After finals Runners up Founded 1885 | Home-and-away season 2nd Ground HBF Arena | |
 | ||
Full name West Perth Football Club Former name(s) Victorians Football Club (1885–91)Metropolitans Football Club (1891–92) Nickname(s) Official: FalconsPrevious: CardinalsColloquial: Garlic Munchers Leading goalkicker Michael Lourey (49 goals) Motto "Does Your Heart Beat True?" Profiles | ||
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia. West Perth competes in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. Originally located at Leederville Oval, the team was relocated in 1994 to Arena Joondalup, a sports complex in the northern suburbs of Perth. The team's club song is "It's a Grand Old Flag" and its traditional rivals are East Perth.
Contents
History
The Victorian Football Club was established at a meeting on 2 May 1885. The new team was to play its games at the Recreation Ground (now Esplanade Reserve) and wear the colours cardinal and navy. Two weeks after the establishment of the new club it formed the WAFA together with Rovers and Fremantle. The three clubs, along with High School (now Hale School) were to play out the 1885 season, however High School dropped out after just two rounds.
The West Australian Football Club was established in 1886 and were admitted to the competition for the 1887 season. At a meeting of the two clubs on 16 April 1889, it was unanimously decided to amalgamate the two clubs – West Australian and Victorians – into a single club known as the Metropolitan Football Club for the 1889 season. The West Australian colours of black and red were to be maintained for the new club. The team changed its name to West Perth after two seasons as Metropolitans and in 1897 won its first premiership.
In 1915 the team became the original tenant of the newly built Leederville Oval where it would remain based until 1993, at which the team moved to Joondalup to play games at Arena Joondalup from the 1994 season onwards. Since relocating the Falcons have enjoyed relative success with four premierships from seven grand finals, the most recent of which was in 2013.
Club song
"It's a Grand Old Flag"It's a grand old flag it's a high flying flag,It's the emblem for me and for you,It's the emblem of the team we love,The team of the red and the blue,Every heart beats true for the red and the blue,And we sing this song to you,Should old acquaintance be forgot,Keep your eye on the red and the blue...Honours
Individual honours
Sandover Medallists: (12 total)
Simpson Medallists: (11 total)
Bernie Naylor Medalists: (18 total)
All-Australians:
1961: Ray Gabelich1972: Alan Watling300 games
Mel Whinnen (371)Bill Dempsey (343)200 games:
(*) Indicates current listed players
WA Football Hall of Fame
West Perth players who have been inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame:
Current squad
As of July 2014:
AFL/VFL players (including Rookies)
There is a list of past and present West Perth players who have played at AFL/VFL: