This weekend in the WAFL, South Fremantle has secured the minor premiership, Subiaco dashed West Perth’s slim finals hope, East Fremantle overcame a scare, and Perth have officially qualified for finals for the second time in 27 years.
Here is all the action from Round 18.
WEST PERTH 11.8 (74) def by. SUBIACO 11.10 (76)
Subiaco have spoiled West Perth’s slight finals hopes after handing them a heartbreaking two-point defeat at HIF Health Insurance Oval on Saturday.
For a brief moment, finals looked possible, with East Fremantle looking rocky against West Coast and West Perth well in the contest against Subiaco, but it wasn’t to be, with the results falling in East Fremantle’s favour.
The rain and mud added to the overall drama of the match, with both sides trading blows and refusing to back away, with the Lions staying afloat come the final siren.
Falcons’ veteran Shane Nelson fought tooth and nail, ending on 36 disposals and eight tackles, with 18-year-old Sam Swadling (21 disposals, 3 tackles) and Corey Rundle (24 disposals, 14 tackles) also showing plenty of determination
Bernie Naylor Medal leader, Tyler Keitel, also fought through attention from Subiaco’s Michael Braut to kick two goals, but it was Keegan Knott who was the top scorer, booting three majors.
For Subiaco, Richard Bartlett also kicked three goals, while Jordan Snadden and Ryan Borchet added two goals each to the tally.
But Taj Schofield (25 disposals, 3 tackles) was one of the most impressive Lions, along with Greg Clark (24 disposals, 10 tackles) and 50-gamer Jack Mayo (23 disposals, 34 hit outs), who also gave strong performances.
EAST FREMANTLE 8.17 (43) def. WEST COAST 7.6 (48)
East Fremantle has overcome a self-inflicted scare in a comeback 17-point victory against wooden spooners West Coast at The Good Grocer Park on Saturday.
In a must-win game with finals ramifications on the line, East Fremantle almost kicked itself out of a crucial victory against a plucky Eagles side, finishing on 8.17 (65) to 7.6 (48).
But West Coast held their nerve and even led during the final quarter at points, but the Sharks’ senior players were able to swing momentum back their way, booting three goals to West Coast’s one.
Sharks’ superstar Milan Murdock had leather poisoning after accumulating 42 disposals and 10 tackles. He and Tom Joyce (31 disposals, 4 tackles) played crucial roles in dragging their side over the line.
Mitchell Zadow (23 disposals, 10 marks, 2 goals) and Jack Cleaver (26 disposals, 5 tackles) both played impressive games too.
West Coast’s Tyrell Dewar (27 disposals, 3 marks) racked up plenty of disposals at half back, while Noah Long (18 disposals, 7 tackles, 3 goals) provided spark up forward.
Harley Sparks (22 disposals, 4 inside 50s) also played well, as did Bailey Williams (35 hitouts, 15 disposals), who put his hand up for an AFL recall after a strong showing in the ruck.
CLAREMONT 13.6 (84) def. SWAN DISTRICTS 6.10 (46)
Claremont have one hand on second spot after downing Swan Districts to the tune of 38 points on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers spent no time warming up, kicking the first nine goals of the match and holding the Swans goalless for 90 minutes.
With Revo Fitness Stadium resembling more of a dirt patch than a footy field, the homeside dominated the contest, leaving the Swans unable to hold possession of the ball.
Callan England (24 disposals, 9 tackles) and Jye Bolton (26 disposals, 7 marks) benefited from the silver service from Oliver Eastland, who dominated in the ruck all day.
But up forward, it was Jaiden Hunter who inflicted the most pain, with 5 goals from just 7 disposals. Joel Western (20 disposals, 5 marks) also played well.
Although the Swans struggled to get their hands on the footy, it was no issue for skipper Jesse Turner (33 disposals, 3 marks), Joshua Cipro (27 disposals, 2 tackles) and Jye Chalcraft (27 disposals, 7 tackles).
After two quarters and 20 minutes, it was Leigh Kohlmann who broke the deadlock and kicked the Swans’ first goal, with him and William Reidy both going on to kick two goals each.
EAST PERTH 4.4 (28) def by. SOUTH FREMANTLE 11.9 (75)
South Fremantle have once again shown its premiership credentials after thrashing fellow contenders East Perth by 47 points at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
The Bulldogs put their foot on the gas early and didn’t lift off, resulting in a six-to-none goal first half as both sides battled through the ugly weather conditions.
Saturday’s win has locked in a home second semi-final in September, sitting a class above the rest with two-and-a-half wins over Claremont with just two games remaining.
Sandover Medal prospect Matt Parker (23 disposals, 7 tackles) keeps putting up outstanding performances that make it impossible to overlook him for the top honour.
With support from Tom Blechynden (29 disposals, 7 tackles) and Jake Florenca (25 disposals, 10 tackles), they successfully overran the home side. Zac Strom and Aaron Drage also combined for four goals and finished among South Fremantle’s best.
In his 100th game, Kye Willcocks (28 disposals, 8 marks) played well, along with Stanley Wright (29 disposals, 6 tackles) and Angus Scott (28 disposals, 6 tackles).
Sam Van Diemen (17 disposals, 11 tackles) and Liam Tedesco (22 disposals, 7 tackles) also played well, while Scott Jones finished on a sensational 54 hitouts.
PEEL THUNDER 10.9 (69) def by. PERTH 15.8 (98)
Perth has locked in its second finals appearance in 27 years after taking down Peel Thunder by 29 points at Lane Group Stadium.
The Demon’s faithful have been longing for a proper finals berth, with their last appearance in 2020 affected by a global pandemic. They didn’t put a foot wrong against the reigning premiers to ensure they saw September.
Perth’s resurgence has largely been led by former Geelong duo Brandon Parfitt (39 disposals, 9 inside 50s, one goal) and Charlie Constable (34 disposals, 7 inside 50s, one goal), who once again were among the best on ground.
Meanwhile, a trio of forwards created headaches for Peel’s defence, with Blake Schlensog, Lochlan Paton and Aaron Clark kicking five, four and three goals respectively.
For the opposition, Will Brodie had a quieter day than usual, but James Aish (36 disposals, 8 marks) was everywhere, as was Cooper Simpson (28 disposals, 7 marks).
But it was Liam Reidy who was the standout, with 49 hitouts, 22 disposals and two goals. Kyelan Sanders also got involved, kicking three goals in the loss.
IMAGE: Michael O’Brien