A lot of key football people have flown the flag for the WAFL over the past few months.
The league has been under siege. With the spectre of the two AFL clubs trying to muscle their way into the local competition and concerns about how they will be able to generate much-needed funds from a new stadium deal, the WAFL have needed a few mates to stand by them.
State clubs haven't been shy in trying to raise support for their causes, either.
For the time being, the WAFL's efforts at resisting the entry of West Coast and Fremantle reserves teams have been successful and - according to influential football identities - the integrity built over 126 years has been maintained.
But, in significant ways, the WAFL aren't keeping up their end of the bargain.
In their submission on the reserves teams the Eagles and Dockers played on the view that the WAFL was a competition in decay. Clubs were broke, supporter interest had waned, facilities were poor and unless there was a radical change in approach to its marketing the local league would soon be critically ill.
It prompted some important football stakeholders to step forward and protect a sporting structure they have supported for decades.
However, the WAFL have let the team down.
