FALCONS BEAT HAWKS IN FOXTEL CUP THRILLER AT ETIHAD

WEST Perth is through to the semi finals of the 2014 Foxtel Cup having scored a gutsy two-point victory over the Box Hill Hawks at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Falcons went into the contest as the underdogs against the reigning VFL premiers who have started the 2014 season with five wins and a draw, and who had 10 Hawthorn-listed AFL players at its disposal.

However, West Perth led for the majority of the contest aside from before it kicked the first goal of the game and then briefly during the last quarter before running out two-point winners, 7.11 (53) to 7.9 (51).

While the West Perth team did include WAFL premiership players from last year Shane Nelson, Jordan Jones, Aaron Black, Steven Browne, Matt Guadagnin, Shaun Marusic, Steve Potente, Ray Bartholomew, Rohan Kerr, Kody Manning, Luke Tedesco and Marc Crisp, a host of youngsters were given a chance on the national stage.

Max Alexander, Mitch van Berlo and Jack Thrum all made their senior football debut for West Perth and didn’t look out of place with Alexander dangerous up forward, van Berlo solid off half-back and Thrum a hard worker in the midfield with 13 possessions, nine of which were contested.

Seva Martin also played his first game at West Perth since crossing from Subiaco in the off-season and worked hard in the ruck while also finishing with eight possessions and four tackles.

West Perth didn’t have a multiple goal scorer, but Black, Browne, Marcus Adams, Anthony Tsalikis, Kerr, Bartholomew and Matt Johnson all kicked a major each.

Nelson had a massive first half for the Falcons with 19 possessions and he finished with 23 touches, 14 of which were contested, for the night to go with seven clearances.

Jones was outstanding in defence with 22 touches, seven marks and four tackles while Black picked up 15 disposals, Browne 15, Guadagnin 13 (five tackles), Marusic 13, Potente 13, Thrum 13, Tsalikis 12 and Bartholomew 11.

After the Hawks dominated play in the opening minutes, West Perth had a good movement forward resulting in Black taking a good overhead mark, and then getting the game's first goal with a good set shot kick.

The Falcons then dominated the rest of the opening quarter with most of the ball inside their forward 50, but it wasn't until just before quarter-time that Browne nailed a good long shot to give them a nine-point quarter-time lead.

Adams then took a strong mark and kicked truly to put West Perth back to a nine-point lead early in the second quarter after Box Hill got its only goal of the first half.

A clever snap from Tsalikis just before half-time gave West Perth a 19-point advantage at the long break.

West Perth should have led by more than the 19 points at half-time as well and that looked like it could coming back to bite when Box Hill kicked four of the five goals of the third quarter with the Falcons lead cut to just two points at the final change.

Box Hill then took the lead with the first goal of the last quarter through Ben Ross, but Bartholomew answered almost straight after to put West Perth back in front by a point.

A terrific long bomb from left-footed youngster Johnson stretched West Perth's advantage back to seven points and the Falcons ended up winning by two points despite Ross kicking his third in the dying stages for Box Hill.

The Falcons are now through to the semi finals of the Foxtel Cup where they will face Tasmania's Western Storm at Patersons Stadium on Tuesday June 24. 

West Perth returns to WAFL action this Sunday taking on the winless Peel Thunder at Arena Joondalup.

WEST PERTH 2.0 4.7 5.9 7.11 (53)

BOX HILL 0.4 1.6 5.7 7.9 (51)

WEST PERTH – Goals: Black, Browne, Adams, Tsalikis, Kerr, Bartholomew, Johnson.

Best: Jones, Nelson, Browne, Guadagnin, Black, Adams, Martin.

BOX HILL – Goals: Ross, Sicily 3; Willsmore.

Best: Woodward, Ross, Sicily, Iles, O'Donnell, Murphy.

BY CHRIS PIKE