WATCH: How Western Australia went from Victoria’s “recruiting ground” to a V/AFL beast

by Admin
July 17, 2024

Western Australia was never supposed to be one of the VFL’s first interstate expansions.

“There was a clear preference for South Australia by the VFL, there was a clear preference for Queensland and WA were thought of as an ongoing recruiting ground. Getting your credibility up, pushing ourselves to the front of the queue was probably the most difficult challenge we faced,” John Walker, inaugural CEO of the West Coast Eagles, told Zero Hanger‘s AFL Team Builders podcast.

It’s unsurprising Western Australia was deemed as a recruiting ground for the VFL at that stage. Ross Glendinning was playing for North Melbourne, Ron Alexander had been a stalwart at Fitzroy and Maurice Rioli dazzled the Victorian competition.

Hence, a Western Australian club was feared to reach the levels of a State of Origin-esque side by maintaining their abundance of homegrown talent.

Yet on October 1, 1986, Western Australia received a formal invitation to create an expansion club for the VFL. A $4.5 million fee to enter the competition was required, as well as ensuring the club was ready to go in just six months’ time. However, it was deemed to be a worthwhile investment to bring Western Australian football to life.

“It was just such an exciting challenge I couldn’t turn it down,” Walker said.

In the third episode of AFL Team Builders, inaugural members of the West Coast Eagles – CEO John Walker, coach Ron Alexander, and captain Ross Glendinning – take you inside the ups and downs of the creation of the first V/AFL team in Western Australia.