WA Football

In the late 1980s, Australian rules football in Western Australia faced financial struggles and depended heavily on State Government funding. Graham Edwards, the State Sports Minister, called for changes to the sport's administrative structure, resulting in the creation of the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) in 1989. Peter Tannock, a future Hall of Famer, served as the chair of the WAFC for its first decade.{{cite web|last=Law|first=Peter|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/former-state-sports-minister-graham-edwards-adds-to-outrage-over-wa-football-commission-ng-b881654919z|title=Former State sports minister Graham Edwards adds to outrage over WA Football Commission|work=The West Australian|date=2 September 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607103007/https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/former-state-sports-minister-graham-edwards-adds-to-outrage-over-wa-football-commission-ng-b881654919z|archive-date=7 June 2024}}

When the WAFC was formed, the Eagles were insolvent and unsuccessful, the WAFL was in serious trouble and Subiaco Oval needed an overhaul desperately. By 1991, the Eagles and WAFL were rescued from financial ruin and planning began for a second WA AFL team. Both the Eagles and Dockers had $4 million upfront licence fees upon joining the AFL, which attributed to the financial troubles of the WAFC.{{cite web|last=King|first=Rhianna|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/growing-pains-long-and-hard-ng-ya-358132|title=Growing pains long and hard|work=The West Australian|date=26 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607103803/https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/growing-pains-long-and-hard-ng-ya-358132|archive-date=7 June 2024}}

In 2020, a parliamentary committee inquiry into the WAFC was established{{cite web|last=Law|first=Peter|url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/parliamentary-inquiry-announced-into-wa-football-commission-following-salary-scandal-ng-b881589968z|title=Parliamentary inquiry announced into WA Football Commission following salary scandal|work=The West Australian|date=25 June 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607111154/https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/parliamentary-inquiry-announced-into-wa-football-commission-following-salary-scandal-ng-b881589968z|archive-date=7 June 2024}} after it was revealed that a third of its revenue went to commission staff payments.{{cite web|last=Townsend|first=John|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/wa-football-commission-set-to-make-drastic-spending-cuts-after-revelations-staff-payments-would-cost-more-than-10-million-this-year-ng-b881574650z|title=WA Football Commission set to make drastic spending cuts after staff payment leaks|work=The West Australian|date=12 June 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607104628/https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/wa-football-commission-set-to-make-drastic-spending-cuts-after-revelations-staff-payments-would-cost-more-than-10-million-this-year-ng-b881574650z|archive-date=7 June 2024}} Sports Minister Mick Murray had concerns that not enough money was being spent on grassroots football by the WAFC.{{cite web|last=de Kruijff|first=Peter|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/perth/wa-football-commission-inquiry-chairman-wayne-martin-slams-staff-number-speculation-ng-b881642212z|title=WA Football Commission inquiry: Chairman Wayne Martin slams staff number 'speculation'|work=The West Australian|date=19 August 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607111835/https://thewest.com.au/news/perth/wa-football-commission-inquiry-chairman-wayne-martin-slams-staff-number-speculation-ng-b881642212z|archive-date=7 June 2024}} The WAFC sought to make drastic spending cuts following the revelations but the organisation defended its staff structure and salaries. As of 2020, the State Government provided $11 million a year to the WAFC as part of the proceeds from Optus Stadium. The inquiry found that the Eagles and Dockers had "too much power" in deciding the make-up of the WAFC board and the election of commissioners had to be reformed to be more representative of community football.{{cite web|last=de Kruijff|first=Peter|url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/inquiry-calls-for-eagles-and-dockers-power-over-wa-football-to-be-reined-in-20201112-p56e58.html|title=Inquiry calls for Eagles and Dockers' power over WA football to be reined in|work=WAtoday|date=12 November 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607110531/https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/inquiry-calls-for-eagles-and-dockers-power-over-wa-football-to-be-reined-in-20201112-p56e58.html|archive-date=7 June 2024}}{{cite web|last=Law|first=Peter|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/parliamentary-inquiry-finds-eagles-dockers-have-too-much-power-and-wafc-board-election-must-be-reformed-ng-b881719460z|title=Parliamentary inquiry finds Eagles, Dockers have 'too much power' and WAFC board election must be reformed|work=The West Australian|date=12 November 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607110932/https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/parliamentary-inquiry-finds-eagles-dockers-have-too-much-power-and-wafc-board-election-must-be-reformed-ng-b881719460z|archive-date=7 June 2024}}

In February 2025, the West Australian Football Commission underwent a re-brand to WA Football to shed its corporate stigma.{{cite web|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/special-report-wa-football-name-change-first-step-in-major-wa-football-commission-re-brand-c-17601103|title=SPECIAL REPORT: WA Football name change first step in major WA Football Commission re-brand|work=The West Australian|date=6 February 2025|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250206195112/https://thewest.com.au/sport/wafl/special-report-wa-football-name-change-first-step-in-major-wa-football-commission-re-brand-c-17601103|archive-date=6 February 2025}}

WA Football has three Regional Development Councils in the Perth metropolitan area, with each council consisting of three districts.{{cite web|url=https://wafootball.com.au/competitions/regional-development-councils/metro-north-regional-development-council|title=Metro North Regional Development Council|work=West Australian Football Commission|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607125950/https://wafootball.com.au/competitions/regional-development-councils/metro-north-regional-development-council|archive-date=7 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://wafootball.com.au/competitions/regional-development-councils/metro-central-regional-development-council|title=Metro Central Regional Development Council|work=West Australian Football Commission|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607130156/https://wafootball.com.au/competitions/regional-development-councils/metro-central-regional-development-council|archive-date=7 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://wafootball.com.au/competitions/regional-development-councils/metro-south-regional-development-council|title=Metro South Regional Development Council|work=West Australian Football Commission|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607130311/https://wafootball.com.au/competitions/regional-development-councils/metro-south-regional-development-council|archive-date=7 June 2024}}

• Australian rules football in Western Australia
• Australian rules football
• West Australian Football League

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{{Aussie Rules in Western Australia}}

Category:Australian rules football governing bodies

Category:Australian rules football in Western Australia

Football

Category:Sports organizations established in 1989