South Fremantle Football Club

Infobox aus sport club | clubname = South Fremantle Bulldogs


fullname = South Fremantle Football Club
emblem = Bulldogs
strip = White Guernsey with a Red V in the centre (colours reversed for away matches)
founded = 1900
firstseason = 1900
sport = Australian rules football
league = West Australian Football League
ground = Fremantle Oval, Fremantle
capacity = 18000
song = "We're the Bulldogs"
president = Terry Dean
coach = John Dimmer
captain = Toby McGrath
season = 2007
position = 3rd of 9

The South Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Bulldogs is a semi-professional Australian rules football club and one of nine clubs that compete in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). It was formed in 1900 and has its training, administration and home games at Fremantle Oval.

The club is coached by John Dimmer with Toby McGrath as the Captain.

History

The South Fremantle Football Club dates back to 1900 when it was formed because the once invincible Fremantle Football Club that had carried the hopes of football followers at the port was in debt and disarray. The new club did well in its first year, finishing runners-up. However, over the next three seasons the performance fell away badly and, in April 1904 a Fremantle newspaper confidently reported that South Fremantle would not appear again. However, the club decided to carry on and centreman Harry Hodge took over as skipper, but the season was a disaster. The club won only one game. Despite the early rough days, the South Fremantle FC is now a prsopering club with one of the highest supporter bases in the WAFL competition.

Over its 107-year history South Fremantle has produced many fine players, with many going on to perform well at state or VFL/AFL level.

South has won 12 premierships & is now the first WAFL club to have won 10 grand finals since World-War II. Four of the 12 premierships were won against the club's traditional rivals, East Fremantle. The Bulldogs have participated in the last two Grand Finals, defeating Claremont in 2005, but losing to Subiaco in 2006.

Fremantle Derby

The Fremantle Derby (Derby pronounced to rhyme with "herb", not "car"), is the biggest game of the year on the WAFL calendar. Every year since 1990 the two Fremantle sides have clashed in the match which until the advent of the AFL was one of the big Sporting rivalries in Australian Sport. The Derby's still have a great following but are now considered minor as the Western Derby, the match between WA's two AFL teams takes centre stage.

The Foundation Day (Western Australia) derby on the first Monday in June (a public holiday to mark the Foundation of Western Australia in 1829) is commonly the highest attended game of the home and away season. To the end of the 2006 season the two clubs had met 344 times with South Fremantle winning 156 to East Fremantle's 184 wins, 4 Draws have occurred between the two sides.

The Club

Club guernsey & Colours

South Fremantle's Guernsey (shown left) used for all WAFL matches is all white with a red V in the centre of the guernsey. During the 1990s they also introduced the reverse of the traditional guernsey with a white V on a red jumper, but as of 2006 it appears this guernsey is no longer worn. The South Fremantle colours of red & white stem from the first Fremantle based team known as Unions who wore red and white in the mid 1880s. After being renamed Fremantle they folded in 1899 before a new club in South Fremantle was formed the following year and decided to keep the colours of red and white.

upporters

South Fremantle is one of the more supported clubs in the WAFL. South often get crowds of around 1,500 to their home matches which is amongst the highest for the WAFL.

Club records

*WAFL League Premierships: 12 (1916, 1917, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1970, 1980, 1997, 2005)
*WAFL Reserves Premierships: 9 (1936, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2004)
*WAFL Colts Premierships: 7 (1970, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2002, 2003)
*Record attendance (league home and away game): 23,109, June 4, 1979 at Fremantle Oval v East Fremantle
*Record attendance (league finals match): 52,781, Grand Final, Sept 27, 1979 at Subiaco Oval v East Fremantle.
*Sandover medallists: Jack Rocchi 1928; Frank Jenkins 1937; Clive Lewington 1947; Steve Marsh 1952; John Todd 1955; Stephen Michael 1980 & 1981; Mark Bairstow 1986; Craig Edwards 1989; Toby McGrath 2005 (9 Medallists/10 Medals)
*Tassie Medallists: Stephen Michael 1983; Brad Hardie 1984, 1986 (3)
*All Australians: Steve Marsh 1953; John Gerovich 1956; Cliff Hillier 1956; John Todd 1961; Brian Ciccotosto 1972; Stephen Michael 1983 (6)
*League top goal kickers: H.Kelly (50) 1905; G.Thomas (31) 1910; H.Campbell (47) 1922; S.Lawn (75) 1928 & (96) 1929; B.Naylor (131) 1946, (108) 1947, 91 (1948), (147) 1952, (167) 1953, (133) 1954; J.Gerovich (74) 1956, (101) 1960 & (74) 1961; R.Bauskis (108) 1977 & (82) 1978; C.Edwards (54) 1992; J.Dorotich (88) 1996 & (114) 1997; Z.Parsons (65) 2002 (20 total)
*Most goals:
*Most goals in a season: 167 Bernie Naylor, 1953

Notable players

*Marty Atkins
*Mark Bairstow
*Peter Bell
*Brad Bootsma
*Mal Brown
*Basil Campbell
*Bonny Campbell
*Noel Carter
*James Clement
*Bertie Cooper
*Brad Collard
*Shannon Cox
*Phil Cronan
*Jon Dorotich
*Jeff Farmer (footballer)
*Darren Gaspar
*David Gault (current captain)
*John Gerovich
*Jaymie Graham
*Tom Grljusich
*George Grljusich
*Brad Hardie
*David Hart
*Roger Hayden
*Glen Jakovich
*Andrew Krakouer
*Clive Lewington
*Stan Magro
*Hassa Mann
*Steve Marsh
*Peter Matera
*Phil Matera
*Wally Matera
*Cory McGrath
*Ashley McGrath
*Stephen Michael
*Bruce Monteath
*Matthew Moody
*Bernie Naylor
*Wayne Richardson
*Maurice Rioli
*Dean Rioli
*Ashley Sampi
*Peter Sumich
*Frank Treasure
*John Todd
*Mark L. Williams
*Russell Williams
*Nicky Winmar
*John Worsfold
*Peter Worsfold

External links

* [http://www.southfremantlefc.com.au/ Bulldogs] - Official club site
* [http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/South_Fremantle_part_1.htm Detailed South Fremantle History at Full Points Footy]
* [http://www.wafl.com.au/ West Australian Football League] - Official WAFL site

See also

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