MONAGHAN BECOMES WEST PERTH'S LONGEST-SERVING COACH

PREMIERSHIP coach Bill Monaghan wrote himself into the history books on Saturday night by being in charge for a 134th time making him the longest-serving coach in the history of the West Perth Football Club.

Monaghan has been senior coach at West Perth since 2009 and now on Saturday night by leading the Falcons into battle against reigning premiers Subiaco at Leederville's Medibank Stadium, he coached the club for a record 134rd time.

That sees him overtake the legendary Stan 'Pops' Heal who coached West Perth for 133 matches between 1947-52 during which time he was captain-coach for the premierships of 1949 and 1951.

Over the course of his 134 matches in charge of West Perth, Monaghan has led the team to 73 victories for a 54 per cent winning ratio with the Falcons having played finals in 2009, 2011 and 2013, and winning the 2013 premiership.

By leading the Falcons to the premiership in 2013, Monaghan joined Jack Cashman, John Leonard, Ross Hutchinson, Joe Brooker, Heal, Arthur Oliver, Graham 'Polly' Farmer, Graham Campbell, John Dimmer and Darren Harris as the only West Perth premiership coaches in the club's history.

Monaghan had a strong playing career amassing 204 matches with both Subiaco and Peel Thunder before doing his coaching apprenticeship with great success leading the Lions to reserves premierships in 2003 and 2005, and being league assistant to Peter German in the flags of 2004 and 2006.

Once Todd Curley accepted a full-time role with Fremantle at the end of 2008, it was Monaghan appointed to be his successor and he has remained in charge of the Falcons ever since.

Monaghan is proud and humbled to have surpassed Heal as West Perth's longest-serving coach, but his immediate focus is on bouncing back now from the loss to Subiaco in a fortnight's time against Swan Districts on the Anzac Day holiday Monday at HBF Arena following the bye.

"It's obviously an achievement I'm proud of but it's probably not the greatest thing at the moment after a loss. It's probably something that long down the track I'll look back on fondly about, but right now it's not something I will be focusing too much on or that I expect other people to either," Monaghan said.

"I was fortunate enough to meet 'Pops' Heal a couple of times just before he passed away which was great for me as the current coach of West Perth. I've obviously heard and read a lot of great stories about 'Pops' so I'm really proud to have achieved that."