CARDINALS BOUNCE BACK IN STYLE WITH THRASHING OF OLD EASTS

WEST Perth celebrated the 75th anniversary of the 1941 premiership team in style on Saturday at HBF Arena with the Cardinals delivering its most emphatic performance of the season to beat Old Easts to consolidate third spot in the WAFL.

West Perth ended up beating East Fremantle 17.20 (122) to 7.10 (52) at HBF Arena on the back of a five-goal to nil third quarter, and eight-goal to four final term.

It was by far the most emphatic performance of the season by West Perth and was the perfect way of bouncing back from last week's loss to South Fremantle that brought to an end a seven-game winning run.

As a result of the win, West Perth improves to a 9-5 record to not only just be one game out of second spot but to be two games clear of the fourth placed East Fremantle and fifth placed Peel Thunder.

It was a terrific performance by the Cardinals and they were on top virtually all afternoon but didn’t get full reward in the first half kicking just 4.13. But that all changed in the second half to set up the eventual 70-point victory.

West Perth's forward-line was challenged to improve after last week's game by coach Bill Monaghan and they stepped up tremendously well.

Michael Lourey ended up kicking five goals from 17 possessions with Max Duffy booting four from 20 disposals and Mark Hamilton three from 13 touches and six marks. For Duffy and Hamilton, it was their best performances in a West Perth jumper.

Shane Nelson continued his remarkable run of form in the midfield for West Perth racking up another 36 possessions to go with six tackles, five marks and a goal. Aaron Black played as an inside midfielder to good effect with 31 disposals and a goal.

Rohan Kerr also gathered 25 possessions for the Cardinals, Aidan Lynch 22 and Jay van Berlo 20.

Dean Munns once again did a tremendous tagging job this time on East Fremantle wingman Sean Henson who had just five possessions for the game, three of which came in the first quarter.

Ben King came into the West Perth team and was given the job on Brett Peake and held him goalless while Joe Morrow limited Matthew Watson to one goal as well.

Drew Rohde gathered 26 possessions in the back-line, Tyler Keitel 22, Luke Meadows 22 and Steven Browne 20.

After just five minutes East Fremantle kicked the first goal of the game after a strong mark and kick from Watson, but Morrow kept him under control the rest of the afternoon.

It took until the 17-minute mark for West Perth's first game that came after a strong snap by Lourey.

Old Easts responded when ruckman Jake Solomon kicked well from tight angle but the Cardinals were dominating play and ended up with the second of the term with a good kick to captain van Berlo after a good mark that Joel Leeson did his best to spoil.

West Perth led by five points at quarter-time and that became 11 just 40 seconds into the second quarter with Hamilton booting his first of the day. Lourey added his second at the eight-minute mark and the Cardies were threatening to run away with it with an 18-point lead.

But inaccurate kicking at goal cost the Cardinals a chance of building a bigger lead with East Fremantle staying in touch with a late goal to Cameron Eardley to trail by just 14 points at half-time.

West Perth had threatened to blow the game away in the second quarter and that came to fruition in the third with the Cardinals completely dominating a fellow top five side in the most impressive performance of the season.

Duffy opened the Cardinals' third quarter dominance with a goal at the five-minute with a terrific dribbled snap from hard up against the boundary.

That saw West Perth's lead grow to 19 points and then 25 when Hamilton booted his second, 31 with Lourey's third and 36 with Hamilton's third as he got around two East Fremantle defenders to kick truly. 

West Perth then led by 42 points when Duffy kicked a second before three quarter-time in his best performance in the red and blue.

East Fremantle did get the first goal of the last term after Brock O'Brien was moved into attack but West Perth had all the answers and responded with Lourey's fourth goal of the afternoon.

O'Brien added a second in response and then James Bristow kicked another for Old Easts to cut the deficit to 31 points, but the Cardinals weren't going to be denied and booted four goals in a seven-minute burst to put the result well and truly beyond doubt.

It started with a strong set shot by Nelson from 40 before Laine Rasmussen booted on also after a mark from just inside 50. It was time to celebrate soon after when debutant Tyson Moulton kicked the first of his career before Duffy added his and third fourth in quick succession.

Black soon added another for West Perth and the margin was out to 76 points when Lourey nailed his fifth. East Fremantle kicked the last of the day from usual defender Matthew Jupp but it only cut the Cardinals final winning margin to 70 points.

The colts began the day at HBF Arena with East Fremantle defeating West Perth 14.17 (101) to 9.7 (61).

Kurt Monaghan kicked two goals for the Falcons while Connor West finished with 23 possessions, 10 tackles and a goal.

Tyrese Miller also gathered 18 disposals for West Perth, Alec Johnson 17 and Joel Horgan 16 to go with eight tackles and six marks.

East Fremantle's reserves scored a thumping 21.7 (133) to 6.9 (45) victory over West Perth at HBF Arena.

Keegan Knott kicked two goals for West Perth from 18 possessions.

Corey Chalmers racked up 31 disposals, James Batterham 20, Scott Nelson 17, Mitch Peirce 17 and Seva Mozhaev finished with 33 hit outs in the ruck.

WEST PERTH        2.7    4.13    9.14    17.20    (122)
EAST FREMANTLE    2.2    3.5    3.9    7.20    (52)

WEST PERTH – Goals: Lourey 5; Duffy 4; Hamilton 3; Black, Moulton, Nelson, Rasmussen, van Berlo.
Best: Nelson, Munns, Black, King, Lourey, Rohde, Duffy, Hamilton.
EAST FREMANTLE – Goals: O'Brien 2; Eardley, Jupp, Watson, Bristow, Solomon.
Best: D Anthony, L Anthony, Eardley, Schofield.