THREE close results in Round 3 of the WAFL's pre-season Variety Challenge at the weekend indicated fans can expect another exciting season when the action kicks off on Friday, March 19.

Swan Districts defeated East Perth by just 11 points at EFTel Oval, Claremont beat Perth by 14 points at Claremont Oval and West Perth beat Peel Thunder by 27 points in their clash at Arena Joondalup.

The only one-sided result was East Fremantle's 54-point win over Subiaco.

WEST Perth has played in the past two WAFL finals campaigns and coach Bill Monaghan sees no reason his squad will not make it back there again in 2010.

The Falcons have been bundled out of the finals the last two seasons by Swan Districts, in the 2008 preliminary final and 2009 first semi-final, but haven’t been far off the top sides and that is why Monaghan is confident of another strong season.

There have been no recruits signed by West Perth and veterans Troy Longmuir and Craig Smoker have retired, with two AFL players in Mark Seaby and Adam Campbell moving on after spending most of 2009 with the Falcons, but Monaghan sees more than enough talent to be successful.

SOUTH Fremantle Premiership coach John Dimmer will lead the West Australian Football League into this year's State clash againts Victoria at Medibank Stadium.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 22, the game will see WA attempt to follow the success of last season's thrilling one-point win over South Australia.

Dimmer is well equipped to replace outgoing State coach Scott Watters, having coached the Bulldogs to two flags in his six seasons at the helm and never finishing outside the top four.

He also coached WA against South Australia in 1996 and spent five years as coach of West Perth and seven years as Claremont reserves coach.

FORMER Claremont player Michael Warren will be wearing blue and white for season 2010 and beyond after agreeing to join East Fremantle Football Club.

The 100 game, 27-year-old key position player will provide the Sharks with further options in key positions.

Warren, originally from South Bunbury, made his WAFL debut for Claremont in 2003 and was then selected by Fremantle with the 41st selection in the 2004 AFL Rookie Draft.

THE West Australian Football League is delighted to announce that leading national insurer AAMI has committed to naming rights sponsorship of the competition in a long term agreement that will deliver significant support for grass roots football in Western Australia.

WAFL Operations Manager Clint Roberts said it was great news for the league and would help build on the outstanding success of last year’s competition, which attracted the largest season attendance for 15 years.

“We are thrilled to have secured AAMI’s support for the 2010 season and beyond, and would also like to thank the Office of Road Safety through the ‘Belt Up’ sponsorship for their valued support over more than a decade. They are now focusing more on country areas and will continue their support through the WA Country Football League,” Mr Roberts said.

We would like to advise all members of the West Coast Eagles U/23 State Amateur Squad that the program for the final week of training is now available for download in the "Resources" section of the website (To the right).

The West Coast Eagles U/23 State Amateur Team will be taking on the Victorian Amateur Football Association on June 7th at Fremantle Oval.

The following players are in the squad;

The final squad for the West Coast Eagles State Amateur Colts team to take on the WA State 16's has been announced.

We would like to thank all players who tried out for the team, and congratulate all members of the West Coast Eagles State Amateur Colts team for season 2009.

The team is as follows;

The Keystart Home Loans Match of the Week for round seven of the WAAFL season is the C Gold clash between former Sunday Football League rivals Kingsway and Maddington at Kingsway Reserve.

This top of the table clash will be a test for both teams, with a strong rivalry going as far back as the 1988 SFL Grand Final, which saw Kingsway victorious over Maddington by 16 points after being down by 14 with ten minutes left in the season.

The rivalry between the West Coast Eagles U/23 State Amateurs and the Peel Football League came to a head last night with the WAAFL running out winners despite Peel’s early pressure.

Peel’s intensity proved difficult to manage early on for the WAAFL as they took a five point lead into the first change. The trend continued in the second quarter; the West Coast Eagles U/23 State Amateur team struggled to find space and could only manage five points as Peel hit the ball and the man hard adding three goals to be 22 points up at the midway point of the match.

The following players are required to attend the practice match against the Peel Football League on Wednesday 27^th May at Anniversary Park Rockingham.

 

Game commences at 7.30pm, players required by 6.30pm

 

Any player unable to play for whatever reason please contact Wayne Langborne no later than Monday afternoon.

   

AARON SWEET	STIRLING
ANDREW CLARKE	COLLEGIANS
CARL SCAFONE	SWAN VIEW
CHRIS MATHER	TRINITY AQUINAS
DAMON BULL	WILLETTON
DANIEL STARR	NORTH FREMANTLE
ED ADCOCK	COLLEGIANS
GABE ORR	KELMSCOTT
GUY BOUDVILLE	WEST COAST COWAN
JAKE CARTER	COLLEGIANS
JAMES GRABSKY	UNIVERSITY
JAMES READ	KELMSCOTT
JAMIE BIRRELL	TRINITY AQUINAS
JARRAD HELLER	COLLEGIANS
JOEL HARRIS	NORTH FREMANTLE
KEMPTON SING	NORTH FREMANTLE
LUKE HARDING	CBC
MATTHEW BREEN	UNIVERSITY
MATTHEW COKER	CBC
MICHAEL McCANN	NORTH FREMANTLE
PRESTON O'KEEFE	TRINITY AQUINAS
SCOTT DILLON	TRINITY AQUINAS
SCOTT GARVEY	WEST COAST COWAN
SIMON JONES	UNIVERSITY
TIM UNDERWOOD	COLLEGIANS
TYRONE MILLER	COLLEGIANS

 

This weekend (Sunday May, 24) the Subiaco District is conducting a carnival at Des Penman Reserve in Nollamara. The carnival is called District Dreaming and celebrates the role that Indigenous Australians play in our game of Australian Football.

The carnival is in its third year and was the initiative of the Northern Cobra’s Junior Football Club to acknowledge the indigenous stars that play Australian Rules football. It was developed after Jarrod Oakley-Nicholls was drafted to Richmond and then subsequently debuted at the annual "Dreamtime at the 'G" game in 2006, where he scored the winning behind.

The Subiaco Football District is pleased to announce the success of ‘Free Footy Sunday’ for the third consecutive season.

Last weekend, the Subiaco Football District in conjunction with Subiaco Football Club’s senior players, distributed 1100 footballs to registered junior football players aged between 9 and 12 within the district.

Applications are now open for football clubs to apply for the Telstra Assistance fund. Applications are completed online at http://www.beinvolved.com.au/taf/taf_afl.aspx

The fund is designed to help clubs in need by providing them with training and equipment packs to the value of $1000. This year is also the first time an umpires pack has been included, so umpiring groups are also encouraged to apply. Each of the packs contain the following

NAB AFL Auskick represents everything the team at NAB love about footy. It teaches respect for teammates, umpires and opponents and that effort brings reward, both on and off the field. This year however, there’s an extra off field reward, with NAB offering a money-can’t-buy 2009 Toyota AFL Grand Final Experience, $5,000* and Joel Selwood as a footy mentor in 2010.

To enter or nominate a great Auskicker you know, visit www.nab.com.au/auskick

NAB’s brand new NAB AFL Auskick website has just hit cyberspace. It’s full of all the latest NAB AFL Auskick news and events, great online games, loads of activities, weekly Auskicker profiles and everything you need to know about NAB’s Auskicker of the Year Competition. You’ll even find great tips from former NAB Rising Star Award winner Joel Selwood. Have a kick around the website today and while you’re there nominate your NAB AFL Auskick Centre to win an action-packed day with AFL stars.

To view the latest winners, play great online games or register for one of the competitions, visit www.nab.com.au/auskick