KEITEL SPARKS BIG FALCONS WIN ON WA DAY

WITH Tyler Keitel booting six goals and a strong showing all over the park, West Perth consolidated third spot on the WAFL ladder with an impressive 24-point win over East Perth in the WA Day Derby at Joondalup Arena on Monday.

 

East Perth had won the previous three derbies against West Perth including by 58 points in Round 2 of this year, but the Falcons hit back impressively on Monday in front of more than 2500 people at Joondalup Arena.

 

On the back of five goals in the first half from Tyler Keitel, West Perth was able to open a seven-point lead at the main break before kicking away in the third term to be 16 points up at the last change.

 

The first two goals of the last term then secured the win for the Falcons, including a sixth for Keitel, and the home side went on to record the 13.15 (93) to 10.9 (69) triumph over the Royals.

 

The win improves West Perth to a 5-3 record on the season in third position on the WAFL ladder while East Perth is clinging to fifth at 4-4 having now lost three in succession since the break for the State game.

 

It was the perfect celebration for West Perth coach Bill Monaghan who was coaching the Falcons for the 200th time and he led his team to a 111th victory in that time since taking over in 2009. That has included the 2013 premiership and him becoming the club's longest-serving coach in history.

 

Tyler Keitel had a day out for West Perth against his former team. He booted six goals, including five in the first half, and finished the afternoon with 16 possessions, seven marks, four tackles and four entries inside the forward 50.

 

Trent Manzone and former captain Jay van Berlo also kicked two goals each for the Falcons.

 

Chris Keunen had a big job to do in the ruck up against West Coast pair Fraser McInnes and Nathan Vardy, but the 195-game veteran was superb with 17 possessions, 26 hit outs, five marks, five tackles and a goal.

 

Aaron Black (28 disposals, eight marks) and Shane Nelson (28 touches, six inside 50s) were their usual prolific selves in the midfield for West Perth.

 

Luke Meadows also finished with 22 possessions (seven tackles), Blake Wilhelm 21 (eight marks), Mitch Peirce 21 (11 tackles), Michael Lourey 20 (seven marks), Mark Hamilton 19 (eight marks) and Kris Shannon 18.

 

It was East Perth who got the first goal of the WA Day Derby when Jack Petruccelle snapped truly before West Perth responded through Tyler Keitel. Keitel soon added a second before East Perth responded through Nathan Vardy with one of his three kicks for the day.

 

It continued to be goal for goal before Keitel's third major of the opening term saw West Perth take a narrow two-point advantage into quarter-time.

 

The Royals regained the lead to start the second quarter when Patrick McGinnity kicked truly before Keitel continued his monstrous first half with his fourth major to put West Perth back on top at the 11-minute marks.

 

Will Maginness goals to put the Royals back in front narrowly heading into time-on but West Perth responded with a fifth goal to Keitel and a first to Trent Manzone to hold a seven-point half-time advantage.

 

West Perth was then able to kick the first and last goals of the third term, to veterans Jay van Berlo and Chris Keunen, to lead by 16 points at three quarter-time.

 

With Keitel kicking a sixth goal and then Luke Meadows goaling as well, the Falcons set up the match-winning advantage before going on to claim the 24-point victory.

 

The colts contest took place on Saturday afternoon at Joondalup Arena with East Perth beating West Perth by 13 points for its second win of the 2018 season.

 

With the earlier start to the WA Day Derby on the public holiday Monday, the colts contest was held as a standalone fixture on Saturday afternoon with the Royals managing to claim their second win of the season despite still sitting on the bottom of the table.

 

West Perth had its chances to start well with seven scoring shots in the opening quarter but they were all behinds. East Perth had just two scoring shots but kicked 1.1 with scores level at the first break.

 

It was more of the same in the second quarter and again the Falcons managed six scoring shots to just two from the Royals, but West Perth kicked 1.5 for the term and East Perth 1.1.

 

That saw the Falcons lead by four points at half-time despite only kicking one goal for the opening half.

 

The Royals were then able to kick two goals to one in the third quarter and two more goals to one in the last to come away with the 6.10 (46) to 3.15 (33) win over the Falcons.

 

Ben Johnson, Lachlan Rewell and Brayden Templeton were the three goal scorers for West Perth.

 

Alec Johnson finished with 23 possessions for West Perth, Jaxon Prior 21, Nathan Murray 19, Bailey Chalmers 17, Noah Clune 17, Graham Richards 16, Tom Medhat 16 and Kieran Fitzgerald 16.

 

The reserves contest opened the WA Day Derby hostilities at Joondalup Arena on Monday and it was a contest that didn’t fail to deliver with second spot on the line.

 

East Perth started on fire with five goals to nil in the first term. The Royals then kicked another three goals to one in the second quarter to be in control with a 40-point advantage at half-time.

 

But the Falcons stormed back into the contest in the third term with five unanswered goals and then another four goals to two in the final stanza saw West Perth snatch the 10.15 (75) to 10.13 (73) and move into second position on the ladder as a result.

 

Mitch Antonio, Dylan Yem and Fraser Foley all kicked two goals apiece for West Perth while Rudy Riddoch kicked 1.5 from 18 possessions and six marks.

 

Dean Munns gathered 21 possessions for the Falcons, Conal Lynch 19, Alex Coe 18, Tom Boyes 17, Kurt Monaghan 17, Matt Guadagnin 16 and Kael Coleman 15.

 

West Perth will now return home on Saturday with just a five-day break to take on the two-time reigning premiers Peel Thunder for the first time in 2018. Peel will have a seven-day break coming into the game after beating Claremont last Saturday.

 

 

WEST PERTH – Goals: Keitel 6; Manzone, van Berlo 2; Meadows, Lourey, Keunen.

Best: Keitel, Meadows, Keunen, Black, Peirce, Nelson, Lourey.

EAST PERTH – Goals: Maginness 3; McGinnity 2; Wellingham, McInnes, Brander, Petruccelle, Vardy.

Best: Partington, Wright, Ainsworth, Maginness, McGinnity, Blee.