1961 Western Australian State Football Team (First team inducted into the WA Hall of Champions)
Team members:
Malcolm Atwell
Ken Bagley
Dinny Barron
Neville Beard
Haydn Bunton (Captain)
Derek Chadwick
Jack Clarke
John Colgan
Lorne Cook
John Dethridge
Joe Fanchi
Graham Farmer
Ray Gabelich
John Gerovich
Bob Graham
Ken Holt
Denis Marshall
Barry Metcalfe
Les Mumme
Con Regan
Norm Rogers
Keith Slater
Ray Sorrell
Don Williams
Jack Sheedy (coach)
In the final match of the Australian Football Championships in Brisbane in 1961, Western Australia needed to beat Victoria by at least seven points to win the title on percentage.
Against a Victorian team which included legendary players such as Ron Barassi, Ted Whitten and Allen Aylett, the WA team won by nine points with a goal kicked by Joe Fanchi with seconds to play, delivering a famous victory for the state.
The win heralded a golden period in WA’s football history with many of its greatest players being prominent in the decade that followed this win. Astutely coached by Jack Sheedy and captained by Haydn Bunton, the WA team featured such enduring champions as Graham “Polly” Farmer, John Todd and Jack Clarke.
While many other WA teams have performed great deeds in interstate competition and the relatively new AFL competition, this victory is arguably the greatest, and is a worthy recipient of induction to the WA Hall of Sporting Champions.