An unprecedented day
Fremantle CBC’s Bradley Grant speaks to Chris Egan
While they are commonly known as Fremantle CBC or even just CBC, it is one of the great official names in the whole of the Perth Football League, Fremantle Brothers College Old Boys Amateur Football Club.
With origins dating back to 1936, CBC remain one of the longest standing clubs in the Perth Football League and have experienced a number of highs across that 85 year history.
Their highest of highs though, from the year 2000, is arguably the greatest high in the history of the Perth Football League.
As Fremantle CBC President Bradley Grant recounts, it was an unbelievable day for the club.
“That day in 2000, where we won the colts, ressies and league,” Grant said.
“I mean that is the ultimate and whether you’d be able to do that again, doubtful, so that would be the number one memory.”
Despite having many stints in the top ‘A Grade’ competition, up until 2000, CBC had won just two premierships at the top flight level, the ‘A Grade’ premiership in 1967 and the ‘A Colts’ premiership in 1999.
Come September 23, 2000, CBC would achieve more in one day, then they had in the over 60 years previous. On that unprecedented day, CBC would win all three of the ‘A Grade’, ‘A Reserves’ and ‘A Colts’; becoming the first club to ever win all three ‘A’ division premierships on the same day.
It is a feat that has so far never been replicated.
Making that triple premiership day even more special were the unique circumstances behind all three premierships
In the ‘A Colts’ Grand Final, despite finishing the home and away season first, CBC were beaten by University in the Second Semi Final and forced to win a Preliminary Final to make the Grand Final. With University and CBC having combined for the previous seven ‘A Colts’ premierships, it was a match-up of two colts heavyweights. CBC would start and finish strongly recording a 55 point win.
In the ‘A Reserve’ Grand Final, Scarborough were outright favourites to win back-to-back premierships by virtue of finishing on top of the ladder and having a hard fought win in the Second Semi Final, yet like their Colts counterparts, the CBC Reserves would recover from this loss, win the Preliminary Final and start strongly, recording a memorable 29 point win, the club’s first ever ‘A Reserve’ premiership.
Meanwhile, the ‘A Grade’ Grand Final promised to be extra special as CBC prepared to face their great rival North Fremantle. While the contest was a non event, as CBC stormed to a massive 93 point win, it capped off an incredible day for the club and one the likes have never been seen before or since in the Perth Football League.
“We had a big celebration at the club, came back here and kicked on, some great memories from that night,” Grant said.
September 23, 2000, a simply unprecedented day for Fremantle CBC and the Perth Football League.
