TOP OF THE TABLE FINISH FOR ALL THREE GRADES

By Darrell Kent

The League victory against Subiaco on Saturday ensured that all three teams will finish top of the ladder for the 2022 Home and Away season. A fantastic achievement. It was also a big day for milestones with Keegan Knott playing his 100^th WAFL game and Corey Rundle his first. In the League West Perth controlled the second half to run out forty-seven-point winners.

The conditions were cold and windy after rain earlier in the day. Subiaco won the toss and kicked to the northern end of the ground. It was a closely fought first term. After two Falcon behinds Ben Sokol kicked the first of his three for the visitors, at the seven-minute mark. They followed up with two behinds before excellent forward line pressure enabled Sasha Kernutt to finish from close in. Well into time on, a soccer by Tyler Keitel and a clever pass by Keegan Knott resulted in a Conal Lynch mark forty out. He converted to give the home team a six-point lead at the first change; 2.2 (14) to 1.2 (8). The quarter was a real slog.

The action increased in the second quarter. It was one in which the Falcons hit the post three times, including one that was originally given as a goal but overridden by the central umpire. West Perth started the scoring with a behind before Sokol kicked his second. Shortly after Tyler Keitel was reported for some heavy contact that he appeared to be pushed into. This sparked the key forward and he kicked two in quick time. They were the beginning of his haul of five. The first came after some good work out of the middle by Shane Nelson and the second after an intercept and pass by Aaron Black. Sokol scored his third to reduce the margin to seven. The next five scores were behinds with West Perth kicking four of them.  Another to the Lions late in the term saw the West Perth lead reduced to just three; 4.7 (31) to 4.4 (28).

The Falcons played the second half like a team that was desperate to finish top and not third. They controlled play to score three unanswered majors. An unselfish Sasha Kernutt pass to Corey Rundle, thirty out, saw the first gamer go back and slot it. The players really got around him to recognise the achievement. There was little scoring for nearly fifteen minutes before a clever soccer by Keegan Knott, from the square, took the lead out to seventeen. Once again, behinds were the order of the day before West Perth scored their third at the twenty-nine-minute mark. Nathan Alexandre showed his goal kicking prowess when he marked a Subi kick out of defence fifty out. He went back and slotted it to give the Falcons a twenty-one-point three quarter time lead; 7.10(51) to 4.7 (31). The team was only a quarter away from securing the minor premiership.

West Perth dominated the last term to kick six goals to one. Tyler Keitel added three to take his tally to five. Ben Johnson kicked the first since his return. He finished from forty and is a beautiful kick of the footy. Just going into time on a long Mitch Dobson pass was marked by Anton Hamp at the top of the square and the run was completed, just before the final siren, when Tristan Hobley finished on the run.  At the end of the game the home team had recorded the win it needed by forty-seven; 13.11 (89) to 5.12 (42). The Falcon defence held the Lions to just one second half goal.

The win confirmed the Falcons place on top of the ladder and gives them a week off. Tyler Keitel with his five was the only multiple goal scorer. Best players were Zac Guadagnin, Aaron Black, Tyler Keitel, Sasha Kernutt, Aidan Lynch, Luke Meadows and Shane Nelson were amongst the best players.

The Reserves led by twenty at the half but scores were all tied up at the final change and it was game on. They responded like a good team and kicked four goals to one in the last term to run out eighteen-point winners. It was a good win against the third placed Lions as a prelude to the finals. Mitch Antonio, Rudy Riddoch and Lochlan Paton all kicked two. Best players were Nathan Murray, Kellen Johnson, Trent Manzone, Logan Foley and Ben Delaporte.

The Colts was a tight encounter all day, but inaccurate kicking was to prove costly for the home team. They lost by three; 6.12 (48) to 8.3 (51). The Lions are third on the ladder and look a more than capable team. The only multiple goal scorer for West Perth was Jacob Templeton. He was also amongst their best, along with Luke Michael, Tom Rance, Nate Dimanlig and Riley Sprigg. A week off for all teams before a second semi, at home. Be there to get the boys over the line.