▁not ▁lay ▁claim ▁to ▁its ▁proud ▁records ▁to ▁that ▁date . ▁▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁Ro vers ▁would ▁take ▁part . ▁The ▁move ▁to ▁regional isation ▁which ▁saw ▁Un ions ▁take ▁on ▁the ▁old ▁F rem ant le ' s ▁name ▁and ▁colours ▁made ▁it ▁difficult ▁for ▁this ▁club ▁that ▁didn ' t ▁represent ▁a ▁particular ▁area ▁to ▁attract ▁players . ▁They ▁fol ded ▁and ▁were ▁immediately ▁replaced ▁by ▁Per th ▁Football ▁Club ▁who ▁were ▁promoted ▁from ▁the ▁Per th ▁First ▁R ate ▁Association . ▁ ▁Major ▁gold ▁discover ies ▁at ▁C ool g ard ie ▁and ▁Kal go or lie , ▁couple d ▁with ▁a ▁major ▁international ▁economic ▁de pression , ▁caused ▁imm igration ▁from ▁the ▁eastern ▁colon ies ▁to ▁acceler ate . ▁These ▁migr ants ▁included ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁football ers ▁including ▁some ▁celebrated ▁players , ▁and ▁the ▁Gold fields ▁competition ▁( l ater ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Gold fields ▁Football ▁League ) ▁was ▁compar able ▁in ▁status ▁and ▁standard ▁to ▁the ▁Per th ▁competition ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁( This ▁was ▁shown ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁separate ▁seat ▁on ▁the ▁Australian ▁National ▁Football ▁Council ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 9 .) ▁The ▁higher ▁standard ▁of ▁play ▁that ▁naturally ▁followed , ▁helped ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁game ' s ▁popular ity ▁and ▁increased ▁the ▁professional ism ▁of ▁the ▁W A FA . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁the ▁W A FA ▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁have ▁six ▁teams . ▁Up ▁to