1946 WANFL season

Bernie Naylor, playing for the first time since 1941 after returning from Darwin, kicks nine goals as South Fremantle, after their phenomenal recovery in 1945, crush Claremont.

• The Subiaco versus East Fremantle match saw an unexpected onlooker in former North Adelaide champion Ken Farmer, who was explaining the game to rugby league fans from Great Britain.^[14]
• West Perth kick 7.3 (45) in the first half of the final quarter for a brilliant victory against a South Fremantle team missing the toughness of “Scranno” Jenkins.

Claremont, who had not won since Round 8 of 1945, surprised by leading an inaccurate East Fremantle for three quarters before the exhausted Tigers collapse.

In front of the biggest recorded home-and-away attendance in WANFL history to that point^[27] – though soon to be broken^[28] – East Fremantle confirm that they will be even more potent than in 1945 with a superb display against their port rivals.

• Following the removal of government bans on weekday sport,^[33] the WANFL plays on Foundation Day for the first time since 1941.
• A record WANFL home-and-away attendance^[28] sees East Fremantle prove its strength in a most “deliberate” manner as it overcomes a nine-point half-time deficit for another convincing win.
• Claremont end their longest losing streak until 1958 and still their second-longest on record^[34] with a strong third-quarter burst.

The resignation of coach Neil Lewington for business reasons^[39] seems to disturb South Fremantle as Perth outscore them into the wind in the final quarter.

A number of spectators hooted at field umpire Ryan after East Fremantle win its eighteenth consecutive WANFL victory, and in the crush a woman was knocked hard and collapsed, having to be driven by ambulance to Perth Hospital.^[44]

West Perth kick 8.5 (53) to one goal in the first quarter but stop to a walk afterwards and feel relieved as the siren sounds. South Fremantle’s score remains their most accurate in senior WA(N)FL football.^[49]

Swans’ surprising tie with West Perth is the highest-scoring draw in WA(N)FL history and the last senior WANFL draw until the penultimate round of 1957.^{[54][note 3]}

During one of Perth’s wettest months on record,^[59] East Fremantle show their usual brilliant teamwork on a waterlogged surface to push Perth to fifth.

The rainiest spell in the recorded climatic history of Perth^[64][65] produces extremely heavy grounds which results in:

1. Swan Districts kicking their lowest score until 1964 and still third-lowest on record and equal lowest against Perth.^[66]
2. The aggregate score of just 9.16 (70) remains the lowest for any Swan Districts game.^[67]
3. Subiaco record the biggest win by a team scoring fewer goals in WA(N)FL history as they defend magnificently into the breeze against their powerful opponents during the final quarter.

Despite the return of “Scranno” Jenkins after a serious knee injury, South Fremantle fall to sixth as

In very wet and slippery conditions,^[80] Old Easts produce what was regarded as the best display of their twenty-five straight victories with brilliant handball and backing up, resulting in East Perth losing its place in the four to South Fremantle with a tough draw to come.

• Bernie Naylor kicks his hundredth goal as South, despite inaccurate kicking, manage to compete with the unbeaten blue and whites despite never being in the match after conceding eight goals into the wind in heavy rain.^[80]
• Subiaco consolidate their place in the four as captain Fred Williams produces a brilliant goal in difficult conditions for Neil Althorpe in the last minute.
• Ron Tucker kicks eleven goals in a match played on a Wednesday afternoon due to the Redleg and Cardinal tours earlier in August,^[5] and Perth move to third with two matches remaining.

Despite a protest against H. Townsend, who owing to Old Easts’ bad run with injuries started the league game after playing for the colts,^[2] East Fremantle – if below their best – kick 5.5 (35) to 1.2 (8) in the final quarter for their twenty-seventh straight victory, during which apart from the initial game no opponent had got closer than sixteen points.

• Subiaco seal their first senior finals berth since 1936 with a fine comeback in very windy and chilly conditions after scoring only 1.3 (9) until half-time
• Despite Johnny Compton kicking 4.10 (34), Claremont extend Old Easts all game but cannot capitalise often enough to break their winning streak.

• Perth fail in the virtually impossible task of beating East Fremantle to stay in the four, as Old Easts recover the form they showed before the interstate match to never be seriously challenged.
• South Fremantle, despite Naylor kicking six behinds from nine shots, get over a persistent Swan Districts to take the Redlegs’ place.

An unexpected move of skipper

East Fremantle maintain their perfect record with a goal soccered by Green with twenty seconds remaining after a hectic finish that had seen Old Easts kick 1.13 (19) since half-time.

In a disappointing spectacle after the thrilling semi-finals, Subiaco’s lack of teamwork means it never has a chance.

In a brilliant match, East Fremantle’s steadiness in a crisis during the final quarter gives it a record undefeated season as West Perth fail to get the equalising goal at the finish.^[101]

Despite not being happy with the rule interpretations of local umpire Ryan, Collingwood manage to keep ahead of the unbeaten WANFL premiers all game – yet are still impressed by the quality of Old Easts’ play.