WAFL Finals Week 1: Royals into GF; Sharks get another bite

Royals into GF; Sharks get another bite

There’s unease in the WAFL world. East Perth, the West Coast Eagles alignment team, are into the grand final just as everyone predicted. They made 11 changes to their round 23 team when putting together a line-up for the second semi final. Nine of the inclusions are on the Eagles list making it 11 West Coast players in the second semi team.

I took in two quarters of WAFL finals on Sunday.
I arrived at Leederville Oval at quarter time for the second semi ready for a work-out with a big new lens then realised I didn’t have a card in the camera.
The Royals did pretty well into the breeze in the second but actually blew the game open early in the third quarter while I was driving back to to Freo.
Dean Cadwallader ran brilliantly and used the ball well for East Perth, Steven Payne was busy, Dom Sheed showed some class, big men Paul Johnson and Callum Sinclair covered a lot of ground and Blayne Wilson was strong in defence.
Andrew McDougall marked well for Subiaco and Joel Latham, Jason Bristow and Wayde Twomey all worked hard in difficult conditions. However the Lions were wasteful in attack.

East Perth 13.12 (90) Subiaco 7.16 (58)

When I got to East Fremantle Oval it was three quarter time. Swans were 30 points in front and Sharks coach Steve Malaxos and his helpers were huddled together in the box trying to work something out while the players waited.
Ruckman Rob Young kicked the ball forward at the first bounce of the last quarter, James Bristow marked and kicked a goal and the game changed. Eight minutes into the quarter the home team was in front. Swans, who had led at each break, hardly got a kick. East Fremantle scored 9.2 to 0.3 for the quarter.
Mark McGough ensured he’ll play with 100th WAFL game with another stellar effort in the middle, Young led the fightback, Andrew Stephen went forward and kicked two last quarter goals, Brett Peake kicked four goals, Jack Perham got three and Steven Dodd, who will retire at the end of the season, was outstanding in defence.
Ricky Cary kicked four goals and Tony Notte three for Swans, Nathan Blakey battled hard in the ruck and Adam Faulkner led the midfield.

East Fremantle 19.7 (121) Swan Districts 14.14 (98)

Next week. Preliminary final Subiaco vs East Fremantle at Leederville Oval.

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

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