▁as ▁the ▁funds ▁flow ing ▁from ▁the ▁W A - based ▁A FL ▁teams ▁and ▁the ▁infl ux ▁of ▁tal ented ▁players ▁from ▁other ▁states , ▁attempting ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁name ▁for ▁themselves . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Pe el ▁Th under ▁— ▁somewhat ▁controvers ial ly ▁— ▁became ▁the ▁nin th ▁W AF L ▁club . ▁Through out ▁their ▁brief ▁history , ▁they ▁have ▁strugg led ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁the ▁traditional ▁eight ▁clubs , ▁which ▁are ▁generally ▁opposed ▁to ▁their ▁presence . ▁This ▁is ▁partly ▁because ▁having ▁an ▁odd ▁number ▁of ▁teams ▁forces ▁one ▁team ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁by e ▁each ▁week . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁W AF L ▁was ▁renamed ▁West ar ▁R ules , ▁in ▁a ▁failed ▁attempt ▁to ▁rev amp ▁the ▁league ' s ▁image . ▁However ▁the ▁name ▁again ▁revert ed ▁to ▁W AF L ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁years ▁have ▁seen ▁the ▁W AF L ▁stabil ise ▁itself ▁as ▁a ▁league ▁a ▁step ▁down ▁from ▁the ▁A FL . ▁Obviously ▁the ▁sudden ▁player ▁d rain ▁brought ▁on ▁by ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁V FL ▁into ▁the ▁A FL ▁has ▁less ened ▁the ▁standard ▁of ▁play , ▁however ▁this ▁has ▁recovered ▁somewhat , ▁with ▁" v eter an " ▁A FL ▁players ▁returning ▁and ▁new ▁players ▁coming ▁through . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁History ▁Western ▁Australia ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁to ▁trial ▁the ▁derivative ▁social ▁game ▁of ▁Rec ▁Foot y ▁in