Adrian Barich: My predictions for footy, ferries, food and fashion for WA in 2026

I dusted off the crystal ball (naturally, I bought it from a Fremantle market stall wedged between a guy selling healing crystals and a vegan sausage roll maker) and here’s what 2026 looks like for WA.

By mid-January, Perth will officially only have two seasons: “too hot” and “why is it still so hot?” Every weather forecast will end with the reassuring lie of “but it’s dry and hot,” and scientists will eventually confirm that this is both meaningless and deeply comforting.

Coinciding with Valentine’s Day after all, February’s State of Origin clash between Western Australia and Victoria is back with ultimate field advantage in the afternoons.

Coffee prices will go up again, but no one will notice because we’ll all act like it’s still worth it. Baristas will start asking existential questions like: “Is this a treat coffee or an emotional support coffee?”

The right answer is always yes, even if you’re on your third latte of the morning.

It will be a blend of fashion, practicality and confidence. Men will fully embrace the short-short renaissance and insist it’s about airflow, not vanity.

Women will continue to dress for three different social events in one day because lunches in Perth will somehow turn into dinners. Linen will be everywhere. Ironing will be nowhere.

Food will stick to what works, but with subtle flair. A $34 pub parmie that comes with hand-cut chips and a quiet identity crisis. At least one restaurant will ask you to “trust the process,” even if the process is often smoky.

For me, my suburban Chinese restaurant will quietly prove once again how great they’ve been for 50 years without Instagram verification. Wembley dining hall will also have its own.

WA will finally get its due on the screens. Local people will see our State in numerous TV and broadcast programmes, all of which are officially “set elsewhere” and we will proudly nod and say “that’s at our Houses of Parliament… and the other spot is Margaret River”.

There will be a reality show about FIFO dating. The green light will be given immediately, because nothing says 2026 better than televised logistical nightmares. Maybe we can force Ben Elton to write the script for the movie.

In sports, the Eagles will win a handful of games by five for sure. Four more victories than in 2025.

After the 3rd win, talkback radio will ask if the finals are “on the agenda again”. Despite being in the top 10 next year, they are not. . . but as always in the West, optimism is free.

The temperature has turned up another notch in Fremantle. Each loss will trigger a deep debate about identity, expectations, and the long-standing question of whether the Dockers are cursed.

They need to have a preliminary final, otherwise questions will be asked. Qualifying for the preliminary round will be celebrated like a public holiday. Is there anything less? Unacceptable, confusing and Docker-style.

In the WAFL, crowds will remember why they watch local football. Perth and East Perth will come to the fore and if the 1978 grand final rematch takes place, half the crowd will need counseling while the other half will pretend there is no pain.

Forty-nine years later, the sting of the red-hot Demons’ two-point loss to the rain still lingers, not least because Perth owner Ian Miller went to East Perth that year and won the Simpson Medal for the best player in the grand final.

It was one of the best “stick it in a pipe and smoke it” moments of all time, and 2026 may finally offer some revenge.

By the end of the year, Rottnest quokkas will have better media training than most politicians. Selfie etiquette will continue to be aspirational.

And adventurous folk will still be surfing at the westernmost tip of Rotto; Here Cathedral Rocks looks like a crazy place to paddle, especially when those in black wetsuits are eager to share the waves with local long-nosed fur seals.

And then there is the WA way: our love of a good consultation process. The Swan River ferry may or may not one day glide towards the western suburbs, landing at Matilda Bay or Jo Jo Pier.

Perth Park could emerge after every aspect has been examined, including its impact on flora and fauna and whether the premier leisure and sports precinct will impact morning tai chi.

The boldest prediction? WA will have another big year; quietly confident, a little sunburnt, occasionally chaotic, and completely convinced that everything would be better if the rest of the country did things our way.

We may even threaten to leave multiple times if anyone tries to mess with our share of our GST revenues.

The feds have been warned: touch WA’s share of GST and the old separation file will gather dust again.

The crystal ball never lies. Probably.