Falcons off WAFL air
West Perth have paid the price for their battle over the league's new broadcast conditions, with the 2013 WAFL premiers dumped from the telecast schedule for this season.
None of the Falcons matches, including their WA Day derby against East Perth on June 1, will be shown on Channel 7 this year according to the official fixtures released exclusively by _The Weekend West _.
The WA Football Commission had planned to broadcast the high-profile clash between the traditional rivals, as well as West Perth's international round match on June 27.
But the Falcons' decision to keep the logo of their major sponsor Channel 9 on their jumpers has led them to being left off the home-and-away broadcast list.
Plans are yet to be finalised in the event that West Perth play finals. All 18 home-and-away games, plus finals, will be televised live on Channel 7 or 7mate, ending fears that games would be delayed under the $1 million-a-year broadcast deal. East Perth, South Fremantle and Swan Districts have the most broadcast matches with five apiece and premiers Subiaco will feature in four telecasts.
Last year's grand final replay will take place on Good Friday and be televised in an AFL-free, mid-afternoon timeslot.
Two meetings between the league's AFL-affiliated clubs will also be televised, with the round-21 clash between East Perth and Peel to be shown as a curtain raiser to the year's second western derby. Broadcast matches will start as early as 11.40am. Half of those games have been scheduled to run into AFL telecasts later in the day in efforts to swell viewer figures.
Six matches at Medibank Stadium will be televised, and the Fremantle derbies in rounds six and 10 will also be broadcast.
WAFC chief operating officer Nick Sautner said the commission would continue discussions with West Perth about featuring their matches on television.
"West Perth has a proven track record of attracting large audiences on television, given its loyal supporter base, and we reiterate our desire to have West Perth matches televised on free-to-air television," he said.
Sautner said all broadcast matches had been scheduled to avoid going head-to-head with AFL games on commercial television.
He said he believed televising the WA Day clash between South Fremantle and East Fremantle would not affect the attendance.
"Last year the game was telecast on the ABC and still had a solid attendance with over 6000," he said.
The final home-and-away round will be left as a floating fixture. Channel 7 will pick the best match to broadcast based on the ladder position of teams.
East Perth will launch the league's return to commercial television in a round-one clash against East Fremantle under lights at Domain Stadium on Saturday March 21.
"… we reiterate our desire to have West Perth matches televised on free-to-air television.""WAFC chief operating officer *Nick Sautner *
