Fremantle Football Club (1882–1886)
Encyclopedia
The Fremantle Football Club was an Australian rules football
club, based in Fremantle
, Western Australia
, that played in the Western Australian Football Association
(WAFA) from 1885–86. The team won the WAFA premiership in 1886. The club played their games at the Esplanade in Fremantle, on the present site of the Fremantle railway station.
club. In 1883 the club was the primary instigator of the change of most clubs from rugby football to Victorian rules, the predecessor to Australian rules football
.
in 1885. In the inaugural season, Fremantle finished third out of three teams, behind Rovers
, Victorians
and a High School
team which dropped out of the competition two rounds into the season. The next season, 1886, the team finished first in the league to claim the premiership. The club recorded large victories over most of the competition, including 6–2 against both Rovers
and Unions and 4–1 against Victorians. The club's most notable player during this period was the captain Bill Bateman
, an inaugural inductee of the West Australian Football Hall of Fame
. The club defuncted at the end of the 1886 season, with most of its players transferring to Unions, also based in Fremantle, who adopted the name "Fremantle Football Club" in 1890.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club, based in Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, that played in the Western Australian Football Association
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
(WAFA) from 1885–86. The team won the WAFA premiership in 1886. The club played their games at the Esplanade in Fremantle, on the present site of the Fremantle railway station.
Formation
The club was formed in 1882 as a rugby footballRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
club. In 1883 the club was the primary instigator of the change of most clubs from rugby football to Victorian rules, the predecessor to Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
.
WAFA
The club was a founding member of the Western Australian Football AssociationWest Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
in 1885. In the inaugural season, Fremantle finished third out of three teams, behind Rovers
Rovers Football Club
The Rovers Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the Western Australian Football Association from 1885 to 1899. The club won the premiership in 1885 and 1891.-History:...
, Victorians
West Perth Football Club
The West Perth Football Club, nicknamed the Falcons, is an Australian rules football club located in Joondalup, Western Australia, competing in the West Australian Football League . It is the oldest existing Australian rules football club in Western Australia. It competes in the West Australian...
and a High School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
team which dropped out of the competition two rounds into the season. The next season, 1886, the team finished first in the league to claim the premiership. The club recorded large victories over most of the competition, including 6–2 against both Rovers
Rovers Football Club
The Rovers Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the Western Australian Football Association from 1885 to 1899. The club won the premiership in 1885 and 1891.-History:...
and Unions and 4–1 against Victorians. The club's most notable player during this period was the captain Bill Bateman
Bill Bateman
William Augustus 'Bill' Bateman was an Australian sportsman who played first-class cricket for Western Australia and Australian rules football in the Western Australian Football Association ....
, an inaugural inductee of the West Australian Football Hall of Fame
West Australian Football Hall of Fame
The West Australian Football Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to recognise and enshrine those who have made a significant contribution to Australian rules football in Western Australia...
. The club defuncted at the end of the 1886 season, with most of its players transferring to Unions, also based in Fremantle, who adopted the name "Fremantle Football Club" in 1890.