Watching the WAFL with Darsee. Photo by Les Everett
WAFL Round 13
Crook weather kept me away from the WAFL last round. This time it was because I was crook as a dog.
So Darsee and I settled down to the Tigers and Falcons on TV. West Perth controlled the first quarter but kicked 2.6. The Claremont acted upon coach Ashley Prescott’s urge for boldness and scored six goals to none in the second quarter and seven goals straight in the third. It was a change few saw coming against the top team. It was a whole team resurgence but it’s worth mentioning Ben Edwards, who sliced through the Falcons with pace, Bailey Rogers, who had his customary “lot of the ball” but also kicked two extraordinary goals and Ryan Lim, who patrolled his wing and took some strong overhead marks. Jack Buller kicked four goals and looked as a key position player of great promise. Tyler Keitel kicked four goals and led the last quarter revival for West Perth. It was Shane Nelson’s 200th game for West Perth and one of his quietest.
It was a one-point thriller over at Fremantle Oval, where Swan Districts led for most of the day but the home town fell over the line after controlling the last quarter. Tom Blechynden played probably his best game at league level. Sam Fisher was at his best on his return for the Swans.
East Perth took a step closer to the five with a comfortable win over Perth. Most pleasing for fans of the Royals were the output from Tom Medhat (five goals) and mid-season recruit Nicholas Bonomelli (four goals). Bonomelli was part of the trade that sent to Eddie Simpson to East Fremantle.
The Sharks will be pleased they picked up Simpson because ruckman Jeremy Goddard has been suspended for whacking Greg Clark during the big win over West Coast at Lathlain Park. Blaine Boekhurst and Jarrad Jansen were outstanding in a weakened East Fremantle midfield and the victory propelled them to the top of the ladder.
Peel also kept their finals hopes alive with a solid win over Subiaco at Rushton Park. Lloyd Meek was the star for the Thunder and Joel Western was also in good touch. Stefan Giro had an outstanding game against his old team and Angus Dewar was good in defence for the Lions.
There are some huge games this weekend. The Fremantle Derby at the WACA will be novel, but breaking a long drought will reap big rewards for the Sharks. Swan Districts and East Perth will be in the mix contesting a place in the five at Bassendean. However, if the Royals win, the chances are neither will be there at the end of the round. That’s because a likely win by Peel over Perth would put the Thunder in fifth spot.
South Fremantle 7.14 (56) Swan Districts 8.7 (55)
East Perth 14.17 (101) Perth 9.9 (63)
East Fremantle 14.14 (98) West Coast 5.6 (36)
Claremont 17.7 (109) West Perth 11.14 (80)
Peel 10.15 (75) Subiaco 7.7 (49)
Ladder: East Fremantle 36; West Perth 36; South Fremantle 32; Claremont 32; Swan Districts 28; Peel 24; East Perth 24; Subiaco 16; Perth 8; West Coast 4.
Round 14: Perth vs Peel; Subiaco vs Claremont; East Fremantle vs South Fremantle; Swan Districts vs East Perth; West Coast vs West Perth.
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About Les Everett
A Footy Almanac veteran, Les Everett is the author of Gravel Rash: 100 Years of Goldfields Football and Fremantle Dockers: An Illustrated History. He is the footyalmanac.com WAFL correspondent and uses the money he makes from that role to pay for his expensive websites australianrules.com.au and talkingfrankie.com and fund the extravagant Vin Maskell at scoreboardpressure.com
Looks like a really interesting competition Les.
I wonder if PB went to Fremantle Oval last week.
Also be interested in how a Freo Derby gets played at the WACA.
I lived a few doors up from Ian Everett in the early 80s. A relation?
Yes I was at the South Freo v Swan Districts game. Tough hard contest played on a fine day but with greasy conditions from the Thursday downpour. Souths probably deserved to win as their bad kicking for goal had kept Swans ahead most of the day. Then we missed some gettable ones when the game was on the line.
Swan Districts have some illness and injuries to key players at the moment, and that inexperience cost us late in the game. To be fair I don’t know the other clubs well enough to know who they have out. Midwinter with Covid around – probably most have some out.
One gripe – Fremantle Oval is a dump. Small ground that slopes a lot on the western side. Not the big open spaces of most Perth ovals, Grandstand is a heritage structure set back a long way at an odd angle to the ground. Guessing the oval was realigned at some stage? Very uncomfortable old wooden benches with single rail backs. The area in front of the clubrooms is very low to the playing surface and has mostly plastic seats for South members. Not a patch on the viewing and playing experience at Bassendean.
I can understand why the Dockers are a better side after leaving their spiritual home (dump).
I understood all the suburban ovals were relatively large and very similar in size PB. Not like here in Adelaide.