2003 WAFL season | |
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Teams | 9 |
Premiers | West Perth 18th premiership |
Minor premiers | Subiaco 8th minor premiership |
Sandover Medallist | Shane Beros (Swan Districts) |
Bernie Naylor Medallist | Brad Smith (Subiaco) |
Matches played | 94 |
The 2003 WAFL season was the 119th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League. For this season the WAFL reverted briefly to playing its semi-finals as a “double-header”, a policy abandoned for good at the end of the 2005 season, and also reverted to a twenty-game home-and-away season with three byes which has continued to this day.
On the field, 2003 saw the end of East Perth's hat-trick of premierships as longtime rivals West Perth avenged their thrashing in the previous season's Grand Final, in the process becoming the first WAFL team to hold an opponent goalless since soon-defunct Midland Junction held West Perth themselves goalless in the opening round of 1916.[1] Their Grand Final victims, Subiaco, were however to use this season as a springboard to the longest dynasty in the WA(N)FL since South Fremantle's famous teams of the late 1940s and early 1950s, with four consecutive minor premierships and four flags between 2004 and 2008. East Perth dominated the first two thirds of the season with the Falcons but after their goalless score they suffered major problems off the field and fell to third.
On the debit side, Peel Thunder, after three relatively promising seasons and the granting of a new five-year licence during April to secure their status in the WAFL,[2] returned to rock bottom, losing their first seventeen matches and looking certain of a second winless season before an upset victory at Fremantle Oval against a South Fremantle team expected to break into a seemingly settled top four.[3] They were not helped by the loss via transfer to East Fremantle after six games of their only competent forward in Scott Simister. The Sharks, historically the league's most successful club, sunk to a level not seen during the twentieth century owing to the loss due to injury and transfer of their regular ruck division, which left them critically short of height after David Dwyer fell injured in the fifth round.[4] The blue and whites lead Peel by only one match for most of the year, and despite winning five of their last seven matches, East Fremantle were to win a mere nineteen of eighty matches between 2003 and 2006, the worst four consecutive seasons in their history.[a]
Round 1 | |||||
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Saturday, 22 March (2:15 pm) | Claremont 16.9 (105) | def. | Peel Thunder 7.12 (54) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1427) | |
Saturday, 22 March (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 15.15 (105) | drew with | East Perth 17.3 (105) | Busselton (crowd: 1473) | |
Bye East Fremantle, Perth, South Fremantle, Subiaco, West Perth |
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2002 wooden spooners Swan Districts record a controversial draw against the three-time premiers after rover Shane Beros kicked a behind which East Perth claimed was touched after the siren to preclude a score[5] – this was ultimately denied. It proved the last draw in the WAFL for 500 matches until Round 9, 2008.[6][7] |
Round 2 | |||||
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Friday, 28 March (6:45 pm) | Subiaco 17.7 (109) | def. | Claremont 5.12 (42) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1541) | |
Friday, 28 March (6:45 pm) | South Fremantle 17.11 (113) | def. | East Fremantle 14.7 (91) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 3496) | |
Saturday, 29 March (2:15 pm) | West Perth 12.3 (75) | def. by | East Perth 16.11 (107) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1779) | |
Sunday, 30 March (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 14.7 (91) | def. | Perth 7.10 (52) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1600) | |
Bye Peel Thunder |
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East Perth win well but are upset at the condition of Arena Joondalup, which caused the Royals two major knee injuries.[8] |
Round 3 | |||||
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Saturday, 5 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 12.10 (82) | def. by | Subiaco 13.11 (89) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1427) | |
Saturday, 5 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 10.10 (70) | def. by | West Perth 21.16 (142) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1389) | [9] |
Saturday, 5 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 7.10 (52) | def. by | South Fremantle 17.12 (114) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1465) | |
Saturday, 5 April (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 9.4 (58) | def. by | Swan Districts 20.20 (140) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1375) | |
Bye East Perth |
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Skipper Joel Cornelius is wary of Swan Districts’ flying start after winning only one game in 2002, despite the team kicking 19.20 (134) to 5.4 (34) after quarter-time in a result that fails to vindicate Peel’s new five-year licence.[2] |
Round 4 | |||||
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Saturday, 12 April (2:15 pm) | West Perth 13.13 (91) | def. | East Fremantle 10.12 (72) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1072) | |
Saturday, 12 April (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 17.12 (114) | def. | Peel Thunder 12.10 (82) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 852) | |
Sunday, 13 April (2:15 pm) | Claremont 4.8 (32) | def. by | East Perth 18.14 (122) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1840) | |
Sunday, 13 April (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 15.10 (100) | def. | Perth 8.14 (62) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1399) | |
Bye Swan Districts |
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Round 5 | |||||
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Saturday, 19 April (2:15 pm) | East Perth 19.12 (126) | def. | East Fremantle 12.7 (79) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1390) | |
Saturday, 19 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 14.9 (93) | def. by | South Fremantle 14.17 (101) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2708) | |
Saturday, 19 April (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 9.11 (65) | def. by | Subiaco 18.27 (135) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1516) | |
Monday, 21 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 15.5 (95) | def. by | West Perth 18.13 (121) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 2164) | |
Bye Claremont |
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Despite the loss of coach John Northey due to a health scare from his wife, South Fremantle stay undefeated against a persistent Swans team that never has the class to overpower the Bulldogs.[12] |
Round 6 | |||||
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Friday, 25 April (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 8.10 (58) | def. by | Subiaco 12.13 (85) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 3317) | |
Saturday, 26 April (2:15 pm) | Perth 11.13 (79) | def. by | East Perth 19.11 (125) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1922) | |
Saturday, 26 April (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 9.9 (63) | def. by | West Perth 14.22 (106) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1405) | |
Saturday, 26 April (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 9.9 (63) | def. by | Claremont 14.21 (105) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1328) | |
Bye South Fremantle |
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Round 7 | |||||
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Saturday, 3 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 27.16 (178) | def. | Peel Thunder 12.6 (78) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1491) | |
Saturday, 3 May (2:15 pm) | West Perth 16.12 (108) | def. | Swan Districts 10.12 (72) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1892) | |
Saturday, 3 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 19.18 (132) | def. | South Fremantle 10.7 (67) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1449) | |
Saturday, 3 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 11.9 (75) | def. | Perth 9.17 (71) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1216) | |
Bye East Fremantle |
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Round 8 | |||||
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Saturday, 10 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 18.16 (124) | def. | East Fremantle 9.10 (64) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1483) | |
Saturday, 10 May (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 11.18 (84) | def. by | West Perth 21.13 (139) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1557) | [17] |
Saturday, 10 May (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 8.7 (55) | def. by | Claremont 13.16 (94) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1130) | |
Sunday, 11 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 12.9 (81) | def. by | East Perth 25.9 (159) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2410) | |
Bye Subiaco |
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Led by West Coast recruit and late inclusion Jeremy Humm, East Perth take revenge for their controversial opening round draw by crushing the Swans, in the process scoring 11.3 (69) in the last quarter.[18] |
Round 9 | |||||
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Saturday, 17 May (2:15 pm) | West Perth 12.8 (80) | def. | Subiaco 8.11 (59) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1720) | |
Saturday, 17 May (2:15 pm) | Claremont 8.7 (55) | def. by | Swan Districts 10.12 (72) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1058) | |
Saturday, 17 May (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 16.13 (109) | def. | Peel Thunder 12.5 (77) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1035) | |
Saturday, 17 May (2:15 pm) | East Perth 13.12 (90) | def. | South Fremantle 12.9 (81) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1730) | |
Bye Perth |
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Round 10 | |||||
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Saturday, 24 May (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 16.11 (107) | def. | East Fremantle 15.9 (99) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1717) | |
Saturday, 24 May (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 6.11 (47) | def. by | Perth 13.17 (95) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1172) | |
Saturday, 24 May (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 8.8 (56) | def. by | Claremont 18.8 (116) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1161) | |
Sunday, 25 May (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 14.3 (87) | def. by | East Perth 17.14 (116) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 2347) | |
Bye West Perth |
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Round 11 | |||||
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Friday, 30 May (2:15 pm) | Perth 10.5 (65) | def. by | Swan Districts 23.16 (154) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1898) | |
Monday, 2 June (2:15 pm) | Claremont 17.11 (113) | def. | Subiaco 12.4 (76) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1728) | |
Monday, 2 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 12.6 (78) | def. by | West Perth 13.13 (91) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 4891) | [23] |
Monday, 2 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 13.8 (86) | def. by | South Fremantle 13.9 (87) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 4073) | |
Bye Peel Thunder |
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Round 12 | |||||
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Saturday, 7 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 22.15 (147) | def. | East Fremantle 8.5 (53) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1221) | |
Saturday, 7 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 15.17 (107) | def. | Perth 6.9 (45) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1040) | |
Saturday, 7 June (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 27.12 (174) | def. | Peel Thunder 4.6 (30) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2079) | [26] |
Saturday, 7 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 22.6 (138) | def. | Claremont 11.10 (76) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2013) | |
Bye East Perth |
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Round 13 | |||||
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Saturday, 14 June (2:15 pm) | Perth 8.9 (57) | def. by | Subiaco 19.14 (128) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1440) | |
Saturday, 14 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 16.16 (112) | def. | East Fremantle 8.14 (62) | Geraldton (crowd: 1753) | |
Saturday, 14 June (2:15 pm) | East Perth 8.8 (56) | def. by | Claremont 8.12 (60) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2252) | |
Saturday, 14 June (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 10.11 (71) | def. by | South Fremantle 14.15 (99) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1143) | |
Bye Swan Districts |
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Round 14 | |||||
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Saturday, 28 June (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 11.7 (73) | def. by | East Perth 12.7 (79) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1217) | |
Saturday, 28 June (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 18.11 (119) | def. | Peel Thunder 4.10 (34) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1107) | |
Saturday, 28 June (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 12.13 (85) | def. | Swan Districts 13.14 (92) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1111) | |
Saturday, 28 June (2:15 pm) | West Perth 8.12 (60) | def. by | Perth 12.10 (82) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1124) | |
Bye Claremont |
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Round 15 | |||||
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Saturday, 5 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 16.13 (109) | def. | East Fremantle 6.9 (45) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1024) | |
Saturday, 5 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 3.22 (40) | def. by | Subiaco 9.9 (63) | Kalgoorlie (crowd: 1803) | [34] |
Saturday, 5 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 25.16 (166) | def. | Peel Thunder 8.14 (62) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1062) | |
Sunday, 6 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 12.10 (82) | def. by | Perth 17.6 (108) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1762) | |
Bye South Fremantle |
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Round 16 | |||||
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Saturday, 12 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 9.12 (66) | def. by | Subiaco 14.9 (93) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1315) | |
Saturday, 12 July (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 3.4 (22) | def. by | East Perth 22.20 (152) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1216) | |
Saturday, 12 July (2:15 pm) | Perth 11.15 (81) | def. by | Claremont 13.10 (88) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1743) | |
Saturday, 12 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 5.7 (37) | def. by | West Perth 23.16 (154) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2349) | |
Bye East Fremantle |
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Round 17 | |||||
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Saturday, 19 July (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 22.12 (144) | def. | Perth 10.6 (66) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1393) | |
Saturday, 19 July (2:15 pm) | East Perth 20.15 (135) | def. | Swan Districts 8.10 (58) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2158) | |
Saturday, 19 July (2:15 pm) | Claremont 30.17 (197) | def. | Peel Thunder 3.2 (20) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1385) | [42] |
Saturday, 19 July (2:15 pm) | West Perth 18.15 (123) | def. | South Fremantle 8.17 (65) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2262) | |
Bye Subiaco |
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Round 18 | |||||
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Saturday, 26 July (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 14.8 (92) | def. by | East Perth 14.11 (95) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1608) | |
Saturday, 26 July (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 12.10 (82) | def. | West Perth 5.14 (44) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1873) | |
Saturday, 26 July (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 12.9 (81) | def. by | Claremont 14.11 (95) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2179) | |
Saturday, 26 July (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 6.7 (43) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.22 (142) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1194) | |
Bye Perth |
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Round 19 | |||||
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Saturday, 2 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 19.13 (127) | def. | Peel Thunder 4.12 (36) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1155) | |
Saturday, 2 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 14.13 (97) | def. | Swan Districts 11.10 (76) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1144) | [49] |
Sunday, 3 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 9.10 (64) | def. by | South Fremantle 13.12 (90) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1265) | |
Sunday, 3 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 15.15 (105) | def. | Subiaco 8.7 (55) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 2364) | |
Bye West Perth |
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Round 20 | |||||
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Saturday, 9 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 14.5 (89) | def. | Perth 12.7 (79) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 1674) | |
Saturday, 9 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 12.7 (79) | def. | Claremont 10.4 (64) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1478) | |
Saturday, 9 August (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 15.18 (108) | def. | East Fremantle 10.10 (70) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 2603) | |
Sunday, 10 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 7.13 (55) | def. | East Perth 0.9 (9) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 2051) | [53] |
Bye Peel Thunder |
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Round 21 | |||||
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Saturday, 16 August (2:15 pm) | Claremont 9.9 (63) | def. by | West Perth 14.13 (97) | Claremont Oval (crowd: 1686) | |
Saturday, 16 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 11.14 (80) | def. by | South Fremantle 15.12 (102) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1261) | [3] |
Saturday, 16 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 8.11 (59) | def. by | Subiaco 14.16 (100) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1187) | [58] |
Saturday, 16 August (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 9.8 (62) | def. by | Swan Districts 28.22 (190) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1005) | |
Bye East Perth |
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In hot, sunny weather, West Perth continue their form in the rain at Joondalup the previous Sunday to firm as flag favourites and leave South Fremantle, playing the winless Thunder, with a golden opportunity to displace Claremont from a top four that had looked settled for many weeks.[59] |
Round 22 | |||||
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Saturday, 23 August (2:15 pm) | West Perth 10.12 (72) | def. by | East Fremantle 17.9 (111) | Arena Joondalup (crowd: 1537) | |
Saturday, 23 August (2:15 pm) | East Perth 10.5 (65) | def. by | Claremont 10.10 (70) | Leederville Oval (crowd: 1790) | |
Saturday, 23 August (2:15 pm) | Subiaco 14.14 (98) | def. | Perth 9.5 (59) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 1399) | |
Saturday, 23 August (2:15 pm) | South Fremantle 11.14 (80) | def. by | Peel Thunder 14.14 (98) | Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1134) | |
Bye Swan Districts |
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Round 23 | |||||
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Saturday, 30 August (2:15 pm) | Perth 10.7 (67) | def. | West Perth 8.9 (57) | Lathlain Park (crowd: 1589) | |
Saturday, 30 August (2:15 pm) | East Fremantle 12.9 (81) | def. | East Perth 8.11 (59) | East Fremantle Oval (crowd: 1564) | [63] |
Saturday, 30 August (2:15 pm) | Peel Thunder 8.7 (55) | def. by | Subiaco 30.15 (195) | Rushton Park (crowd: 1294) | |
Saturday, 30 August (2:15 pm) | Swan Districts 12.13 (85) | def. | South Fremantle 8.14 (62) | Bassendean Oval (crowd: 2351) | |
Bye Claremont |
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|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Subiaco | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2031 | 1321 | 153.7 | 64 | Finals |
2 | West Perth (P) | 20 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2031 | 1416 | 143.4 | 60 | |
3 | East Perth | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 2043 | 1462 | 139.7 | 54 | |
4 | Claremont | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 1693 | 1572 | 107.7 | 48 | |
5 | Swan Districts | 20 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1895 | 1749 | 108.3 | 42 | |
6 | South Fremantle | 20 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1773 | 1797 | 98.7 | 40 | |
7 | East Fremantle | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 1682 | 1890 | 89.0 | 24 | |
8 | Perth | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 1546 | 1882 | 82.1 | 24 | |
9 | Peel Thunder | 20 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 1112 | 2717 | 40.9 | 4 |
First semi-final | |||||
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Sunday, 7 September (2:15 pm) | East Perth 11.8 (74) | def. | Claremont 6.9 (45) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5,183) | |
East Perth send a timely reminder of their power to Subiaco and West Perth with their seventh straight finals win in wet conditions.[65] |
Second semi-final | |||||
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Sunday, 7 September (5:45 pm) | Subiaco 12.8 (80) | def. | West Perth 11.6 (72) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 5,183) | |
|
Preliminary final | |||||
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Sunday, 14 September (2:15 pm) | West Perth 16.22 (118) | def. | East Perth 9.8 (62) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 7,755) | |
West Perth kick nine goals to nil in the second quarter to end East Perth’s run of finals victories despite omitting 1999 Simpson Medallist Christian Kelly.[67] |
Main article: 2003 WAFL Grand Final |
2003 WAFL Grand Final | |||||
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Sunday, 21 September | Subiaco | def. by | West Perth | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 17,750) | [68] |
2.2 (14) 4.7 (31) 5.8 (38) 9.10 (64) |
Q1 Q2 Q3 Final |
3.5 (23) 7.5 (47) 9.9 (63) 13.9 (87) |
Umpires: Craig Hendrie, David Corcoran, Ryan Worthington Simpson Medal: Brent LeCras (West Perth) | ||
Sierakowski 2, Cossom, Godden, Toia, Wooden, Ryan, Pickett, Marshall | Goals | Longmuir 5, Logden 2, Lynch 2, McLean, Fewster, Rioli, Chambers | |||
Wooden, Ambrose, Maloney, Cossom, Pickett, Sierakowski | Best | Koops, LeCras, Longmuir, Seaby, Logan, Todd Curley | |||
Smith (knee), Webb (concussion) | Injuries | ||||
The loss of leading full-forward Brad Smith and a shock decision to kick into a strong wind ruin Subiaco’s hopes of a first premiership since 1988. |