FALCONS LOSE AGAIN TO BULLDOGS AT ARENA JOONDALUP

WEST Perth wasn’t able to back up its remarkable performance the previous week against East Perth going down at Arena Joondalup on Saturday in Round 5 WAFL action with South Fremantle running out 23-point winners.

The Falcons had lost the first two games of the WAFL season coming off last year's premiership, but then bounced back with a tough win over Perth and then a 100-point thrashing of East Perth.

South Fremantle might have come into Saturday's clash yet to win a game in 2014, but the Bulldogs had won three straight at Arena Joondalup.

However, West Perth only managed to briefly lead in the first quarter and trailed the rest of the afternoon. South Fremantle's lead was as much as 34 points and 23 by the final siren as the Bulldogs won 15.8 (98) to 10.15 (75).

The game also served as Andrew Krakouer's league debut for West Perth and his first WAFL match since the 2010 grand final, and he finished with just two kicks, six handpasses and a goal. His two kicks at least resulted in two goals though.

Rohan Kerr finished with 29 possessions for West Perth with Aaron Black also having it 29 times, Jay van Berlo 26, Brayden Antonio and Jordan Jones 22 who was particularly prominent in the second half after being moved from defence on to the ball.

Dan Hunt was outstanding in defence spending most of the game on Josh Pullman and shutting him down.

West Perth's first goal of the game came courtesy of Marc Crisp and that brought about what would be the Falcons' only lead of the entire match.

Krakouer then had his first kick for the West Perth league side and that went in the direction of Tsalikis who would draw a free-kick, and kick the goal to bring the Falcons back within 11 points just before quarter-time.

It then took 25 minutes into the second quarter for West Perth's only goal of the term to come and it was through Matt Fowler as the Falcons trailed by 27 points at the main break.

One move that coach Bill Monaghan made after half-time was putting Jones on to the ball and he kicked West Perth's first goal of the second half, and then the Falcons kicked consecutive goals for the first time in the match to get within 22 points.

West Perth was again back within 22 points by three quarter-time with Krakouer adding his first goal for the Falcons.

West Perth did finish with the aid of a reasonably strong breeze in the final quarter, but it never got closer than 18 points before ending up losing by 23.

West Perth's reserves beat South Fremantle 11.8 (74) to 10.6 (66) in a rematch of last year's grand final won by the Bulldogs.

Matt Johnson and Ben McNamara kicked two goals each for the Falcons with Aidan Lynch racking up 31 possessions, Jack Thrum 27, Shaun Marusic 23, Cameron Branch 22, Joe Morrow 20, Mitch McPhee 19, Mitch van Berlo 18 and James Batterham 18.

Meanwhile, the colts went down to South Fremantle with the Bulldogs winning 14.12 (96) to 4.7 (31).

Tyson Moulton kicked two goals from 19 possessions for West Perth with Ashley Smith finishing with 22 disposals, Mitchell Peirce 20, Troy Manners 20 and Ben Mountford 18.

WEST PERTH                                                      2.2          3.6          7.9          10.15     (75)

SOUTH FREMANTLE                                        4.2          8.3          11.7        15.8        (98)

WEST PERTH – Goals: Tsalikis 2; Strijk, Jones, Crisp, Browne, Krakouer, Fowler, van Berlo, Adams.

Best: Hunt, Kerr, Black, Jones, van Berlo, Manning, Browne.

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Saunders 7; White 4; Bewick, Kelly, B Verrier, Cook.

Best: Saunders, Schloithe, Higgins, Ross, Hams, Bairstow, Guglielmana, White, Kelly.

BY CHRIS PIKE