Nickname(s) Bulldogs, Souths Home-and-away season 7th Founded 1900 Captain Ryan Cook | After finals 7th Best and fairest Ryan Cook | |
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Leading goalkicker Ben Saunders (59 goals) Profiles |
1968 south fremantle football club training
The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Bulldogs, is an Australian rules football club, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). It was formed in 1900 and plays its home games at Fremantle Oval.
Contents
- 1968 south fremantle football club training
- History
- Fremantle Derby
- Club guernsey colours
- Supporters
- Club song
- Club honours
- Individual honours
- Records
- Australian Football Hall of Fame
- West Australian Football Hall of Fame
- South Fremantle Football Club Hall of Fame
- South Fremantle Indigenous Team of the Century
- References
History
The Fremantle Football Club (originally known as Unions and unrelated to either an earlier club and the current AFL club of the same name) had won ten premierships in the fourteen years that they were in the WA Football Association (now known as the West Australian Football League). By 1899, however, the club suffered from financial problems that caused the club to disband. The South Fremantle Football Club was formed to take their place following an application to the league by Griff John, who would be appointed secretary of the new club, with Tom O'Beirne the inaugural president. Most players, however, were from the defunct Fremantle club.
The new club did well in its first year, finishing runners-up. However, over the next three seasons the performance fell away badly and, in April 1904 a Fremantle newspaper confidently reported that South Fremantle would not appear again. However, the club decided to carry on and centreman Harry Hodge took over as skipper, but the season was a disaster. The club won only one game.
They won their first premiership in 1916 and went back-to-back in 1917, both times defeating their local rivals, East Fremantle in the final and challenge final. The 1930s were not as successful, marred by the death of the 23-year-old captain-coach Ron Doig as a result of injuries sustained in a match. After World War II, South experienced their greatest era, with the arrival of future Hall of Fame members Steve Marsh, Bernie Naylor, John Todd and Clive Lewington. Between 1945 and 1956 they would win six premierships, be runners-up three times and make the finals in every season. Since then, however, they have won five more premierships, in 1970, 1980, 1997, 2005 and 2009.
South Fremantle was the first WAFL club to have won 10 grand finals since World-War II. Four of their 13 premierships were won against the club's traditional rivals, East Fremantle.
In 2009 South Fremantle's League and Reserves sides won their respective Grand Finals. This was the first time the club had taken the Premiership double since 1954.
Fremantle Derby
The Fremantle Derby, is traditionally one of the biggest game of the year on the WAFL calendar. The derbies still have a great following but have decreased in importance compared to the Western Derby, the match between WA's two AFL teams.
The Foundation Day derby on the first Monday in June (a public holiday to mark the Foundation of Western Australia in 1829) is commonly the highest attended game of the home and away season. To the end of the 2006 season the two clubs had met 344 times with South Fremantle winning 156 to East Fremantle's 184 wins, 4 Draws have occurred between the two sides.
Club guernsey & colours
South Fremantle's Guernsey (shown right) used for all WAFL matches is all white with a red V in the centre of the guernsey. During the 1990s they also introduced the reverse of the traditional guernsey with a white V on a red jumper. The South Fremantle colours of red & white stem from the first Fremantle based team who wore red and white in the mid-1880s.
Supporters
South Fremantle are one of the most supported clubs in the WAFL.
South hold three notable WAFL Grand Final attendance records, 1979 v East Fremantle, 52,781, the highest ever attendance at a WAFL Grand Final, 1975 v West Perth, 52,322, the second highest ever Grand Final attendance and 1989 v Claremont, 38,198, the highest ever Grand Final attendance in the post AFL period.
On Foundation Day v East Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval, South played in front of the biggest crowd of the 2009 WAFL home and away season 11,300.
Souths average attendance at home and away fixtures is 3000, which is amongst the highest for the WAFL.
Club song
"We're the Bulldogs" is the theme song of the South Fremantle Football Club, played as the league team comes to the field at home and away games, and after a victory.
We are the mighty bulldogsAlways fighting onWith victory and flag our goalWith guts and determinationWe put the rest to shameBecause our fighting spirit wins the game.We're the bulldogs (yes we are)And we're the greatest (yes we are)The mighty red 'v' which stands for victoryThe rough tough bulldogs (yes we are)South Fremantle (yes we are)The southerners for ever moreDown by the port of FremantleWe hit them really hardWith true grit and courage we winSo come on Souths let's show themHow to play the game to winSouth Fremantle for ever moreWe're the bulldogs (yes we are)And we're the greatest (yes we are)The mighty red 'v' which stands for victoryThe rough tough bulldogs (yes we are)South Fremantle (yes we are)The southerners for ever more.Club honours
Individual honours
Records
Australian Football Hall of Fame
Seven former South Fremantle players are inducted in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Stephen Michael was the first to be inducted in 1999. Steve Marsh and Peter Matera were both in inducted in 2006 followed by Glen Jakovich in 2008, Hassa Mann in 2013 and Peter Bell in 2015. John Todd was inducted in the coaches category in 2003.
West Australian Football Hall of Fame
With the exception of Hassa Mann, each of the South Fremantle players in the Australian Football Hall of Fame is also an inductee in the West Australian Football Hall of Fame, with Marsh and Todd awarded legends status.
South Fremantle Football Club Hall of Fame
The South Fremantle Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 2011 with an initial induction of 45 players, coaches, administrators and staff from the club's inception in 1900 to 1979. A further induction will occur in 2016 covering the more recent years.
South Fremantle Indigenous Team of the Century
During NAIDOC Week in 2009, South Fremantle celebrated their long and extensive link to Indigenous Australians by naming an Indigenous Team of the century from the 78 Indigenous players that had played for them since Jimmy Melbourne first played in 1902. Selected by former club captain and chief executive Brian Ciccotosto, premiership coach Mal Brown and journalist Ray Wilson. Four of the players selected, Stephen Michael, Maurice Rioli, Nicky Winmar and Peter Matera, were also selected in the Australia-wide Indigenous Team of the Century.