premiership. Between 1942 and 1944, owing to the demands of World War II, the WANFL operated on a limited, under age only basis and after open age competition returned in 1945 Claremont commenced its longest period in the football wilderness. In 1945 it won only two games and finished last, kicked its lowest score ever against Perth, and had a losing streak of seventeen games into 1946, when it again was last with only three wins. Although it avoided the wooden spoon for the next eleven years, only in 1950 (fifth) and 1952 (fourth by one percent from East Fremantle) did it finish higher than sixth in an eight-team competition in the next seventeen years. 1961–2000 After claiming the wooden spoon in 1962 and 1963 Claremont appointed a complete outsider, former East Fremantle rover Jim Conway as coach for 1964. At the end of that season Claremont scraped into the finals in 4th place. The club went on to beat Subiaco in the 1st semi final, which was then followed by a win against the Demons (Perth Football Club) in the preliminary final. Claremont won 14.18 (102) to 15.8 (98) against East Fremantle in the grand final and secured the club's fourth premiership. Ian Brewer kicked two late goals to put Claremont ahead. His direct opponent was Norm Rogers, who won the Simpson medal for the game. Rogers suffered cramp in the last minutes of the game and Brewer was able to break free and score the winning goals. In those days there were no interchangeable reserves, if you went off you stayed off, so Rogers couldn't be quickly replaced. Claremont failed to follow this meteoric rise, and between 1966 and 1978 participated in the finals only twice. In 1971 they were knocked out easily by an Alan Joyce-coached East Fremantle outfit, but in 1972 they lost only three home-and-away games and with players of the calibre of Graham Moss, Bruce Duperouzel, Colin Tully and Daryl Griffiths, were firm flag favourites, only to be beaten in both the second semi and grand finals by a more physical East Perth side. Despite recruiting Essendon Football Club full forward Geoff Blethyn, who came to Claremont in exchange for Graham Moss, the Tigers fell to last in 1973 with only four wins, and did even worse in 1975 with only three wins. The club were involved in an unusual incident in their Round