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West Perth history says darkest hours often lead to brightest times
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 - 12:54 AM
West Perth history says darkest hours often lead to brightest times
West Perth can take comfort from history after the team’s 10th consecutive loss this season made it increasingly difficult for the Falcons to avoid their first wooden spoon in 32 years.
The 30-point defeat to Claremont on Saturday would have been significantly larger but for a flurry in the dying minutes that ensured West Perth did not slump to their first three-goal performance since 2010.
Time-on goals to Keegan Knott, Conal Lynch and Kane Bevan, three of the team’s best performers on the day, ensured the inaccurate West Perth finished with 6.17 (53) to Claremont’s 11.17 (83).
The result equalled the club’s second worst losing streak in 1979 and meant the Falcons must beat at least one of Subiaco and South Fremantle in the last two rounds to lift themselves from bottom place.
But coming last has often proved short-lived in West Perth’s long and successful history.
The most recent wooden spoon was in 1992 but West Perth recovered strongly enough to play in the 1993 grand final and then win the premiership only two seasons after that.
And West Perth also came last in 1974 but rocketed up the ladder the following season to win the 1975 grand final with a memorable and record-breaking display.
The building blocks are in place for a rapid recovery over the off-season.
The team West Perth fielded at Revo Fitness Stadium cost just 22 player points – one per player – to underline the room available to recruit strongly if that is the strategy decided by the club.
Breckler Medal-winner Mitch Peirce will return next season, the presence of injured senior players Zac Guadagnin, Tyson Moulton and Ben Johnson will stiffen the team, and emerging youngsters Darcy Dixon and Griff Julian will be back after their season-ending issues.
And the core of the midfield brigade is likely to be in action again.
Veteran Luke Meadows and Shane Nelson set the standard for West Perth’s resistance against a Claremont team gearing up for their finals campaign and it is likely that premiership duo will fly the flag again next season.
Meadows and Nelson each had 10 contested possessions on Saturday but it was evident that next-generation midfielders Bevan (10), Corey Rundle (12) and Lynch (nine) were prepared to share the load.
It was not enough.
West Perth delivered the ball inside their forward 50 42 times – only four fewer than Claremont – but were not able to lock it in sufficiently or do enough with it when they did.
Spearhead and likely Bernie Naylor medallist Tyler Keitel was kept goalless for the second time this season and it was noticeable that he had to range far from the scoring zone to win the ball.
Keitel had an impact – his seven inside 50s was the best return by anyone in the game – but he did not score before the last break and landed four behinds in the final term when the Falcons squandered their opportunities.
Knott was also forced up the ground but was lively throughout, sending the ball inside 50 six times and scoring two goals to remain on track to complete a double-century by the end of the season. He needs six.
It was not a great day for West Perth but there is no reason that the future will be as gloomy.
It is feasible that two-thirds of the 2022 premiership team will be back next season with judicious recruiting likely to enhance that credentialled core.
WEST PERTH 1.0 2.5 3.8 6.17 53
CLAREMONT 5.6 6.10 9.16 11.17 83
GOALS – WEST PERTH: Knott 2; Black, Demarte, Bevan, Lynch
CLAREMONT: Rogers, Bolton 2; Gowdie, Frederick, Elliott, Musika, A Davis, Mainwaring, van Rooyen.
BEST – WEST PERTH: Meadows, Nelson, Black, Munns, Knott.
CLAREMONT: Frederick, Bolton, Eastland, Rogers, England.
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