Join us in 2024, as the mighty Tigers of ol’ West Coast celebrate 40 years “down by the sea”…
Calling all Past Players — from the pre-foundation roots of City Beach All Stars, Floreat Marist FC (and Floreat Park and Marist Old Boys before them) to the Teachers College Churchlands / WACAE alumni and players Cowan University, who merged with West Coast in 2001 — and all those who have represented the mighty Tigers since… Join us at City Beach Oval on Saturday 15th June for the 40th anniversary edition of West Coast AFC’s Gary Clune Past Players Day.
Itinerary
9:45am - Colts fixtures commence, B Reserves from 11:55am
Past Players / LEGENDS arrive from 12:30pm - stretch, tape, rubs and dencorub applied!
1:00pm - Past Players function commences in the marquee
1:30pm - Bouncedown in the LEGENDS Game
Gary Clune LEGENDS Game finishes with Club Song + Guard of Honour
2:15pm - Tigers B League game vs Bullcreek Leeming
Past Players 40th Anniversary function continues throughout the afternoon - including bar, canteen, BBQ and post-game presentations
E1 Tigers vs Nollamara under lights from 4:30pm
THE FORMATIVE YEARS
West Coast Amateur Football Club commenced in the WAAFL in 1984, the product of a merger between the City Beach All Stars and Floreat Marist Football Club. The club’s roots “down by the sea” trace back earlier, though, with City Beach All Stars formation in 1975 and playing at City Beach Oval.
See here for pre-merger history. Together, City Beach and Floreat Marist won six premierships prior to their merger to form West Coast AFC in 1984. (2 by City Beach; 4 by Floreat Marist, including 2 by Floreat Park and 1 by Marist Old Boys, prior to those two clubs merging to form Floreat Marist)
Over the course of its 40 year history, the club has experienced numerous highlights, including a number of successful seasons in the WAAFL’s premier A Grade competition, culminating in arguably the pinnacle of West Coast's history, with the League team winning the A Grade Premiership in 1994 under the guidance of John Dimmer - who went on to coach West Perth to WAFL flags in 1995 and 1999, followed by premierships with South Fremantle in 2005 and 2009.
The club has provided a launching pad for a number of high-profile football careers. For example, Ken Judge took on his first senior coaching position at West Coast AFC in 1990-1991, before going on to coach 89 AFL games with Hawthorn (1996-1999) and 44 AFL games at the West Coast Eagles (2000-2001). Similarly, a number of future stars of the WAFL competition first cut their teeth at West Coast; they include Shane Beros (Swan Districts veteran and winner of the 2003 Sandover Medal), Corey Johnson (160 game midfielder at West Perth, who won the 2002 Simpson Medal, for best-on-ground in the annual state game) and Kim Rigoll (West Perth Premiership player in 1999 (Captain) and 2003).
1994 - A Grade premiership side, coached by John Dimmer
WEST COAST + COWAN UNIVERITY MERGER
In 2001, West Coast merged with Cowan University, to form West Coast Cowan Amateur Football Club. The success of this merger was confirmed later that year, when West Coast Cowan won the WAAFL's coveted Champion Club award in its inaugural season.
From its City Beach Oval base, West Coast Cowan enjoyed a relatively successful period. The B Reserve team won the 2001 Premiership; the B Colts team were 2003 Premiers; and the West Coast Cowan C League team - which included a number of players from the 2003 Colts Premiers - won the 2006 flag under the guidance of Tom Wagner. Having earned promotion back to B Grade in 2007, the League side achieved the remarkable feat of back-to-back flags that year.
After a number of years in A Grade, West Coast Cowan slipped back to B Grade in 2010. However, after a few years of consolidation on and off the field, with recently-renovated clubrooms, new floodlights and continued player development, the club entrenched itself back in A Grade from 2014, after narrowly losing the 2013 Grand Final to Kalamunda.
After a mixed 2017 season, highlighted by an E2 Grade premiership, the club found itself back in B Grade and ready to consolidate for another tilt at the WAAFL's premier competition in the years ahead.
2007 - West Coast goes back to back in B Grade, coached by Tom Wagner
2017 - E2 premiership side, coached by Stephen King
This period of consolidation saw the club finish on or near the top of the ladder in B League and Reserves grades in 2019 and 2020 - with a narrow Grand Final loss and one premiership flag to show for our Mens efforts. Those years of shared success across the club were amplified and highlighted by the growth of an outstanding womens football program, with the West Coast Tigresses winning another two premierships (back-to-back in C3 Womens from 2020 to 2021) and plenty of other finals.
After the disruptions of COVID, 2021 went on to become the most successful season in club history, adding Mens E3 and B League premierships on the wall next to Womens second C3 flag, and earning the mighty Tigers promotion back to Perth Football League’s marquee A Grade Mens competition.
2021 - B League Mens side coached by Rohan McHugh - A Grade here we come again!
2021 - Womens Reserves go back-to-back as C3 Premiers from 2020 to 2021
2021 - Hips Straight, Kick Straight… Daws’ E3s wins it with Doug’s goal after the siren
Putting a challenging 2023 season behinds us, the club now finds itself back in B Grade in 2024. However, signs and sentiments for the future could not be more positive.
With “Sico” and his streak of snarling young West Coast Tigers making the A Grade Colts Grand Final for the first time in club history last year, a young B League side and plenty of depth through Reserves and Thirds, we are looking forward to making the club 40th anniversary in 2024 a year to remember!
In 2024, the mighty Tigers of ol’ West Coast celebrate 40 years ‘down by the sea’!
Keep an eye on this website, club socials and newsletter for key dates and events
Since its genesis in 1984, West Coast has won 20 premierships.
Including its pre-merger identities, that total rises to has won a total of 37 Premierships, making the Tigers one of most successful clubs in WAAFL/PFL history.
We look forward to building on that record in 2024, which marks West Coast AFC’s 40th anniversary and 50 seasons of community football "down by the sea".
Premierships
Floreat Park
1969 - C League
1973 - B Reserve
Marist OLD BOYS
1971 - E Grade
Floreat Marist
1979 - E League
City Beach All Stars
1975 - E League
1981 - C League
T.C. Churchlands
1975 - D Grade
1976 - D Grade
1977 - E Grade
1977 - H Grade
1978 - E Grade
CHURCHLANDS
1983 - F Grade
W.A.C.A.E.
1984 - E Grade
1990 - D Grade
Cowan University
1992 - C Colts
1994 - D Grade
1994 - I Grade
West Coast
1984 - B Colts
1985 - B Colts
1985 - D Colts
1986 - B Colts
1987 - B Grade
1987 - L Grade
1989 - F Grade
1994 - A League
1996 - H League
1997 - F League
West Coast Cowan
2001 - B Reserve
2003 - B Colts
2006 - C League
2007 - B League
West Coast
2017 - E2 Grade
2020 - B Reserves
2020 - C3 Womens
2021 - B League
2021 - C3 Womens
2021 - E3 Grade