Champions Honoured by WAAFL

SEVEN of Western Australia’s greatest amateur footballers, including former Fremantle coach Gerard Neesham, will be inducted into the WA Amateur Football League Hall of Champions tonight.

Now in its third year, the WAAFL Hall of Champions honours great contributors to the WAAFL, both on and off the playing field, as well as those who began their careers at an amateur level before going on to contribute at higher tiers.

This years’ inductees include former Fremantle Dockers coach Gerard Neesham, inaugural Fremantle Dockers Chairman and West Perth player Ross Kelly, Sydney Swans Team of the Century Member Bill Faul and former AFL Umpire Paul Smith.

Past greats of the WAAFL such as Laurie Tetley, George Meires, Billy Orr and Herbert Grosvenor have been forever remembered for their contribution to the game of Australian Football with induction as Champions of the WAAFL over the past two years.

The Hall of Champions also honours those who began their career in the WAAFL before going on to contribute at a higher level, such as Gary Buckenara, Peter Featherby, Simon Beasley and Gavin Statham. Now household names across the football community, these icons of our game began their careers at amateur level and are recognised in the Hall of Champions as High Achievers.

The Champions and High Achievers will be inducted tonight at a dinner held at the Subiaco Sports Bar in front of over 160 guests. Guest speaker will be Brian Sierakowski, a premiership player with St Kilda and Subiaco who later went on to coach University to the 1977 A Grade Premiership.

The full list of 2012 inductees is as follows:

Gerard Neesham (Teachers Training College/Fremantle CBC)

WAAFL A Grade Fairest and Best 1974

Fremantle Football Club inaugural coach

Claremont Premiership Player/Coach 1987 and 1989, Claremont Premiership Coach 1991 and 1993

Player: East Fremantle (79 games), Swan Districts (97 games), Claremont (42 games), Sydney Swans (9 games)

Ross Kelly (Maylands Amateur Football Club/Collegians Amateur Football Club)

Chairman Fremantle Football Club 1994 – 1998

WAFC Commissioner 2002 – 2010

West Perth Football Club player (132 games)

10 time WA Representative

Bill Faul (Wembley Amateur Football Club/Subiaco/South Melbourne/Prahran/Northcote/Moorabbin)

500 game player

Sydney Swans Team of the Century Member

Subiaco Team of the Century Member

Prahran Team of the Century Member

South Melbourne player (117 games)

Runner-up Brownlow Medal 1932

South Melbourne Premiership Player 1933

South Melbourne Best and Fairest 1932

South Melbourne Hall of Fame Member

Subiaco Best and Fairest 1931

South Melbourne coach 1960-1961

Victorian Football Association record most games player and coach, 313

Paul Smith (Bayswater Amateur Football Club/North Fremantle Amateur Football Club)

AFL Goal Umpire

WAFL Goal Umpire (210 games)

WAFL Grand Final Goal Umpire 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994

WA State Game Umpire 1987

Life Member WA Umpires Association

Australian Sports Medal 1998

Brian Featherby (Wembley Amateur Football Club)

Wembley player (255 games/1003 Goals)

Five time Wembley Best and Fairest Winner 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964

Four time WAAFL State Team member 1956, 1958, 1959, 1962

West Perth Football Club Reserves Best and Fairest 1952

Wembley Life Member

Malcolm Murray (Wembley Amateur Football Club)

Wembley player (252 games)

All-Australian 1962

WAAFL State Team 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967

WAAFL State Coach 1974, 1975

Wembley Best and fairest 1965, 1969

Wembley Premiership Coach 1972, 1974

Wembley Life Member 1972

James McGaan (Victoria Park Amateur Football Club/Inglewood-Mt Lawley Amateur Football Club/Claremont-Nedlands Amateur Football Club/Scarborough Amateur Football Club)

Six time WAAFL State Representative

WAAFL State Coach 1972, 1973

Founder of Scarborough Amateur Football Club