee:

  • An annual 3 per cent increase in the WAFL Salary Cap, starting in 2012 to $217,000
  • Due to widespread support for retention of loyal players, a maximum of $10,000 outside of the Salary Cap could be paid to one veteran player (one who had played 100 or more games at one WAFL club). This amendment ran on a trial basis.
  • A fixed fine for late lodgement of Salary Cap documents plus a daily non-compliance fine of $50 per day
  • Introduction of Weekly League match prizes of up to $750.

    • References

    2012 WAFL season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA