 1946 also saw Perth, in the doldrums since the end of World War I, begin its rise to power with the return of Merv McIntosh.The Redlegs stood third with two games remaining but lost a decisive match to Subiaco, who played open-age finals for the first time in a decade, in spite of being very weak in attack and the failure of their protest against Townsend.Swan Districts, a finalist in 1945, fell to second-last and began its bleakest period on record