Subiaco have powered home with a dominant final quarter display to record a crucial victory over Swan Districts, keeping in touch with the top six. For the first time this season, the Lions strung together back-to-back wins with a 14.11 (95) to 8.7 (55) victory at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.
It didn’t come easily as Leo Steed did his draft credentials no harm with a huge second quarter, kicking two goals and finishing with 18 disposals as the Swans trailed by just four points at half-time. Steed had good support from veterans Jesse Turner (31 touches) and ex-Eagle Zane Trew (30 touches, four inside 50s), but the Lions came home with a wet sail, booting six goals to two in the final term.
Stefan Giro tore up the midfield and could have finished with a truly all-time great performance, but his goal-kicking boots let him down, finishing with three behinds. The Hickmott brothers, Liam and Wil, combined for 55 disposals as Jack Mayo finished with 3.2. The Swans just couldn’t maintain the fight they showed in the first three quarters.
It’s a crucial Lions win to keep them in touch with the finals positions, sitting four points behind Peel Thunder in third and seeing their percentage boost into positive territory.
Earlier, Perth put a desperate Falcons outfit to the sword in a dominant 21.15 (141) to 9.9 (63) win, condemning the Falcons to a seventh straight loss to start the season. The Falcons have conceded an average of over 100 points every single game this season, and their defence was porous once again as they consistently found themselves cut to pieces, celebrating Mat Taylor’s 150th game in style.
Eighteen-year-old William Tilbee cashed in to kick his first league goal with a speculative effort from 55 metres, but no Falcon stayed awake to guard the space as the ball bounced through the goal square. It set the tone for the day as Demons’ forwards constantly found themselves out behind the Falcons’ defence, with Lochlan Paton filling his boots with a five-goal haul.
Perth’s win could have been even greater if not for an off-day for forward Aaron Clarke, who finished with 3.5. For the Falcons, Kane Bevan boosted his draft credentials with 25 touches and eight tackles as he continues to be one of the very few bright spots in the Falcons’ season.
Scoreboard
Perth 21.15 (141) def West Perth 9.9 (63)
Goals – Perth: L Paton 5, K Johnson 4, A Clarke 3, J Kluske 3, W Tilbee, A Gardiner, N Cachard, B Parfitt, S Clark, S Cameron. West Perth: T Keitel 4, R Sprigg 3, J Hinder, C Lynch.
Best – Perth: C Byrne, C Constable, L Paton, B Parfitt, W Tilbee. West Perth: L Meadows, C West, K Bevan, T Keitel, S Nelson.
Injuries – West Perth: Zac Guadagnin (TBC) replaced in the selected side by T Hiscock.
Umpires: C Snadden, L Fahey-Gilmour, J Wedgwood, L Jago. Crowd: TBA at Mineral Resources Park.
Subiaco 14.11 (95) def Swan Districts 8.7 (55)
Goals – Subiaco: J Mayo 3, R Borchet 3, B Sokol 3, K Douglas 2, J Kelman, R Mott, N Hibbins-Hargreaves. Swan Districts: L Kohlmann 2, C Hinchliffe 2, L Steed 2, L Kelly, Z Provest.
Best – Subiaco: S Giro, W Hickmott, L Hickmott, J Mayo, J Kelman. Swan Districts: J Turner, Z Trew, J Pasini, C Hinchliffe, J Cipro.
Umpires: C Giglia-Smith, A O’Brien, K Samers. Crowd: 1738 at Steel Blue Oval.
