Masters Football in Western Australia began informally in 1982, with four clubs participating in the inaugural season — Northern Districts Superblues (now known as the Northern Warriors), Victoria Park, Fremantle, and University.
All matches during that first year were played at McGillivray Oval. Unfortunately, both University and Fremantle withdrew from the competition within the opening three rounds.

The first official season of Masters Football commenced in 1983, with the founding clubs being Northern Districts Superblues, Victoria Park, Fremantle, and Swanbourne.

Bruce Arlow, representing Northern Districts, served as the Association’s first convenor and played a key role in establishing the structure and direction of the competition in its formative years.

That same year also saw Western Australia take part in the inaugural Masters National Carnival, held in Melbourne. WA narrowly lost the final to Tasmania by five points. In the early days of Masters Football, the competition was built on camaraderie as much as performance, and formal team curfews and codes of conduct were not yet part of the landscape.

The competition continued to grow steadily in the following years:

• 1984 – WA Fire Brigade joined the competition

• 1985 – Bunbury and Wembley entered the league

• 1986 – Swanbourne folded and was replaced by Southern Suburbs

From these modest beginnings, Masters Football in Western Australia has expanded significantly and now represents more than 40 clubs across the state.

Today, AFL Masters WA is a strong, vibrant, and respected competition that holds a unique and valued place within the Australian Football community, providing opportunities for players to continue enjoying the game in a competitive, inclusive, and social environment well beyond their senior playing years.