1939 WANFL season

Claremont unfurls its first pennant with a convincing win over an inexperienced Old Easts side lacking George Doig, who was unsure whether he would play more football because of his work as a florist.^[9]

• Gook's sixteen goals is easily a match record for Perth, with the next best thirteen by Murray Couper and Allan Evans.^[14]
• Claremont’s 11.7 (73) in the last quarter remains the equal most points ever scored in a final quarter at Bassendean.^[15]

• With George Doig rescinding his retirement, East Fremantle win their first game of the year against the still-winless Swans.
• Claremont end South Fremantle's strong start with a convincing win due to Reeves’ ruck dominance and their ability to counter South’s handball.

• West Perth suffer their sixteenth consecutive defeat, the worst run the WA(N)FL since Midland Junction lost their last nineteen matches in 1916 and 1917, though Perth went 22 games without a win in 1922 and 1923.
• Bunton kicks seven goals for Subiaco with a painful leg injury that prevents him roving but the Maroons are no match for unbeaten Claremont.
• Austin Gardiner kicks ten goals for East Perth as their 1938 first semi-final opponents, without Holdsworth, remain winless ahead of only West Perth.

• Claremont have a lucky escape against the Cardinals in a match it was suspected they treated lightly: a fine mark from Sammy Clarke saves them.
• George Doig, after two modest matches, kicks eleven goals as Old Easts show they have fully recovered from a poor start with a crushing win over the Maroons.

East Perth win the battle of the remaining unbeaten clubs to go clear top with an outstanding display led by the defence of Starr.

Weakened by the absence with injury of "Scranno" Jenkins and Neal Lewington, South Fremantle unexpectedly fade out in the second half against lowly Swan Districts.

Swan Districts' narrow escape was to be their last win at Leederville until August 11 of 1956. The intervening 23-game streak is the longest losing streak by any WA(N)FL club at an opposition ground.^[40]

• On the Sunday, Claremont were beaten 15.12 (102) to 17.19 (121) by a Goldfields team in Kalgoorlie, after being 53 points down at half-time.^[45] The Tigers were to tour Broken Hill during the following weeks.^[46]
• Despite a very heavy ground from 2.21 inches (56.1 mm) of rain over four days,^[47] Bert Gook kicks ten goals to move to 62 for the season.

• A depleted Claremont team are saved from losing to seventh-placed Subiaco by that team’s inaccuracy in the closing stages.
• Despite a rare spell of fine weather during an extremely wet winter throughout southern Australia,^[52] Swan Districts kick their lowest score to date in the WANFL,^[53] not goalling between quarter-time and time-on in the last quarter.

• In heavy rain,^[58] Swan Districts kick their lowest score for the second successive match^[53] and still their lowest against East Fremantle.^[59]
• Perth full-back Austin Robertson, Sr. uses the now-obsolete place kick into the wind and manages kicks over fifty metres, which give the Redlegs a comfortable win.

• West Perth equal Subiaco's 1902-03 record of 24 consecutive defeats^[1] with a crushing loss in a game where they dominated territorially for long periods but nonetheless had only 2.14 (26) to 10.5 (65) on the beard at three-quarter time, before Claremont doubled its own score in the rain in the last.
• A depleted Swan Districts, with five regulars out, surprises Perth in a match where the Redlegs fail to adapt when the rain comes after quarter-time.

• Ted Tyson kicks eleven goals, including a brilliant "soccer" kick over his head regarded as the best WANFL goal of the year, but cannot stop the Cardinals from establishing a new record for most consecutive losses.
• On a WACA ground that could not dry out after rain totalling 16.75 inches (425.4 mm) over the previous five weeks, Perth's wayward kicking (3.12 to 3.3 at half-time) loses them a critical match and pushes them to fifth, where they would stay for the rest of the season.

• For a second consecutive week, East Fremantle win a vital match through their opponent's inaccuracy, as East Perth kick 0.7 (7) to 3.1 (19) with the wind in the second quarter.
• Perth's loss and South Fremantle's win leaves the Redlegs two games out of the four.
• Despite continuing persistent rain, Swan Districts record what would remain their biggest open-age win until 1961 and their biggest over the Cardinals until 1975.^[72] Much-travelled forward Clem Rosewarne kicks eight.

• West Perth record their first win since defeating Perth by 41 points on Foundation Day, 1938. With nine goals, Ted Tyson becomes the first WANFL player to kick one thousand goals and only the third in major Australian Rules leagues after Gordon Coventry and Ken Farmer. A subscription fund was opened for him following the accomplishment of this feat.

• South Fremantle hold fourth place by a game with a superb comeback in incessant heavy rain after being thirteen points down at half-time.
• On a day that became extremely wet after quarter-time, Tyson in his 189th match is goalless^[85] for only the second time, and East Perth return to top position.

With a fighting win in shocking conditions, Perth recapture South Fremantle's place in the top four.

• South Fremantle’s win over East Perth, with Chandler returning to his 1938 form in front of goals, maintains their chance of a first finals berth since 1932.
• Gook kicks his hundredth goal as Perth maintain by 1.4 percent their place in the top four.
• Claremont kick the highest score in senior WANFL history to this point, beating East Fremantle's 28.23 (191) against South Fremantle in 1937.^[94]
• The Tigers' 14.4 (88) in the third quarter was a record for any quarter in the WANFL to that point, and was not broken until 1953 in open-age competition.^[95]

• South Fremantle's 10.10 (70) in the last quarter enables them to overtake Perth for the last place in the four. Tyson kicks eight of West's nine goals to finish two behind Gook – despite his club winning only one match.
• Perth's speed and superb defence provide a gallant effort to hold fourth place that misses by 0.3 percent.
• Against Claremont, East Perth fail to take advantage of East Fremantle's loss and miss the double chance by a game.

East Perth take advantage of a weakening wind in the last quarter to hold out South Fremantle in the latter’s first final for seven seasons.^[101]

East Fremantle, without several leading players, cause a surprise by convincingly beating a Claremont side weakened by the absence of George Moloney. The game is close for three quarters before Old Easts kick 7.1 (43) to 1.7 (13) in the last quarter amid expectations they would tire.^[102]

A vicious game with two reports comes alive in the last quarter, sees Claremont fight back to win narrowly.