WAFC Congratulates Four New WA Football Hall of Fame InducteesFriday, September 23, 2022 - 9:12 AM - by Rachael Osborne

The West Australian Football Commission is pleased to announce four new inductees into the WA Football Hall of Fame. 

The West Australian Football Hall of Fame was established to recognise and enshrine players, coaches, umpires, administrators, and media representatives who have made a significant contribution to the game of Australian Football in Western Australia since its inception in 1885. 

The new inductees will be honoured at the 2022 Sandover Medal and WA Football Hall of Fame event, held on Tuesday, September 27.  

 

Full list of inductees: 

 

1. STEPHEN CURTIS 

PLAYER: 1973-1988 (East Perth 1973-82, Port Adelaide 1983-88, WA 1976-80) 

GAMES: 354 (East Perth 215, Port Adelaide 125, WA 13, SA 1) 

GOALS: 106 (East Perth 61, Port Adelaide 44, WA 1) 

HONOURS: East Perth premiership player 1978; East Perth Fairest and Best (FD Book Medal) 1977, 1982; All-Australian 1983; East Perth Team of the Century 1945-2005 

Stephen Curtis was born in Mt Hawthorn with something of a football pedigree. Father Dudley played five league games with Subiaco and grandfather William Wicks, 111 with East Fremantle from 1915 to 1925. Stephen was a precocious product of the Dianella Junior Football Club, still two months short of his 17th birthday when selected for his first league game for East Perth in Round One, 1973. He had played as a half forward in lower grades, but injury to the regular back pocket specialist saw him assigned to that role, and he accepted it with relish.  

After 18 league and four reserves games in his debut season he became a league fixture, missing only seven league games in the following nine seasons. 

Although only 175cm and 76.2kg, the ferocious Curtis approach and desperation to win the ball were often inspirational to teammates and he was rewarded with his club’s Fairest and Best award twice, firstly in 1977 as a back pocket specialist and secondly in 1982, after coach Grant Dorrington converted him into a hard running ruck-rover. Team success came in 1978 with an epic two-point Grand Final win over Perth, avenging a loss to the same opponent in 1976. 

Curtis was first rewarded with state selection in his fourth season, against Victoria at Waverley, minding resting rovers Leigh Matthews and Kevin Bartlett. He was thereafter a state regular for five consecutive seasons, and participated in the inaugural State of Origin match in October 1977, won in crushing fashion by WA. 

 

2. JEFFREY FARMER 

PLAYER: 1995-2009 (Melbourne 1995-2001, Fremantle 2002- 2008, South Fremantle 2007-2009, WA 1998, 2009) 

GAMES: 269 (Melbourne 118, Fremantle 131, South Fremantle 18, WA 2) 

GOALS: 537 (Melbourne 259, Fremantle 224, South Fremantle 50, WA 4) 

HONOURS: South Fremantle premiership player 2009; Melbourne Leading Goalkicker 1997, 1998, 2000, All-Australian 2000; AFL Goal of the Year 1998; AFL Rising Star nominee 1996; Fremantle 25 since 95 Team; International Rules Australian Rep 1998 

Born in the great southern town of Tambellup, Farmer built a reputation playing schoolboy, Teal Cup and country football. He was zoned to South Fremantle and the newly formed Fremantle Football Club had a hold on him for their foundation squad but chose instead to trade him to Melbourne in exchange for Phil Gilbert. Farmer made his AFL debut in Round One, 1995 aged 17, and joined the ‘goal with first kick’ club. He showed significant glimpses in his 7 games that season but ran a little hot and cold.  

After establishing himself the following season to be named Melbourne’s Most Improved Player, he returned home due to family bereavements and extreme homesickness. Only a personal visit by Neil Balme and Garry Lyon was able to coax him back for 1997. By 1998 he was becoming a consistently brilliant performer and crucial to a Melbourne revival. Late in the season, he took a spectacular soaring mark above a pack but was narrowly pipped for Mark of the Year. After a form dip in 1999 due to relentless tagging, he came back to his best in 2000, producing several dazzling performances. He kicked a career-best 76 goals and was named as the All-Australian small forward. 

At the end of 2001, Farmer was traded to Fremantle for draft pick 17. An early highlight was kicking a winning goal after the siren against his old club but his first two seasons at Fremantle lacked consistency. From 2004 to 2006 however, he was Fremantle’s second most productive forward and always capable of magic. 

In 2006 he became the eighth indigenous player to reach 200 games and the first to kick 400 career goals and narrowly missed a second All-Australian selection. After a turbulent final two seasons, he announced his retirement at the end of 2008 with his 483 goals the 49th most of all players in VFL/AFL history. 

In 2009 Farmer made a popular decision to return to WAFL football with South Fremantle, and his 13 games included the 2009 Grand Final victory over Subiaco. He also represented his state for the second time following a 1998 State of Origin game. 

 

3. MICHAEL MITCHELL 

PLAYER: 1982-1991 (Claremont 1982-86, Richmond 1987-1991, WA 1983,1985-88,1990) 

GAMES: 178 (Claremont 89, Richmond 81, Western Australia 8)

GOALS: 250 (Claremont 135, Richmond 103, Western Australia 12) 

HONOURS: Sandover Medal 1984; All Australian 1985, 1986; AFL Mark of the Year 1990; AFL Goal of the Year 1990; WAFL Mark of the Year 1985; 100 Tiger Treasures “Goal of the Century” 2008; International Rules Australian Rep 1990 

 

Mitchell was born in Carnarvon where his father was associated with the fishing industry. He started playing in juniors where his very slight build meant he had to rely on his speed to get a kick, and later graduated to senior football with Warriors, one of three local teams. Whilst starring for Warriors, Mitchell stayed in Carnarvon for a couple of seasons to complete his apprenticeship as an electrician before signing with Claremont for the 1982 season. He made his league debut in Round 4 at the age of 20, and performed promisingly as a rover in 13 games that season to win the WAFL Players Association Best First Year Player. 

Although tall for a rover at 172cm (5ft 8in), Mitchell was very light (66kg). His lightning speed and agility nevertheless made him very dangerous around the packs and he was also a fierce tackler and possessed a tremendous leap. He made his interstate debut against SA in his second season performing strongly on a wing and in his third season, mainly spent roving off a half-forward flank, he tied for the Sandover Medal with teammate Steve Malaxos, and East Perth’s Peter Spencer. 

In 1985 Mitchell played against both SA and Victoria, performing brilliantly to gain An Australian selection. He was later runner-up to East Fremantle’s Murray Wrensted for the Sandover Medal. He also took a remarkable soaring mark over Greg Wilkinson at Subiaco Oval to earn the Mark of the Year award. Another strong year in 1986 earned him a second All-Australian selection and with the advent of a national competition in 1987, he was recruited by Richmond before West Coast Eagles could finalise their inaugural squad. 

Mitchell had three excellent seasons in the VFL/AFL competition, punctuated by a difficult 1989 season when a concussion suffered in a preseason practice match, restricted him to only six games. He came back strongly in 1990 to win both the Mark and Goal of the Year awards, the former a juggled one-handed capture over Fitzroy defender Brett Stephens in Round Five, and the latter after a dashing seven bounce run from halfback against the Sydney Swans in the final qualifying round. He was only the second player to win both awards in the one season after Peter Bosustow. Restricted to nine games in 1991 by on-going concussion issues, he decided it was too dangerous to continue and retired from AFL football, a spectacular career sadly terminated prematurely. 

Returning to Carnarvon, Mitchell briefly coached his old team Warriors, and later became involved in indigenous community health. Further football honours came in Richmond’s centenary season of 2008, when he was selected as one of the club’s ‘100 Tiger Treasures’ and awarded the club’s Goal of the Century. As a rare and inspirational footballer, rivalling Jeff Farmer as an excitement machine, Michael Mitchell worthily joins the West Australian Football Hall of Fame. 

 

4. SHANE WOEWODIN 

PLAYER: 1995-2007 (East Fremantle 1995-96, 2006-07, Melbourne 1997-2002, Collingwood 2003-2005, WA 1998, 2006-07) 

GAMES: 254 (East Fremantle 51, Melbourne 138, Collingwood 62, WA 3) 

GOALS: 142 (East Fremantle 48, Melbourne 63, Collingwood 31) 

HONOURS: Brownlow Medal 2000; Melbourne Fairest and Best 2000; East Fremantle Fairest and Best 2006; East Fremantle Captain 2006-07; WA Captain 2007; AFL Rising Star nominee 1997; International Rules Australian Rep 2000; East Fremantle Coach 2008-2010 

 

Shane Woewodin was born in Geraldton and began playing football in the town at the age of seven. Moving to Perth four years later, he joined the Lynwood Ferndale Junior Football Club and progressed to East Fremantle Colts aged 16 in 1993. He moved through the grades to make his league debut in August 1995, demonstrating very clean ball handling skills, an excellent kick, strong mark and good athleticism. 

Although he played only three league games in 1995 and eight in 1996, Woewodin was disappointed to be overlooked in both national drafts. Receiving a lifeline when asked to do pre-season training with Melbourne in 1997, he greatly impressed the club by associating with the senior players having the strongest work ethic, and was selected at pick 18 in the 1997 pre-season draft. The only query on him was a perceived lack of pace, but by assiduous work he quickly demonstrated that he belonged at the level, debuting in Round One and delivering a memorable highlight in Round Five against Port Adelaide at the MCG. Gathering the ball at halfback, he streamed forward, weaving his way through heavy traffic and after taking five bounces, kicked an extraordinary goal from the half-forward line. 

As a consummate professional, Woewodin was ahead of his time in dietary preparation and training regime and was able to play 107 consecutive games from debut, not missing a match until Round 14, 2001. Season 2000 was undoubtedly his best, playing all 25 games including the losing Grand Final and averaging 22.2 disposals per game. He was rewarded with both the Brownlow Medal and his club’s fairest and best award. At the end of season 2002, Woewodin was somewhat controversially traded to Collingwood in a move that continues to evoke passion and heated opinion among Melbourne fans. He did well at his new club, playing in the 2003 Grand Final and finishing high in the Collingwood fairest and best count in 2004. 

Delisted after 200 AFL games, Woewodin returned to East Fremantle, setting a strong example in the areas of fitness and match preparation, and was a popular winner of the Lynn Medal in 2006. He also represented WA in both 2006 and 2007, being captain in the latter. 

Retiring from the playing arena he took on the role of senior coach for three seasons and coached the East Fremantle Sharks to their first finals appearance in eight years in 2010. He has subsequently had coaching roles at Brisbane and in amateur football and made 

a learned contribution in the football media. As a rare West Australian achiever at the highest level of Australian football for 10 seasons, Shane Woewodin receives due recognition as a WA great with induction into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.