The Bulldogs, apart from Claremont the least successful WANFL club between 1957 and 1974, rose with arrival of Aboriginal stars Stephen Michael and Maurice Rioli to their first finals appearance in five years and began their greatest era since their golden days of the middle 1950s.
Subiaco fell from fourth to second-last and begun a bleak era with no subsequent finals appearance until 1985, but owing to the loss of Featherby, Robertson and Fitzpatrick to retirement or the VFL, critics generally predicted this before the season.
[5] Swans’ high-power attacking football led by Brian Close and veteran Bill Walker’s old-fashioned drop and stab kicks moves the club to early premiership favouritism.
[22] In wet conditions, East Perth trail 2.4 (16) to 7.7 (49) during the second quarter, but hold Swan Districts goalless after half-time as Peter Spencer and Larry Kickett established an iron grip on the middle of the ground.
Bob Carson’s defeat of Ron Alexander and the roving of Ciccosto and Maurice Rioli overwhelm a Royal side decimated by the tactical gamble of alternating centreman Spencer as a rover.