▁influence ▁on ▁their ▁less ▁aff lu ent ▁pe ers ▁as ▁to ▁such . ▁Co inc ident ally , ▁the ▁press ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁reported ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁growing ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁rugby ▁as ▁a ▁spect acle . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁the ▁discover ies ▁of ▁gold , ▁first ly ▁in ▁the ▁Kim ber ley , ▁Pil bara ▁and ▁M urch ison ▁regions , ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁dram atic ▁increase ▁in ▁W A ' s ▁population , ▁including ▁many ▁players ▁and ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁Australian ▁R ules ▁from ▁the ▁eastern ▁colon ies . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁rugby ▁clubs , ▁F rem ant le , ▁decided ▁to ▁change ▁to ▁Australian ▁R ules . ▁It ▁was ▁quickly ▁joined ▁by ▁three ▁other ▁clubs ▁- ▁, ▁Vict ori ans , ▁and ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁school bo ys ▁from ▁The ▁High ▁School . ▁The ▁school boy ▁side ▁last ed ▁just ▁two ▁matches , ▁but ▁the ▁three ▁other ▁sides ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁contest ▁what ▁in ▁ret ros pect ▁was ▁viewed ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁ever ▁official ▁Western ▁Australian ▁Football ▁Association ▁( WA FA ) ▁premi ership , ▁won ▁by ▁Ro vers . ▁And ▁virt ually ▁over night ▁Australian ▁rules ▁football ▁became ▁the ▁dominant ▁code ▁for ▁the ▁spect ator ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁Progress ▁of ▁Australian ▁R ules ▁in ▁Western ▁Australia ▁still ▁lag ged ▁behind ▁the ▁big ▁football ▁cities ▁of ▁Melbourne , ▁Ad ela ide ▁and ▁Ge el ong ▁however ▁and ▁is ▁ev iden ced ▁by