# 1940 WANFL season

The 1940 WANFL season was the 56th season of the various incarnations of the Western Australian National Football League. It saw Claremont win its third consecutive premiership, but its last before returning to the status of cellar-dweller it occupied during its first decade in the WA(N)FL – between 1943 and 1978 Claremont played finals only five times for one premiership. South Fremantle, after a lean period in the middle 1930s, displaced perennial power clubs East Fremantle and East Perth as the Tigers’ Grand Final opponent, and established some of the basis, in spite of three disastrous wartime under-age seasons, for the club's fabled dynasty after the war.
The season was severely affected by World War II, which claimed numerous players from all clubs and limited the availability of others, and also a dispute with the Perth City Council over charges for the rental of Leederville and Perth Ovals, which were not resolved fully before the season. Consequently, East Perth and West Perth were forced to play home games at either the WACA or Subiaco Oval; however this did not affect their performance and the Cardinals, with young players like Bill Baker, “Spike” Pola and “Pops” Heal coming of age, improved from one win in 1939 to eleven this season – and would have done better but for appendicitis ending Ted Tyson’s football after June.
Swan Districts, affected by the retirement of early stalwarts Jim Ditchburn and George Krepp, the loss early in the season of Jack Murray, and the recruitment of numerous players to the services, suffered despite the return of champion spearhead Holdsworth who was third in the goalkicking with 73 its first wooden spoon with only two wins. More surprisingly Perth – who had looked the previous season to be emerging from twenty years in the doldrums – could not replace captain-coach Austin Robertson and lost all but one of its final thirteen games for its worst record since 1923.
Notable highlights included the first double-century score in Perth senior football and two record comebacks over the final three quarters.

## Home-and-away season
### Round 1

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | |
| Saturday, 27 April (2:45 pm) | Perth 14.11 (95) | def. by | West Perth 15.10 (100) | WACA |
| Saturday, 27 April (2:45 pm) | Claremont 18.11 (119) | def. | Swan Districts 10.9 (69) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 27 April (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.8 (74) | def. by | East Perth 15.17 (107) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 27 April (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 20.9 (129) | def. | East Fremantle 18.11 (119) | Fremantle Oval |
| Aided by a late clearance for Keith Shea from Subiaco, South Fremantle win a thrilling high-scoring derby. ||||||

### Round 2 (Labour Day)

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | |
| Saturday, 4 May (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.9 (75) | def. by | West Perth 17.14 (116) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 4 May (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 11.18 (84) | def. by | Claremont 17.15 (117) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 4 May (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 8.8 (56) | def. by | South Fremantle 18.19 (127) | Bassendean Oval |
| Monday, 6 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 15.10 (100) | def. | Perth 10.7 (67) | Subiaco Oval |
| With Bill Baker providing support for Tyson in attack and improvement by young on-ballers such as Kingsbury and Rainoldi, the Cardinals exceeded their 1939 win tally after only two games. Perth lodged an unsuccessful protest over the eligibility of Alvan Whittle, who was ruled to have recently enough resided in East Perth’s district the following Saturday. ||||||

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | |
| Saturday, 11 May (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 9.10 (64) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.13 (133) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 11 May (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 9.24 (78) | def. | Claremont 9.16 (70) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 11 May (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 12.12 (84) | def. by | Perth 14.15 (99) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 11 May (2:45 pm) | West Perth 10.7 (67) | def. by | East Perth 13.14 (92) | WACA |
| After kicking an amazing 3.22 (40) to three-quarter time in favourable conditions, South Fremantle kick 6.2 (38) to overpower the dual-premiership Tigers. ||||||

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | |
| Saturday, 18 May (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 11.14 (80) | def. by | West Perth 12.11 (83) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 18 May (2:45 pm) | Claremont 19.20 (134) | def. | Subiaco 10.10 (70) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 18 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 20.14 (134) | def. | Swan Districts 8.11 (59) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 18 May (2:45 pm) | Perth 18.15 (123) | def. | South Fremantle 7.10 (52) | WACA |
| 8.7 (55) from Doug Oliphant and brilliant high-marking from Gook and Henfry give Perth a crushing victory (111 marks to 54) that proved a false dawn for the season. West Perth beat East Fremantle at Fremantle for the first time since 1929. ||||||

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | |
| Saturday, 25 May (2:45 pm) | East Perth 14.14 (98) | def. | South Fremantle 10.16 (76) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 25 May (2:45 pm) | Claremont 11.15 (81) | def. by | West Perth 12.10 (82) | WACA |
| Saturday, 25 May (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 7.13 (55) | def. by | Perth 11.12 (78) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 25 May (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 23.20 (158) | def. | Subiaco 14.3 (87) | Fremantle Oval |

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | |
| Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 6.11 (47) | def. by | Subiaco 18.25 (133) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 13.11 (89) | def. by | South Fremantle 18.19 (127) | WACA |
| Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 6.16 (52) | def. by | Claremont 13.18 (96) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 1 June (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 18.12 (120) | def. | Perth 13.12 (90) | Fremantle Oval |
| With rover Truscott scoring ten goals, South Fremantle demoralise the improving Cardinals in the final quarter after being behind all afternoon, scoring 8.10 (58) to 1.0 (6). ||||||

### Round 7

| | Round 7 | Round 7 | Round 7 | |
| Saturday, 8 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 14.18 (102) | def. | Subiaco 13.9 (87) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 8 June (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 9.10 (64) | def. by | West Perth 16.10 (106) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 8 June (2:45 pm) | Claremont 22.17 (149) | def. | Perth 12.17 (89) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 8 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 9.14 (68) | def. by | East Fremantle 15.9 (99) | Subiaco Oval |
| South Fremantle set a record by winning from a quarter-time deficit of 45 points, to be broken later in the season. ||||||

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | |
| Saturday, 15 June (2:45 pm) | Perth 10.12 (72) | def. by | East Perth 12.17 (89) | WACA |
| Saturday, 15 June (2:45 pm) | Claremont 12.6 (78) | def. by | East Fremantle 12.11 (83) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 15 June (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 5.7 (37) | def. by | West Perth 15.7 (97) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 15 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 22.27 (159) | def. | Swan Districts 11.11 (77) | Fremantle Oval |
| A missed shot on the siren from an acute angle by Johnny Compton denies Claremont a draw after trailing all day. ||||||

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | |
| Saturday, 22 June (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 14.14 (98) | def. by | Claremont 16.20 (116) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 22 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 20.17 (137) | def. | Perth 8.10 (58) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 22 June (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 14.18 (102) | def. | East Fremantle 13.11 (89) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 22 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 12.15 (87) | def. | Subiaco 6.15 (51) | WACA |
| Despite Holdsworth kicking seven behinds from ten shots, Swan Districts play their best match for 1940 and are within five points of Claremont late in the last quarter. West Perth move to second with a crushing win over Perth, with Tyson kicking 9.5 in his last major performance before appendicitis ended his season. ||||||

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | |
| Saturday, 29 June (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 18.21 (129) | def. | Swan Districts 13.6 (84) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 29 June (2:45 pm) | West Perth 11.4 (70) | def. by | East Perth 11.19 (85) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 29 June (2:45 pm) | Perth 8.9 (57) | def. by | Subiaco 15.5 (95) | WACA |
| Saturday, 29 June (2:45 pm) | Claremont 24.13 (157) | def. | South Fremantle 10.16 (76) | Claremont Oval |
| Despite losing Reid and having key strongman Compton carrying an injury, Claremont produce a superlative display against South Fremantle, with Heusler and Sutherland detracting the play and O‘Neill dominant at centre half-back. ||||||

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | |
| Saturday, 6 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.23 (89) | def. by | Claremont 20.9 (129) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 6 July (2:45 pm) | West Perth 8.13 (61) | def. by | East Fremantle 20.11 (131) | WACA |
| Saturday, 6 July (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 9.8 (62) | def. by | East Perth 18.20 (128) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 6 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 12.17 (89) | def. | Perth 9.13 (67) | Fremantle Oval |
| With George Moloney kicking thirteen goals, Claremont record the biggest win with fewer scoring shots in the WANFL until 1969. ||||||

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | |
| Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm) | Perth 10.22 (82) | def. by | Swan Districts 13.9 (87) | WACA |
| Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 18.14 (122) | def. | East Perth 10.13 (73) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm) | Claremont 17.13 (115) | def. | West Perth 14.12 (96) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 13 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 15.18 (108) | drew with | East Fremantle 16.12 (108) | Subiaco Oval |
| In finally winning their first game for the year, Swan Districts record their greatest deficit in scoring shots for a winning match until the 1963 Preliminary Final. East Fremantle and Subiaco played the first draw since the 1938 Grand Final, and what proved the last-ever senior WA(N)FL home-and-away draw at Subiaco Oval. It is also the last time any pair of pre-1926 clubs have played a first drawn encounter. ||||||

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | |
| Saturday, 20 July (2:45 pm) | Perth 12.7 (79) | def. by | East Fremantle 14.13 (97) | WACA |
| Saturday, 20 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 11.13 (79) | def. by | Swan Districts 16.13 (109) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 20 July (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 18.15 (123) | def. | West Perth 12.12 (84) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 20 July (2:45 pm) | Claremont 11.14 (80) | def. | East Perth 10.6 (66) | Claremont Oval |
| With Holdsworth and Clem Rosewarne reaching their best form for the first time and combining for fourteen goals, Swan Districts win their second and last match for 1940. ||||||

### Round 14

| | Round 14 | Round 14 | Round 14 | |
| Saturday, 20 April (2:45 pm) | Perth 10.11 (71) | def. by | Claremont 11.15 (81) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 27 July (2:45 pm) | West Perth 7.22 (64) | def. | Swan Districts 7.12 (54) | WACA |
| Saturday, 27 July (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 13.11 (89) | def. | South Fremantle 6.26 (62) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 27 July (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 11.18 (84) | def. | East Perth 10.11 (71) | Fremantle Oval |
| In slippery conditions despite the driest season on record in southwestern Australia before the influence of anthropogenic global warming, West Perth become the first team to win after being goalless at half-time since East Perth in 1920. South Fremantle’s inaccuracy – still their greatest excess of behinds over goals – gives Subiaco a major upset and leaves Claremont a game clear on top. During the East Fremantle versus East Perth match, in a gloomy last quarter the unusual step was taken of using training lights. ||||||

### Round 15 (Foundation Day)

| | Round 15 | Round 15 | Round 15 | |
| Monday, 3 June (2:45 pm) | East Perth 12.13 (85) | def. | Perth 10.6 (66) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 10 August (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 18.11 (119) | def. | Claremont 9.8 (62) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 10 August (2:45 pm) | West Perth 16.19 (115) | def. | Subiaco 6.8 (44) | WACA |
| Saturday, 10 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 24.10 (154) | def. | Swan Districts 13.10 (88) | Subiaco Oval |
| East Fremantle’s ability to keep the play crowded ensures Claremont cannot play its normal running game and results in an impressive win for Old Easts. ||||||

### Round 16

| | Round 16 | Round 16 | Round 16 | |
| Saturday, 17 August (2:45 pm) | Perth 8.10 (58) | def. | West Perth 5.16 (46) | WACA |
| Saturday, 17 August (2:45 pm) | Claremont 33.22 (220) | def. | Swan Districts 7.15 (57) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 17 August (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 8.7 (55) | def. by | South Fremantle 10.14 (74) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 17 August (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 7.11 (53) | def. by | East Perth 8.9 (57) | Subiaco Oval |
| Claremont beat its record score of 29.19 (193) from the previous season, becoming the first WANFL team to pass the 200-point barrier. It is still the highest score kicked against Swan Districts and was the biggest win in the WAFA/WAFL/WANFL since 1902. With 19.9 (123), George Moloney kicked the second-highest number of points by an individual in WANFL history, behind Bernie Naylor’s 23.6 (144) against Subiaco in 1953. It equalled George Doig’s 1934 record for most goals in a match. Despite the loss of Albert Gook, Perth end a run of nine consecutive defeats and deny West Perth a golden opportunity to move within half a win of the leading four. ||||||

### Round 17

| | Round 17 | Round 17 | Round 17 | |
| Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm) | West Perth 6.8 (44) | def. by | East Perth 10.11 (71) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm) | Perth 7.6 (48) | def. by | Subiaco 7.9 (51) | WACA |
| Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 9.13 (67) | def. | Claremont 8.14 (62) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 24 August (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 9.16 (70) | def. by | East Fremantle 12.16 (88) | Bassendean Oval |
| On a boisterous day, South Fremantle, keeping Moloney goalless, take top place despite a strong second-half Tiger comeback. East Perth practically ensure the four will be unchanged from 1939 with a comfortable win over their traditional rivals in a match where only 2.1 (13) was scored into the gale. ||||||

### Round 18

| | Round 18 | Round 18 | Round 18 | |
| Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 13.15 (93) | def. | Perth 9.12 (66) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 8.13 (61) | def. by | East Perth 9.14 (68) | Bassendean Oval |
| Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm) | West Perth 12.14 (86) | def. by | East Fremantle 14.10 (94) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 31 August (2:45 pm) | Claremont 12.15 (87) | def. | Subiaco 10.7 (67) | Claremont Oval |
| East Fremantle’s victory definitively settles who will play in the finals with two matches remaining as West Perth stand two and a half games behind. Bottom club Swan Districts nearly cause a major upset but poor shooting for goal allows East Perth a win that keeps them in the running to have the double chance in the finals. ||||||

### Round 19

| | Round 19 | Round 19 | Round 19 | |
| Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm) | Subiaco 22.18 (150) | def. | Swan Districts 11.12 (78) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm) | West Perth 13.12 (90) | def. | South Fremantle 13.6 (84) | WACA |
| Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm) | Claremont 17.17 (119) | def. | East Perth 14.12 (96) | Claremont Oval |
| Saturday, 7 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 14.15 (99) | def. | Perth 14.9 (93) | Fremantle Oval |
| Moloney kicks his hundredth goal (having already done so for Geelong in 1932) as Claremont all but wrap up the double chance with a certain win against Perth in the last round. ||||||

### Round 20

| | Round 20 | Round 20 | Round 20 | |
| Saturday, 14 September (2:45 pm) | Perth 14.10 (94) | def. by | Claremont 20.16 (136) | WACA |
| Saturday, 14 September (2:45 pm) | East Perth 8.7 (55) | def. by | East Fremantle 9.12 (66) | Subiaco Oval |
| Saturday, 14 September (2:45 pm) | South Fremantle 28.15 (183) | def. | Subiaco 7.6 (48) | Fremantle Oval |
| Saturday, 14 September (2:45 pm) | Swan Districts 7.6 (48) | def. by | West Perth 20.16 (136) | Bassendean Oval |
| In winning after Perth led by 47 points at quarter-time, Claremont surpass South Fremantle’s record from earlier in the season to hold the double chance in the wake of East Fremantle’s win over East Perth. ||||||

## Ladder

1940 ladder :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
| 1 | Claremont (P) | 20 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2208 | 1603 | 137.7 | 60 |
| 2 | South Fremantle | 20 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2079 | 1687 | 123.2 | 60 |
| 3 | East Fremantle | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 2035 | 1661 | 122.5 | 58 |
| 4 | East Perth | 20 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 1688 | 1488 | 113.4 | 52 |
| 5 | West Perth | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1769 | 1622 | 109.1 | 44 |
| 6 | Subiaco | 20 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 1571 | 1980 | 79.3 | 22 |
| 7 | Perth | 20 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 1552 | 1845 | 84.1 | 16 |
| 8 | Swan Districts | 20 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 1387 | 2403 | 57.7 | 8 |

## Finals
### First semi-final

| | First semi-final | First semi-final | First semi-final | |
| Saturday, 21 September (2:45 pm) | East Fremantle 9.11 (65) | def. | East Perth 8.12 (60) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 6,200) |
| In a battle of defences affected by rain after quarter-time, East Perth spend the last three minutes deep in attack but fail to kick the winning goal. ||||||

### Second semi-final

| | Second semi-final | Second semi-final | Second semi-final | |
| Saturday, 28 September (2:45 pm) | Claremont 17.13 (115) | def. by | South Fremantle 19.16 (130) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 9,166) |
| Remarkably pacy and precise play in the second quarter, scoring 9.7 (61) to 1.3 (9), puts South Fremantle into its first Grand Final since 1930 and makes it favourite for its first premiership in twenty-three seasons. ||||||

### Preliminary final

| | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | |
| Saturday, 5 October (2:45 pm) | Claremont 19.17 (131) | def. | East Fremantle 13.17 (95) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 10,649) |
| Kicking 14.10 (94) to 2.8 (20), Claremont produce a remarkable second-half rally to enter their fifth consecutive Grand Final. ||||||

### Grand Final

| | 1940 WANFL Grand Final | 1940 WANFL Grand Final | 1940 WANFL Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 12 October | South Fremantle | def. by | Claremont | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 19,511) | |
| | 0.3 (3) 4.6 (30) 5.13 (43) 9.20 (74) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 4.7 (31) 5.10 (40) 9.12 (66) 13.13 (91) | Umpires: F Ryan | Umpires: F Ryan |
| Don Smith 3, Matthews 2, Truscott, Richardson, Gorn, Riley | Don Smith 3, Matthews 2, Truscott, Richardson, Gorn, Riley | Goals | George Moloney 5, Serjeant 2, Byfield 2, Reid, Kemp, Gibson, Julian | George Moloney 5, Serjeant 2, Byfield 2, Reid, Kemp, Gibson, Julian |
| Don Smith, Truscott (until injured), Shea, Reilly, Dearle, Richardson, Dave Doig | Don Smith, Truscott (until injured), Shea, Reilly, Dearle, Richardson, Dave Doig | Best | Sutherland, Grieve, George Moloney, Hooper, O‘Neill, Guthrie, Hunt | Sutherland, Grieve, George Moloney, Hooper, O‘Neill, Guthrie, Hunt |
| Truscott (dislocated elbow) | Truscott (dislocated elbow) | Injuries | | |
| Superior forward play ensures Claremont wins its third consecutive premiership after a hard-fought struggle. ||||||