1998 Westar Rules Grand Final

December 2017 December 2017 The 1998 Westar Rules Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between EF and WP on Sunday, 20 September 1998, at Subiaco Oval in Perth, Western Australia to determine the premier team of Westar Rules for the 1998 season. East Fremantle won convincingly by forty-three points, 20.10 (130) to 13.9 (87), taking out their twenty-ninth premiership but their last as of 2022. In the process, the Sharks achieved their sixteenth consecutive win, having lost during the season only to Claremont and Subiaco in their fifth and sixth matches. It constituted the most consecutive wins ending in a Westar/WAFL/WANFL premiership since East Fremantle had achieved a unique undefeated season in 1946. After the game Shark coach Tony Micale said that the 1998 team must rank as one of the greatest in East Fremantle history.Reid, Russell; “Sharks Up With Best”; in The Game, p. 3; from The West Australian, 21 September 1998 East Fremantle and West Perth had completely dominated the season, finishing five games and over fifty-eight percent clear of their nearest rivals for the premiership, but the Sharks showed their superiority in the second semi-final by holding the Falcons to three goals in completely fine conditionsPerth Metro (Mount Lawley) September 1998 rainfall and West Perth only overcame Subiaco in the preliminary due to a brilliant solo goal from Neil Mildenhall,Lague, Steve; “Falcons Swoop at the Death”; in The Game, p. 11; from The West Australian, 14 September 1998 so East Fremantle entered as hot favourites with odds of 1/4 to win their third premiership of the 1990s.Lague, Steve; “Sharks Red-Hot Favourites”; in The West Australian, 19 September 1998, p. 117 As it turned out, despite major injuries to Leigh Willison, Wayne Roser and Steve O‘Brien, East Fremantle were, after kicking into a wind in the opening quarter, always ahead of the Falcons.Stocks, Gary; “Champion Sharks Bury the Torment”; in The West Australian, 21 September 1998; p. 72 They kicked the first three goals and at no point did West Perth get closer than the ten-point quarter time margin. Three successive goals early in the third quarter were responded to by the Falcons, but late in that period the Sharks kicked four goals without reply to be thirty-eight points ahead and West Perth coach John Dimmer knew then his team would lose.Lague, Steve; “Injured Fill Interchange Bench Early”; in The Game, p. 3; from The West Australian, 21 September 1998 Adrian Bromage (East Fremantle) won the Simpson Medal as best on ground, completing a rare double of winning the Sandover Medal and Simpson Medal in the same season.http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/4760 Grand Final - 1998 - League West Australian Football Commission WAFL Online 1 October 2012 5 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305141322/http://www.wafl.com.au/games/view/4760 dead http://www.wafl.com.au/honours/simpson-medal Simpson Medalists West Australian Football League WAFL Online 1 October 2012 21 September 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120921122550/http://www.wafl.com.au/honours/simpson-medal dead Teams East Fremantle FB: Jon Stagg John Kerr Scott Spalding HB: Marshall Stockden Greg Madigan Michael Collica C: Gary Dhurrkay Martin Mellody Chris Pobjoy HF: Steve O‘Brien Earl Spalding Stephen Bilcich FF: Clint Kirey Damien Condon Leigh Willison R: Greg Egan Adrian Bromage Wayne Roser I: Matthew Clucas Justin Sanders Rhett Bowden Coach: Tony Micale West Perth FB: Luke Rayner Ryan Webb Digby Morrell HB: Paul Mifka Brendon Barrows Peter Julian C: Darren O‘Brien Kim Rigoll Callum Chambers HF: Christian Kelly Dean Brunton Andrew Williams FF: Heath Younie Troy Wilson Corey Johnson R: Ron Skender Brendon Logan Bryce Steel I: Neil Mildenhall Steve Trewhella Chris Rigoll Coach: John Dimmer Match details 1998 Westar Rules Grand Final Sunday, 20 September EF 4.1 (25) 7.4 (46) 14.7 (91) 20.10 (130) Condon 4Bilcich, Egan 3Dhurrkay 2Roser, Clucas, Kirey, E. Spalding, O‘Brien, Willison, Bromage, Pobjoy 1 Bromage, Bilcich, Condon, Sanders, Collica, Stagg Willison (ankle)Roser (thigh)S. O‘Brien (knee)Madigan (ankle)Bowden (ankle) H WP 2.3 (15) 5.5 (35) 8.5 (53) 13.9 (87) 5 Brunton4 Logan2 Williams1 Johnson, Darren O‘Brien Barrows, Brunton, Rayner, Skender, Logan, Wilson Subiaco Oval 23,258 Adam Binks, Wayne French, Simon Gill Simpson Medal Adrian Bromage (EF) References Westar Rules Grand Final Category:West Australian Football League Grand Finals