South Fremantle Football Club

The Fremantle Derby, is traditionally one of the biggest game of the year on the WAFL calendar. The derbies still have a great following but have decreased in importance compared to the Western Derby, the match between WA's two AFL teams.

The Foundation Day derby on the first Monday in June (a public holiday to mark the Foundation of Western Australia in 1829) is commonly the highest attended game of the home and away season. To the end of the 2006 season the two clubs had met 344 times with South Fremantle winning 156 to East Fremantle's 184 wins, 4 Draws have occurred between the two sides.

South Fremantle's Guernsey (shown right) used for all WAFL matches is all white with a red V in the centre of the guernsey. During the 1990s they also introduced the reverse of the traditional guernsey with a white V on a red jumper. The South Fremantle colours of red & white stem from the first Fremantle based team who wore red and white in the mid-1880s.

South Fremantle are one of the most supported clubs in the WAFL.

South hold three notable WAFL Grand Final attendance records, 1979 v East Fremantle, 52,781, the highest ever attendance at a WAFL Grand Final, 1975 v West Perth, 52,322, the second highest ever Grand Final attendance and 1989 v Claremont, 38,198, the highest ever Grand Final attendance in the post AFL period.[9]

On Foundation Day v East Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval, South played in front of the biggest crowd of the 2009 WAFL home and away season 11,300.[9]

Souths average attendance at home and away fixtures is 3000, which is amongst the highest for the WAFL.[9]

"We're the Bulldogs" is the theme song of the South Fremantle Football Club, played as the league team comes to the field at home and away games, and after a victory.

We are the mighty bulldogs

Always fighting on

With victory and flag our goal

With guts and determination

We put the rest to shame

Because our fighting spirit wins the game.

We're the bulldogs (yes we are)

And we're the greatest (yes we are)

The mighty red 'v' which stands for victory

The rough tough bulldogs (yes we are)

South Fremantle (yes we are)

The southerners for ever more

Down by the port of Fremantle

We hit them really hard

With true grit and courage we win

So come on Souths let's show them

How to play the game to win

South Fremantle for ever more

We're the bulldogs (yes we are)

And we're the greatest (yes we are)

The mighty red 'v' which stands for victory

The rough tough bulldogs (yes we are)

South Fremantle (yes we are)

The southerners for ever more.

• WAFL Premierships: (13 total) 1916, 1917, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1970, 1980, 1997, 2005, 2009
• WAFL Runners-up: (17 total) 1914, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1940, 1945, 1951, 1956, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2019
• Reserves Premierships:[10] (10 total) 1936, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2009
• Colts (U-19) Premierships:[11] (9 total) 1970, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012
• Rodriguez Shield: (6 total) 1983, 1984, 1992, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2016

• Sandover medallists: (11 total) 1928: Jack Rocchi, 1937: Frank Jenkins, 1947: Clive Lewington, 1952: Steve Marsh, 1955: John Todd, 1980: Stephen Michael, 1981: Stephen Michael, 1986: Mark Bairstow, 1989: Craig Edwards, 2005: Toby McGrath, 2017: Haiden Schloithe
• Tassie Medallists: (3 total) 1983: Stephen Michael, 1984 & 1986: Brad Hardie
• All Australians: (6 total) 1953: Steve Marsh, 1956: John Gerovich & Cliff Hillier, 1961: John Todd, 1972: Brian Ciccotosto, 1983: Stephen Michael 1983
• Bernie Naylor Medallists: (21 total) Harvey (Duff) Kelly (50) 1905; George (Snowy) Thomas (31) 1910; Bonny Campbell (47) 1922; Sol Lawn (75) 1928 & (96) 1929; Bernie Naylor (131) 1946, (108) 1947, 91 (1948), (147) 1952, (167) 1953, (133) 1954; John Gerovich (74) 1956, (101) 1960 & (74) 1961; Ray Bauskis (108) 1977 & (82) 1978; Craig Edwards (54) 1992; Jon Dorotich (88) 1996 & (114) 1997; Zane Parsons (65) 2002; Ben Saunders (66) 2012 & (59) 2014 & (52) 2016

Ten former South Fremantle players have been inducted in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Stephen Michael was the first to be inducted in 1999. Steve Marsh and Peter Matera were both in inducted in 2006 followed by Glen Jakovich in 2008, Hassa Mann in 2013, Peter Bell in 2015, Maurice Rioli and Ray Sorrell in 2016 and Bernie Naylor in 2018.[13] John Todd was inducted in the coaches category in 2003.[14]

With the exception of Hassa Mann, each of the South Fremantle players in the Australian Football Hall of Fame is also an inductee in the West Australian Football Hall of Fame, with Marsh, Todd and Michael awarded legends status.[15]

• Inaugural inductees (2004): Nashy Brentnall, Mal Brown, Bonny Campbell, John Gerovich, Brad Hardie, Ross Hutchinson, Frank Jenkins, Clive Lewington, Steve Marsh, Stephen Michael, Bernie Naylor, Maurice Rioli, Ray Sorrell, John Todd, John Worsfold
• 2005 Inductee: Peter Sumich
• 2006 Inductees: Peter Matera, Charlie Tyson
• 2008 Inductees: Dave Ingraham, Glen Jakovich, George Grljusich
• 2009 Inductee: Nicky Winmar
• 2010 Inductees: Mark Bairstow, Frank Treasure
• 2012 Inductee: Barry White
• 2013 Inductees: Ray Richards, Peter Bell
• 2015 Inductees: Tom Grljusich, Paul Hasleby

The South Fremantle Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 2011 with an initial induction of 45 players, coaches, administrators and staff from the club's inception in 1900 to 1979. A further induction will occur in 2016 covering the more recent years.[16]

During NAIDOC Week in 2009, South Fremantle celebrated their long and extensive link to Indigenous Australians by naming an Indigenous Team of the century from the 78 Indigenous players that had played for them since Jimmy Melbourne first played in 1902. Selected by former club captain and chief executive Brian Ciccotosto, premiership coach Mal Brown and journalist Ray Wilson.[17] Four of the players selected, Stephen Michael, Maurice Rioli, Nicky Winmar and Peter Matera, were also selected in the Australia-wide Indigenous Team of the Century.[18]