▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ). ▁With ▁many ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia ' s ▁best ▁players ▁now ▁compet ing ▁in ▁a ▁team ▁that ▁represented ▁Western ▁Australia ▁on ▁a ▁national ▁scale , ▁it ▁was ▁suddenly ▁apparent ▁that ▁the ▁W AF L ▁was ▁now ▁a ▁second - class ▁competition . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁state ▁league ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁Western ▁Australian ▁State ▁Football ▁League , ▁but ▁it ▁had ▁revert ed ▁to ▁W AF L ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁West ▁Coast ▁E ag les ▁made ▁history ▁by ▁becoming ▁the ▁first ▁inter state ▁club ▁to ▁win ▁an ▁A FL ▁premi ership . ▁The ▁win ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁huge ▁boost ▁to ▁the ▁side ' s ▁popular ity , ▁put ▁pressure ▁on ▁Sub ia co ▁O val ▁to ▁expand ▁and ▁ultimately ▁led ▁to ▁demand ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁A FL ▁lic ence ▁for ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁Another ▁locally ▁based ▁A FL ▁team , ▁the ▁F rem ant le ▁FC ▁were ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁A FL ▁with ▁ 2 ▁sides , ▁particularly ▁with ▁the ▁Western ▁Derby , ▁c ement ed ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁W AF L ▁as ▁a ▁second - class ▁competition . ▁W AF L ▁clubs ▁have ▁strugg led ▁ever ▁since ▁with ▁their ▁sudden ▁dem ise ▁from ▁being ▁techn ically ▁equal ▁to ▁any ▁V FL ▁club , ▁to ▁fe eder ▁club ▁status . ▁However , ▁they ▁have ▁enjoyed ▁some ▁benefits , ▁such