The wooden spoon is the imaginary and ironic "award" which is said to be won by the team finishing in last place in the West Australian Football League. No physical wooden spoon award exists, other than those brought by opposition fans to taunt struggling teams, nor is such an award officially sanctioned by the WAFL. However, most betting agencies will take wagers on the wooden spoon.
West Perth with a record of 7 win and 14 losses in the 1992 season, have the highest numbers of wins out of all wooden spoon teams since the start of the competition in 1885. Perth with a percentage of 92.13% (from 6 wins and 9 losses) in the 1921 season, has the highest percentage out of all wooden spoon teams since the start of the competition in 1885.
The team which finishes on the bottom of the ladder wins the wooden spoon. This is determined by:
No countback exists if teams finish equal on points but with a different number of wins.
From 1885 to 1897 teams on the ladder were ranked by competition points, then match points differential (for and against). From 1885 to 1896 only goals scored were included in the total score, and teams were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw.[1]
High School withdrew from the competition due to lack of players two rounds into the inaugural season, and therefore are the inaugural "winners" of the wooden spoon.
| Season | Wooden spoon | Wins | Losses | Draws | Game Difference | Percentage | Points | |
| 1885 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -4 | - | 0 | ||
| 1886 | 2 | 7 | 0 | -17 | - | 4 | ||
| 1887 | 2 | 6 | 0 | -7 | - | 4 | ||
| 1888 | West Australian (2) | 1 | 7 | 1 | -14 | - | 3 | |
| 1889 | 1 | 6 | 3 | -9 | - | 5 | ||
| 1890 | 3 | 4 | 2 | -8 | - | 8 | ||
| 1891 | 1 | 9 | 2 | -32 | - | 4 | ||
| 1892 | East Perth (I) (2) | 0 | 12 | 0 | -67 | - | 0 | |
| 1893 | Rovers (2) | 0 | 12 | 0 | -39 | - | 0 | |
| 1894 | Rovers (3) | 2 | 9 | 1 | -37 | - | 5 | |
| 1895 | 2 | 13 | 0 | -67 | - | 4 | ||
| 1896 | Rovers (4) | 3 | 11 | 2 | -54 | - | 8 | |
| 1897 | Rovers (5) | 1 | 7 | 2 | -24 | - | 4 | |
| 1898 | 1 | 15 | 0 | - | 51.76 | 4 | ||
| 1899 | Rovers (6) | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 37.82 | 0 | |
| 1900 | 2 | 10 | 0 | - | 82.37 | 8 | ||
| 1901 | 4 | 11 | 0 | – | 52.19 | 16 | ||
| 1902 | Subiaco (2) | 0 | 15 | 0 | – | 37.44 | 0 | |
| 1903 | Subiaco (3) | 1 | 14 | 0 | – | 35.02 | 4 | |
| 1904 | 1 | 14 | 0 | – | 35.02 | 4 | ||
| 1905 | Subiaco (4) | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | 21.09 | 0 | |
| 1906 | Subiaco (5) | 1 | 16 | 0 | – | 40.75 | 4 | |
| 1907 | Subiaco (6) | 2 | 15 | 0 | – | 47.34 | 4 | |
| 1908 | Subiaco (7) | 2 | 14 | 1 | – | 52.44 | 10 | |
| 1909 | 1 | 15 | 1 | - | 46.00 | 6 | ||
| 1910 | Midland Junction (2) | 3 | 14 | 0 | - | 53.05 | 6 | |
| 1911 | 2 | 10 | 0 | - | 59.31 | 8 | ||
| 1912 | Perth (2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | - | 75.29 | 8 | |
| 1913 | East Perth (2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | - | 68.46 | 8 | |
| 1914 | 1 | 13 | 0 | - | 59.35 | 4 | ||
| 1915 | North Fremantle (2) | 1 | 20 | 0 | - | 43.32 | 4 | |
| 1916 | Subiaco (8) | 2 | 10 | 0 | - | 65.59 | 8 | |
| 1917 | Midland Junction (3) | 0 | 12 | 0 | – | 29.02 | 0 | |
| 1918 | West Perth (2) | 2 | 13 | 0 | - | 48.11 | 8 | |
| 1919 | West Perth (3) | 3 | 12 | 0 | - | 55.01 | 12 | |
| 1920 | South Fremantle (2) | 3 | 12 | 0 | - | 79.12 | 12 | |
| 1921 | Perth (3) | 6 | 9 | 0 | - | 92.13 | 24 | |
| 1922 | Perth (4) | 3 | 11 | 0 | - | 76.20 | 12 | |
| 1923 | Perth (5) | 1 | 12 | 1 | - | 67.82 | 6 | |
| 1924 | West Perth (4) | 3 | 12 | 0 | - | 84.23 | 12 | |
| 1925 | South Fremantle (3) | 3 | 11 | 1 | - | 68.81 | 14 | |
| 1926 | 1 | 17 | 0 | - | 55.59 | 4 | ||
| 1927 | Claremont (2) | 1 | 17 | 0 | - | 61.92 | 4 | |
| 1928 | Claremont (3) | 5 | 13 | 0 | - | 86.48 | 20 | |
| 1929 | East Perth (3) | 2 | 16 | 0 | - | 66.52 | 8 | |
| 1930 | West Perth (5) | 6 | 11 | 1 | - | 90.47 | 26 | |
| 1931 | Claremont (4) | 3 | 15 | 0 | - | 72.21 | 12 | |
| 1932 | Claremont (5) | 4 | 14 | 0 | - | 72.32 | 16 | |
| 1933 | Claremont (6) | 5 | 13 | 0 | - | 80.83 | 20 | |
| 1934 | Claremont (7) | 2 | 19 | 0 | - | 56.34 | 8 | |
| 1935 | Perth (6) | 4 | 14 | 0 | - | 81.15 | 16 | |
| 1936 | South Fremantle (4) | 6 | 14 | 0 | - | 86.05 | 24 | |
| 1937 | Subiaco (9) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 76.53 | 16 | |
| 1938 | West Perth (6) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 76.62 | 12 | |
| 1939 | West Perth (7) | 1 | 19 | 0 | - | 59.22 | 4 | |
| 1940 | 2 | 18 | 0 | - | 57.72 | 8 | ||
| 1941 | Swan Districts (2) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 70.44 | 12 | |
| 1942 | Perth (7) | 3 | 9 | 0 | - | 64.72 | 12 | |
| 1943 | South Fremantle (5) | 4 | 13 | 0 | - | 51.97 | 16 | |
| 1944 | South Fremantle (6) | 0 | 19 | 0 | - | 28.00 | 0 | |
| 1945 | Claremont (8) | 2 | 18 | 0 | - | 57.77 | 8 | |
| 1946 | Claremont (9) | 3 | 16 | 0 | - | 68.45 | 12 | |
| 1947 | Subiaco (10) | 3 | 16 | 0 | - | 74.48 | 12 | |
| 1948 | Swan Districts (3) | 2 | 17 | 0 | - | 58.59 | 8 | |
| 1949 | Subiaco (11) | 2 | 16 | 0 | - | 68.11 | 8 | |
| 1950 | Subiaco (12) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 67.78 | 20 | |
| 1951 | Swan Districts (4) | 1 | 20 | 0 | - | 64.12 | 4 | |
| 1952 | Swan Districts (5) | 2 | 18 | 0 | - | 50.84 | 8 | |
| 1953 | Subiaco (13) | 2 | 19 | 0 | - | 55.38 | 8 | |
| 1954 | Subiaco (14) | 4 | 16 | 0 | - | 67.82 | 16 | |
| 1955 | Subiaco (15) | 4 | 16 | 0 | - | 68.98 | 16 | |
| 1956 | Swan Districts (6) | 4 | 15 | 0 | - | 83.59 | 16 | |
| 1957 | Swan Districts (7) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 77.41 | 16 | |
| 1958 | Claremont (10) | 2 | 19 | 0 | - | 54.56 | 8 | |
| 1959 | Swan Districts (8) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 80.88 | 20 | |
| 1960 | Swan Districts (9) | 2 | 19 | 0 | - | 67.72 | 8 | |
| 1961 | South Fremantle (7) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 81.63 | 20 | |
| 1962 | Claremont (11) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 72.65 | 16 | |
| 1963 | Claremont (12) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 79.60 | 16 | |
| 1964 | East Perth (4) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 70.85 | 12 | |
| 1965 | South Fremantle (8) | 5 | 15 | 1 | - | 81.83 | 22 | |
| 1966 | South Fremantle (9) | 6 | 15 | 0 | - | 79.60 | 24 | |
| 1967 | Subiaco (16) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 75.53 | 12 | |
| 1968 | Swan Districts (10) | 1 | 20 | 0 | - | 63.93 | 4 | |
| 1969 | South Fremantle (10) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 77.10 | 20 | |
| 1970 | Swan Districts (11) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 69.77 | 16 | |
| 1971 | Swan Districts (12) | 4 | 16 | 1 | - | 72.08 | 18 | |
| 1972 | South Fremantle (11) | 6 | 15 | 0 | - | 83.22 | 24 | |
| 1973 | Claremont (13) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 88.08 | 16 | |
| 1974 | West Perth (8) | 6 | 15 | 0 | - | 86.43 | 24 | |
| 1975 | Claremont (14) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 67.93 | 12 | |
| 1976 | Subiaco (17) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 64.04 | 16 | |
| 1977 | Swan Districts (13) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 70.07 | 12 | |
| 1978 | Swan Districts (14) | 4 | 17 | 0 | - | 75.11 | 16 | |
| 1979 | Subiaco (18) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 61.91 | 12 | |
| 1980 | Subiaco (19) | 2 | 19 | 0 | - | 59.37 | 8 | |
| 1981 | Perth (8) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 64.97 | 12 | |
| 1982 | Subiaco (20) | 1 | 20 | 0 | - | 73.36 | 4 | |
| 1983 | Perth (9) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 76.93 | 12 | |
| 1984 | Perth (10) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 79.01 | 20 | |
| 1985 | East Perth (5) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 88.64 | 20 | |
| 1986 | Swan Districts (15) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 83.02 | 20 | |
| 1987 | South Fremantle (12) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 75.19 | 12 | |
| 1988 | Swan Districts (16) | 4 | 16 | 1 | - | 75.85 | 18 | |
| 1989 | East Perth (6) | 3 | 18 | 0 | - | 66.36 | 12 | |
| 1990 | West Perth (9) | 6 | 15 | 0 | - | 70.23 | 24 | |
| 1991 | West Perth (10) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 69.04 | 20 | |
| 1992 | West Perth (11) | 7 | 14 | 0 | - | 80.96 | 28 | |
| 1993 | Perth (11) | 6 | 15 | 0 | - | 73.00 | 24 | |
| 1994 | Perth (12) | 5 | 16 | 0 | - | 75.40 | 20 | |
| 1995 | Swan Districts (17) | 2 | 19 | 0 | - | 61.61 | 8 | |
| 1996 | Subiaco (21) | 6 | 15 | 0 | - | 63.74 | 24 | |
| 1997 | 1 | 19 | 0 | - | 39.19 | 4 | ||
| 1998 | Peel Thunder (2) | 1 | 19 | 0 | - | 53.87 | 4 | |
| 1999 | Peel Thunder (3) | 0 | 20 | 0 | - | 46.61 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Perth (13) | 1 | 17 | 0 | - | 63.31 | 4 | |
| 2001 | Swan Districts (18) | 3 | 15 | 0 | - | 72.28 | 12 | |
| 2002 | Swan Districts (19) | 1 | 17 | 0 | - | 61.92 | 4 | |
| 2003 | Peel Thunder (4) | 1 | 19 | 0 | - | 40.93 | 4 | |
| 2004 | East Fremantle (2) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 74.62 | 12 | |
| 2005 | Peel Thunder (5) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 59.94 | 12 | |
| 2006 | East Fremantle (3) | 4 | 16 | 0 | - | 74.82 | 16 | |
| 2007 | Perth (14) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 77.27 | 12 | |
| 2008 | East Perth (7) | 6 | 14 | 0 | - | 72.19 | 24 | |
| 2009 | Peel Thunder (6) | 5 | 15 | 0 | - | 71.11 | 20 | |
| 2010 | Perth (15) | 2 | 18 | 0 | - | 70.35 | 8 | |
| 2011 | Peel Thunder (7) | 5 | 15 | 0 | - | 79.12 | 20 | |
| 2012 | Peel Thunder (8) | 5 | 15 | 0 | - | 70.51 | 20 | |
| 2013 | Peel Thunder (9) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 70.07 | 12 | |
| 2014 | Perth (16) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 75.77 | 12 | |
| 2015 | Perth (17) | 2 | 18 | 0 | - | 59.40 | 8 | |
| 2016 | Swan Districts (20) | 2 | 18 | 0 | - | 58.30 | 8 | |
| 2017 | Perth (18) | 3 | 17 | 0 | - | 63.84 | 12 | |
| 2018 | East Fremantle (4) | 2 | 16 | 0 | - | 52.51 | 8 | |
| 2019 | Swan Districts (21) | 4 | 14 | 0 | - | 68.93 | 16 | |
| 2020 | Peel Thunder (10) | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 48.17 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 14 | 0 | - | 65.21 | 16 | ||
| 2022 | West Coast (2) | 1 | 17 | 0 | - | 48.95 | 4 | |
| 2023 | West Coast (3) | 0 | 17 | 1 | - | 39.17 | 2 |
| Club | Total Wooden Spoons | Years of Wooden Spoon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subiaco | 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1916, 1937, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1996 | ||
| Swan Districts | 1940, 1941, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2016, 2019 | ||
| Perth | 1900, 1912, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1935, 1942, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 | ||
| Claremont | 1926, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1945, 1946, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1973, 1975 | ||
| South Fremantle | 1904, 1920, 1925, 1936, 1943, 1944, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1972, 1987 | ||
| West Perth | 1895, 1918, 1919, 1930, 1938, 1939, 1964, 1974, 1990, 1991, 1992 | ||
| Peel | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2020 | ||
| East Perth | 1911, 1913, 1929, 1964, 1985, 1989, 2008 | ||
| 1890, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1897, 1899 | |||
| East Fremantle | 1898, 2004, 2006, 2018 | ||
| 1909, 1910, 1917 | |||
| West Coast (R) | 2021, 2022, 2023 | ||
| 1887, 1888 | |||
| 1891, 1892 | |||
| 1914, 1915 | |||
| 1885 | |||
| 1886 | |||
| 1889 | |||
| N/A | |||
| N/A | |||
| N/A | |||
| N/A |
Bold indicates clubs currently playing in the WAFL.
| Club | Seasons | Start | End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | 1898 | 2004 | ||
| 48 | 1975 | align=center | - | |
| 39 | 1942 | 1981 | ||
| 36 | 1987 | align=center | - | |
| 35 | 1929 | 1964 | ||
| 31 | 1992 | align=center | - | |
| 27 | 1996 | align=center | - | |
| 26 | 1939 | 1965 | ||
| 23 | 1895 | 1918 | ||
| 21 | 1964 | 1985 | ||
| 21 | 1916 | 1937 | ||
| Club | Last Wooden Spoon | Years since |
|---|---|---|
| Claremont | 1975 | 48 |
| South Fremantle | 1987 | 36 |
| West Perth | 1992 | 31 |
| Subiaco | 1996 | 27 |
| East Perth | 2008 | 15 |
| Perth | 2017 | 6 |
| East Fremantle | 2018 | 5 |
| Swan Districts | 2019 | 4 |
| Peel | 2020 | 3 |
| West Coast (R) | 2023 | 0 |
Ten clubs have finished last in 3 or more consecutive seasons.
| Club | Sequence of Seasons | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Subiaco | align=center | 1905–1908 |
| Claremont | align=center | 1931–1934 | |
| 3 | Subiaco | align=center | 1901–1903 |
| Perth | align=center | 1921–1923 | |
| Claremont | align=center | 1926-1928 | |
| Subiaco | align=center | 1953–1955 | |
| West Perth | align=center | 1990–1992 | |
| Peel | align=center | 1997-1999 | |
| Peel | align=center | 2011-2013 | |
| West Coast (R) | align=center | 2021-2023 | |