REVENGE IS SWEET

REVENGE IS SWEET

By Darrell Kent

West Perth turned the tables on Claremont at Provident Financial Oval on Saturday. The last time they met the Tigers had the better of the match in what was the worse Falcon performance of the season. The home team showed enormous character and poise under pressure to reverse the result that now sees them sitting two games and percentage clear in the five. Fans were rapt with the win that highlights the improvement that this young and local product team is making.

Claremont had the best of the start registering the first four scores. As a result, they led by nine after ten minutes. Nathan Murray, who continues to impress, was involved in the Falcons first. He got the ball to Keegan Knott who soccered it forward to Tyler Keitel who kicked it off the ground to score his first of three for the quarter. At the twenty-minute mark he received a free fifty out and kicked accurately from outside the arc. Shortly after the lead was out to ten when Tom O’Donnell finished from thirty. He was on the end of some good work by Matthew Lloyd and Kris Shannon. Claremont got one back but West Perth finished the term with a third to Tyler Keitel. He finished from a sharp angle, fifty out. It was a great kick after Tristan Hobley and Nathan Murray combined to get the ball forward. They finished the quarter leading by ten: 4.1 (25) to 2.3 (15). The Falcon foot passing was a real highlight.

The second term was an even contest early. Mitch Peirce, with a bandage around his head after a knock, kicked the first from the goal line after marking and receiving fifty. The lead was now sixteen. Behinds were the order of the day until the eighteen-minute mark when West Perth extended their lead courtesy of a Keegan Knott major. He snapped from twenty after some really good forward line pressure. The Falcons led by twenty-three but the Tigers regrouped and scored the last two to reduce the margin to twelve at the main break. West Perth more than matched the ladder leaders in all aspects of the game to lead 6.5 (41) to 4.5 (29).

West Perth kicked the first goal early to extend the lead to eighteen. It went to Tom Boyes who marked forty out. Unfortunately, it was to be their only major for the quarter as the Tigers took control. They controlled play to grab the lead just before three quarter time. At the final change the visitors led by one: 7.7 (49) to 7.6 (48). The job was well and truly in front of the Falcons.

When Bailey Rogers scored his third for Claremont at the six-minute mark the deficit was seven and a real challenge loomed for the Falcons. But as has been the case all year the West Perth ability to run out the game came to the fore. They put their head down and battled hard. The reward came at the eleven-minute mark after some good work by Aaron Black saw Rudy Riddoch mark forty out. He finished accurately to reduce the margin to one. Tyler Keitel evened the game up shortly after before a Keegan Knott behind gave West Perth the lead. Just going into time on, Rudy Riddoch marked a ball that, fortuitously, carried over the back of the pack. He kicked his second to give the Falcons a seven-point lead. They continued to attack and the effort to keep the ball in the forward line was highlighted by a terrific smother by Keegan Knott as the Tigers tried to clear the ball. Tyler Keitel scored another behind before an unlikely goal kicker sealed the match. Dean Munns took a brave mark, received two lots of fifty and finished from the goal line. It was a fitting finale as he was amongst West Perth’s best. The final siren saw the Falcons win by fourteen: 10.10 (70) to 8.8 (56). It was a great win.

It was a victory that sets the season up for West Perth. The quality of the performance cannot be overstated. Best players included Aaron Black, Dean Munns, Mark Hamilton, Zac Guadagnin and Mitch Peirce. It was a very good, overall, team performance.

The Reserves went down by twenty-four: 11.12 to 7.12. They led for large parts of the game but were over run in the last quarter. Jordan Moore and Jack Burke kicked two each and were amongst the best players. Others to stand out included Sam Rotham, Lochlan Paton, Tom Medhat and Koopah Todd. 

Unfortunately, the Colts suffered a twenty-point loss: 9.5 (59) to 5.9 (39). They are battling hard but falling just short. Caleb Gray kicked two and was amongst the best. Others to perform well included Luke Michael, Harrison Baxter, Kane Bevan and Noah Farrow. Another big match against Perth at Mineral Resources Park next week. It will be nice to reverse the recent result. Be there to help get the boys over the line.