| Australian rules football in Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 Western Derby West Coast vs Fremantle at Subiaco Oval in 2008 | |
| Governing body | West Australian Football Commission |
| Representative team | Western Australia |
| First played | Perth Melbourne 19 September 1868 |
| Registered players | 108,154 (adult) 46,187 (child)[1] |
| Clubs | 236 (28 competitions)[2] |
Club competitions | |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 61,118 (2021). 2021 AFL Grand Final. Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs. (Optus Stadium, Perth) |
In Western Australia (WA), Australian rules football is the most popular sport. There are 29 regional club competitions, the highest profile of which is the semi-professional West Australian Football League. It is governed by the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC). It has 108,154 adult players (around 10% of which are female) and 46,187 children,[1] the highest participation rate per capita (8.5%) in Australia, second most players of any jurisdiction, accounts for around a fifth of all players nationally and is growing faster than any other state. It is the third most participated team sport after soccer and basketball.[1]
Matches were played in the Colony of Western Australia from 1868, however rugby union there became more popular and Australian rules was not fully established until the 1880s when existing rugby clubs began to switch codes. Following the Federation of Australia, courtesy of pioneering junior and schools programs the sport grew faster there than any other state. For much of the 20th century the West Australian Football League (WAFL) was the third strongest state competition in the country. In 1967 the WAFL set a record season attendance of 960,169 and the 1981 WAFL Grand Final was attended by 55,517. Even with its current semi-professional status, it remains the third most popular competition in the world for the sport.
The state team (known as the "Black Swans" or "Sandgropers") played Interstate matches against other Australian states and Territories between 1904 and 1998 and has defeated every state and territory. They were declared national men's champions in 1921, 1961 and 1979 and was the most successful state during the State of Origin era (1977–1999) with a total of 4 titles. Brian Peake has the most caps and was the longest serving captain of the State of Origin team. The underage men's team has competed between 1976 and the present and were champions in 1999, 2007 and 2019 and the underage women's competing since 2010 were champions in 2014. Western Australia has the second most national titles after Victoria across all divisions.
The state is home to two fully professional Australian Football League (AFL) clubs both based in the capital Perth and owned by the WAFC: West Coast Eagles (1986) and Fremantle Football Club (1994), the former having the distinction of being the first non-Victorian team to compete in and win an AFL Grand Final in 1992. The two teams compete against each other in the Western Derby. The combined membership of the two clubs is more than 150,000, making Western Australia second only to Victoria in terms of support for the national club competition. Since 2020 West Coast has had the highest membership and fastest membership growth in the AFL and is the league's most profitable and equal highest revenue generating club. With the AFL's growth in popularity, Western Australia has oft been speculated as a candidate for a third club,[3][4][5] however this is not supported by the WAFC.[6] Nevertheless a 3 year 3 game a year deal was granted to North Melbourne Football Club to play additional matches in Perth and Bunbury from 2025.[7] WA produces the second most professional players for the AFL, with more than 100 current players, though the majority play for clubs in other states.
It is the most watched sport and has the third largest audience in the country. Its television viewership continues to grow strongly and its average AFL attendances are the second highest nationally.[8] Both the AFL and the WAFL attract a significant television audience. Since 1991 it has attracted an average AFL premiership season attendance of 34,462, third in the country. As at 2022 this average attendance sits at 45,921 the second highest, boosted with the 2018 completion of Perth Stadium the state's flagship venue. While the AFL has far surpassed it in popularity, the WAFL also attracts around 200,000 fans through the gates each year as well as a significant television audience.
Three West Australians have been named Australian Football Hall of Fame legends: Graham 'Polly' Farmer, Barry Cable and Merv McIntosh. Lance Franklin holds the AFL games record and goals record for a Western Australian, with 354 and 1,066 respectively. Kiara Bowers is arguably the state's greatest female player being four time All-Australian and the first to win the AFL Women's best and fairest. Gemma Houghton has kicked the most goals, while Emma King has played the most games for born and raised West Australians in the AFL Women's competition.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
participation 2024was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Barassi Line - A Wikidata fellowship project".
- ^ "It's the obvious choice": Western Australia throw hat in ring for third AFL team by SCOTT PRYDE 22 January 2023
- ^ Could we find room for a third AFL team out of WA? By Joel Saratsis 17 March 2016
- ^ West Perth sound out Royals about being third AFL club by SHAYNE HOPE for The West Australian 3 April 2010
- ^ ‘Have to have it’: Momentum for NT licence builds as WA ‘put a line through’ third AFL club by Will Faulkner for Fox Sports 29 May 2024
- ^ Roos to play games in Bunbury WA, end Tassie relationship from Newswire 13 November 2024
- ^ 2022 AFL TV Ratings