Copyright © East Fremantle Football Club (Inc)

The following is taken from Our book "Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition" During the year 2000 we will print some parts of the book.

The book is available at the Club - cost $45.

PREFACE

From "Angels" To "Old Easts" To "Sharks" By Jack Lee.

Though club histories usually concentrate on champion players and premierships won, the East Fremantle Football Club is almost unique - and uniquely fortunate - in having a huge band of supporters and officials whose contribution has been as great as that of the players and we pay tribute to all of them  in 1997, our centenary year.

During the Centenary, we have set a number of records in team and player performances and years of service given by officials - and no other club in the leading football states, WA and Victoria, can match us in any way.

The foundation of the Club owes much to Tom Wilson and David (Dolly) Christy, Wilson from North Melbourne, Christy from Ballarat and Melbourne and both from Imperials, along with businessman Sam Thomson.

The Club, known variously as the blue-and-whites (with "Angels sometimes added), Old Easts (to distinguish us from Young Easts - East Perth) and now the Sharks, has enjoyed phenomenal success over the past ten decades.

To football supporters everywhere, a club's reputation stands or falls according to the number of premierships won. Our achievements are so numerous, and champion players equally so, that several volumes would be needed to do justice to them.

In the first ten years, six premierships came our way - and, according to the Club's first historian, Dolph Heinrichs, we were blatantly robbed of another three - 1898, 1905 and 1907.

After 20 years, we had lifted the total to ten, and by 1946, we had won 21 and had been runners-up 17 times. The total now stands at 28 and 27 - 55 times first or second.

Thirty-six consecutive premierships in the final four from 1916 to 1951 were made even more remarkable by setting an Australian record of 35 consecutive victories from July 28, 1945 to May 17, 1947 - and included in that run was the jewel in East Fremantle's crown - the unbeaten seaon of 1946.