Perth Sporting Clubs Guide: The Eagles, the Dockers, Cricket WA, and How to Get Involved in Sport

Perth is one of Australia's most passionate sporting cities: the AFL (Western Australia's dominant sporting code, with AFL attendance per capita in WA consistently the highest of any Australian state) is the cultural foundation of Perth's sporting identity, with the two Perth AFL clubs (the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers) commanding tribal loyalties that define large segments of Perth's social life. Beyond AFL, Perth's extraordinary Indian Ocean coastline (beautiful beaches for surfing, swimming, and sailing), the Swan Valley wine country, the nearby Darling Ranges (excellent trail running, cycling, and hiking), and the city's outstanding year-round sunshine create a sporting culture with exceptional breadth and participation rates.

West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers — the West Coast Eagles (Optus Stadium, Burswood) and the Fremantle Dockers (Optus Stadium, Burswood) are Perth's two AFL clubs and the dominant sporting institutions in WA's social and cultural landscape. The Eagles (founded 1986, four premierships in 1992, 1994, 2006, and 2018) and the Dockers (founded 1995, one Grand Final appearance in 2013) are fierce rivals, and the Eagles vs Dockers Derby is the most anticipated single sporting event on Perth's annual calendar. Optus Stadium (60,000 capacity, opened 2018) is one of the finest sports stadiums in Australia and has dramatically improved Perth's capacity to host major events.

Perth Scorchers and Cricket WA — the Perth Scorchers (Optus Stadium) are one of the BBL's most successful teams (five BBL titles), and the Western Australian Warriors (Sheffield Shield cricket) play at the WACA Ground (Waca), the historic Test cricket venue that remains one of the world's fastest pitches. Cricket is WA's second most popular spectator sport after AFL, and the WACA's community cricket programs provide outstanding participation opportunities for Perth cricket enthusiasts.

Community Sport — Perth's community sport sector provides excellent participation opportunities across AFL (the WA Football Commission's community club network encompasses hundreds of suburban clubs), soccer (Football West's community competition), basketball, netball, and an extraordinary water sports culture driven by the Indian Ocean's superb sailing, surfing, and diving conditions.

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