IT’S A GRAND OLD FLAG NUMBER 19

THE Falcons showed that they were the best team in 2013 when they scored a resounding 49-point victory against the Royals at Patersons Stadium on Sunday.

There was a degree of confidence in the West Perth camp going into the match despite the predictions of tipsters and the self belief was evident from the first bounce. The Falcons were in front for the great majority of the game and supporters were able to sit back and relax as they ran away with it late in the final quarter.

The conditions were wet and blustery for the whole game and as a result both teams were hard at it. The first goal of the game went to Rohan Kerr who marked and finished from 40 right on the boundary. He is a great finisher and it was the first of five for the game. Scott Lycett evened it up for East Perth shortly after but the Falcons controlled the next 15 minutes and kicked three unanswered goals. The first was the result of another great finish 50 out on the boundary. This time it was Josh Mellington who steered it through. Rohan Kerr followed up with his second and when Mark Hutchings roved the ball from a throw in and kicked his first the lead was out to 18 after 22 minutes. It was then East Perth’s turn to control the play and they piled on the last four goals of the quarter to take a six-point lead into the first change. The majors went to Paul Johnson, Josh Smith and Matthew Seal kicked two. All of the quarters ran well over 30 minutes and the first was no exception. East Perth led 5.2 (32) to 4.2 (26).

At the four-minute mark Josh Smith kicked his second and final goal for the game giving the Royals five unanswered goals. For the great majority of the game he was well held by the West Perth defence. The lead was now 13 and Falcons supporters were becoming a little concerned but as they have done all year West Perth responded. A second to Hutchings, a precise finish by Steven Potente and a second to Mellington saw them grab a five point lead after 12 minutes. The teams traded goals with Michael Swan grabbing the lead back for the Royals before the skipper, Jason Salecic, applied tremendous forward line pressure to regain the lead before a free to Craig Wulff saw him put East Perth’s nose back in front. In a fluctuating term Kerr kicked his third with another terrific finish. The ball came straight out of the middle and Marc Crisp, who has turned into an important small forward, scored from 40 to give West Perth an 11-point half time lead. The tight contest had continued and at the main break the Falcons led 10.3 (63) to 8.4 (52).

The third quarter was more of the same as both teams battled to get on top. They scored three goals four apiece and enjoyed patches of superiority during the quarter. By the eight-minute mark East Perth had wrestled back the lead after goals to Jamie Cripps and a second to Lycett. The turning point of the game came at the 12-minute mark when West Perth had been given a free and 50 metres against them. This would have put East Perth well inside 50 and given them a huge opportunity to extend their three-point lead. Some push and shove occurred and the result was a reversal of the previous decision. The consequence was a Shane Nelson pass to Hutchings who kicked his third to give the Falcons back the lead that they didn’t relinquish for the rest of the game. A second to 'Chippa' followed but for the next 13 minutes the teams traded behinds before Matt Fowler marked 50 out, where the boundary and 50 metre arc intersected. His wonderful finish took the Falcons lead out to 17 but not to be outdone Cripps kicked his second to ensure that the third quarter was a tie leaving West Perth with their 11-point half time advantage. Scores were 13.7 (85) to 11.8 (74).

It was fair to say that the game was still up for grabs going into the last quarter. A long 50 metre goal to Kody Manning saw the lead extended before Cripps kicked his third to restore the status quo but from here it was all West Perth as they kicked the last six majors of the match. Nick Rodda marked 20 out and converted and the lead was out to twenty two when a long Manning kicked was marked by Kerr who kicked his fourth. This knocked the wind out of the sails of the Royals and the Falcons took control to kick four quick goals. Fowler kicked his second, Kerr scored his fifth from the boundary, Nelson added his name to the goal kickers list and Rodda finished the game with his second. It was great to see a relaxed and smiling West Perth bench during the last 10 minutes of the game. At the final siren West Perth had won their 19th flag with a 20.1 (131) to 12.10 (82) victory.

It is hard to over look the contribution of the Simpson Medallist, Hutchings, who was outstanding in his final game for the Falcons before heading off as a result of the AFL alignment. Nelson once again showed that he has what it takes to go to the next level and Kerr put the icing on the cake with his five goals. Chris Keunen held his own all day in the ruck and Dan Hunt led a tenacious backline. All players made a meaningful contribution on Sunday and the victory wouldn’t have been possible if everyone didn’t play their role. The victory has been the culmination of a lot of effort from a lot of people. Congratulations to the entire playing group and coaching staff. The board and administration have done a wonderful job to keep this playing group together and stand by their convictions in relation to choosing the best people for the job. Members and supporters should not underestimate their role as they make the club worth playing for. See you next year.

BY DARRELL KENT

PHOTOS BY BELINDA TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY