The first Country Week competition took place in 1912 after the Goomalling Football Association proposed the idea of a Country Week competition to the WAFL, most likely as a result of the success of the Country Week Cricket competition which began in 1907. 

Unfortunately, Goomalling could not raise a side, leaving Avon, Bunbury, Geraldton, Moora and Nelson as the first teams to participate in this competition from July 22 to 26 that year. 

Geraldton defeated Nelson in the final to win the Sandover Cup and as a result got the opportunity to play against West Perth as a curtain-raiser to a representative fixture between the WAFA and the Goldfields. West Perth won this match by 20 points.

By 1914 the competition had grown to include eight teams including Bunbury, Forrest, Geraldton, Goomalling, Moora, Quairading, South Suburban and Warren. The final that year saw an upset six-point victory for Forrest over Goomalling (6.12.48 to 6.6.42).

The associations affiliated to the WAFL in 1914 were Albany, Arthur West, Bunbury, Central District, Central Murchison, Collie, Forrest, Geraldton, Goomalling, Katanning Moors, Meekatharra, Narrogin, Nelson, South Suburban, Upper Chapman, Warren and the WAFA.

The outbreak of World War I and the visit of Sturt in 1920 meant that the third carnival did not take place until 1921. Eleven teams including Avon, Bunbury, Collie, Dangin, Dowerin, Eastern Districts, Geraldton, Forrest, Harvey, North-Eastern and Warren, played matches at Leederville Oval, Perth Oval, Subiaco Oval and WACA Ground. The final saw Eastern Districts defeat Warren 6.18.54 to 2.5.17 at Perth Oval in wet and wild conditions.

Only nine sides entered in 1922 - Avon, Central Districts, Collie, Dalwallinu, Dangin, Forrest, Merredin, Moora, Toodyay. Eastern Districts did nominate but forfeited their first game and did not participate. Collie defeated Moora by 21 points in the Final at Perth Oval.

A crucial blow to Country Week came four weeks later, with the staging of the first Albany Country Week (later known as the Great Southern Football Carnival). Albany, Katanning, Mount Barker and Narrogin took part with Albany defeating Narrogin in the Final. Tambellup and Wagin took part from 1924 and this carnival prevented the Perth-based competition to include teams from the state’s south.

In 1923 14 teams nominated but only eight took part, with only Collie, Forrest and Warren not coming from the north or the east of Perth. Collie’s ‘A’ side defeated Eastern Districts 5.9.39 to 4.9.33 to go back-to-back, whilst Forrest won the ’B’ Section title after a 5.2.32 to 4.4.28 win over Wyalkatchem.

Busselton, Hotham Valley, Mortlock (not the current league) and Roe District were new teams in 1924, but still only 11 teams took part, with two teams from Collie both in ‘B’ Section. Eastern Districts and Roe Districts won the two sections with comfortable wins in their Finals.

The 1925 competition saw Corrigin, Dalwallinu, Dampier, Lake Grace/Newdegate, Mortlock, Nannup, Nelson, Quairading, Roe Districts, Wickepin and Wyalkatchem take part. It is notable that major towns such as Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie did not send teams. Newspaper articles began to suggest that matches should be staged regionally instead of in Perth to make it easier for the best players to make themselves available. Nelson defeated Nannup in the Final by 31 points, which was used to highlight the critics’ arguments.

The carnival was still attracting new blood in 1926 with Bruce Rock, Upper Chapman and Yilgarn joining the fold, but only 12 leagues took part. Nelson proved victorious again after a six-point win over local rivals Warren. It would prove to be the last state-wide event for nearly 40 years.

WAFL secretary W.R. Orr advised a meeting of the League that ‘the zone system had been introduced in the Great Southern’ (a reference to the Great Southern carnival) and an effort was being made to get a South West carnival up and running.

The decision saw the introduction of the Eastern Districts Carnival (1928-30 and 1948-64) and the South West Football Carnival (1929-1939, 1946-1959) to compliment the Great Southern Football Carnival (1922-1939, 1946-1973, 1975-2000 and 2003).

The Mobil Carnival commenced in 1965 with approximately 500 players and officials from 14 teams taking part in two sections. Eastern Districts won the first of three consecutive A Section titles, whilst Dampier took out the B Section title.

Fast forward to 2016 and this year’s country competition marks the 52nd consecutive running of the Landmark Championships in Perth (formerly Mobile and Westfarmers). Interestingly there continues to be 14 senior teams and approximately 500 players and officials taking part in the senior divisions. Come Sunday, all teams have the chance to write themselves into the history books of this iconic piece of country sport folk law by winning a Country Week Premiership. 

Derek Mott