2023 WAFL season

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2023 WAFL season
Teams10
PremiersEast Fremantle
30th premiership
Minor premiersEast Fremantle
34th minor premiership
Sandover MedallistHamish Brayshaw
(East Perth – 26 votes)[1]
Bernie Naylor MedallistTyler Keitel
(West Perth – 57 goals)
← 2022
2024 →

The 2023 WAFL season was the 139th season of the various incarnations of the West Australian Football League (WAFL). The season commenced on 7 April and concluded with the Grand Final on 24 September.[2]

After easily winning the minor premiership, East Fremantle won their 30th WAFL premiership breaking a 25-year drought, defeating Peel Thunder in the Grand Final at Optus Stadium.

Ladder[edit]

  • For the list of regular season results, see here
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts Qualification
1 East Fremantle (P) 18 14 4 0 1650 1118 147.6 56 Finals series
2 Subiaco 18 12 6 0 1536 1168 131.5 48
3 Peel Thunder 18 12 6 0 1474 1133 130.1 48
4 East Perth 18 12 6 0 1656 1275 129.9 48
5 Claremont 18 12 6 0 1509 1225 123.2 48
6 West Perth 18 11 7 0 1523 1271 119.8 44
7 Swan Districts 18 8 10 0 1329 1333 99.7 32
8 South Fremantle[a] 18 6 12 0 1190 1227 97.0 16
9 Perth 18 2 15 1 1119 1725 64.9 10
10 West Coast 18 0 17 1 973 2484 39.2 2
Source: WAFL.com.au
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers
Notes:
  1. ^ South Fremantle were fined $25,000 and stripped of eight premiership points after breaching the WAFL salary cap during the 2021 WAFL season.[3][4]

Finals series[edit]

Week one – Qualifying and elimination finals[edit]

Qualifying final
Saturday, 2 September (2:10 pm) Subiaco 10.14 (74) def. by Peel Thunder 12.12 (84) Leederville Oval
Elimination final
Sunday, 3 September (2:10 pm) East Perth 9.06 (60) def. by Claremont 11.06 (72) Leederville Oval

Week two – Semi-finals[edit]

Second semi final
Saturday, 9 September (2:10 pm) East Fremantle 9.06 (60) def. Peel Thunder 7.13 (55) Fremantle Community Bank Oval
First semi final
Sunday, 10 September (2:10 pm) Subiaco 16.12 (88) def. Claremont 8.01 (49) Leederville Oval

Week three – Preliminary final[edit]

Preliminary final
Sunday 17, September (2:10 pm) Peel Thunder 11.11 (77) def. Subiaco 7.11 (53) Lane Group Stadium

Week four – Grand Final[edit]

2023 WAFL Grand Final
Sunday 24 September (3:00 pm) East Fremantle def. Peel Thunder Optus Stadium, Perth (crowd: 27,104[5]) Stats
Report
3.5 (23)
6.6 (42)
9.11 (65)
 12.13 (85)
Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final
2.0 (12)
4.4 (28)
5.7 (37)
 6.10 (46)
Umpires: Gibb, Jago, McPhee, Laycock[6]
Simpson Medal: Milan Murdock (East Fremantle)
Television broadcast: Seven Network
Schoenfeld 2, McGuire 2, Murdock, English, Joyce, Marsh, McGuire, Bennett, Montauban, Dixon Goals Colyer 2, Middleton, Sears, Smith, Wemm
Murdock, Turner, Eardley, Jupp, Joyce, Marsh, R McGuire, Marlin, Bailey. Best Wagner, Davies, Blight, Wilson, Hamling, Brodie, Hancock.
Nil Injuries Nil
Nil Reports Nil

Notable events[edit]

  • Perth's Kristian Cary kicked for goal after the siren against West Coast in Round 13, but his kick fell short the huge pack competing on the goal line saw the ball forced through for a rushed behind. The draw ended West Coast's losing streak for the season.[7]
  • West Coast's Harry Barnett missed a shot on goal in Round 15, allowing Swan Districts to bring the ball back into their forward 50, where Tom Edwards marked and kicked truly.[8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Woodcock, Mitchell (12 September 2023). "2023 Sandover Medal: East Perth star Hamish Brayshaw the runaway winner after dominant season for Royals". thewest.com.au. Seven West Media. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  2. ^ Mitch Keating (2 February 2023). "2023 WAFL season fixture released". Zero Hangar.
  3. ^ Paddick, Matt (23 April 2023). "WAFL 2023: South Fremantle's salary cap penalty an afterthought for players amid strong start to season". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  4. ^ "South Fremantle Penalised Over Total Player Payment Breach". WA Football Commission. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  5. ^ Pike, Chris (24 September 2023). "Sharks win premiership to end 25-year drought". wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Fab Four selected to umpire first WAFL League Grand Final". wafootball.com.au. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  7. ^ "WAFL NAIDOC Round Wrap". WAFL.
  8. ^ "WAFL Match Report: Eagles suffer heartbreak at the hands of Swans". West Coast Eagles. 22 July 2023.