LADDER leader West Perth dashed East Fremantle’s WAFL Colts finals hopes on Saturday, taking the Sharks down by 78 points at Pentanet Stadium. In what was the lone fixture of a split round, the Falcons consolidated top spot with a barnstorming victory which was bookended by strong quarters.

While keeping the visitors goalless in the first and fourth terms, the Falcons piled on 10 goals of their own to set up, and then rub in their dominance. The Falcons dominated possession with over 100 more disposals, 51-19 inside 50s, and 28-10 scoring shots, as no Shark managed more than 17 touches.

Now a game clear in pole position, West Perth will enjoy a bye alongside East Fremantle and Swan Districts in Round 17, as the Colts enter their final month of home-and-away football. We noted some of the top performers from the Falcons and Sharks, before taking a look up the grades.

WEST PERTH:

#7 Luke Michael
19/03/2004 | 186cm | 83kg | Defender

State Under 18s representative, Michael was a typically solid member of West Perth’s defence, which restricted East Fremantle to just five goals. He set up well behind the ball and used his strong frame to dominate opponents one-on-one, intercepting reliably before setting the Falcons in motion on the rebound. He took up more advanced positions as the game wore on, and sunk his first Colts goal in the final term with a nice finish on the run – his teammates loved it too.

#8 Byron Sherwood
31/01/2004 | 186cm | 84kg | Midfielder

Clean by hand, Sherwood was a mainstay on the inside among West Perth’s midfield brigade. The top-ager is one of a few solidly-built ball winners for the Falcons, and he made use of that factor while prizing clearances. While he dumped a few of his early kicks, Sherwood seemed to gain confidence and composure as the game unfolded, picking out better kicks as his side attacked and snaring a set shot goal in term three.

#9 Kane Bevan
25/04/2004 | 192cm | 87kg | Midfielder

Bevan notched his sixth game of 25 disposals or more in eight outings, continuing his remarkable consistency at Colts level. In his second game back from representative duties, the West Perth captain showcased his strength at the contest and was typically clean by hand. He clunked seven marks on a day where he showcased his overhead prowess, on top of that clearance craft. A couple of errant attempts on goal were among his only blemishes.

#16 Daniel Gathercole
6/08/2004 | 183cm | 77kg | Defender

In partnership with Michael, Gathercole proved difficult to pass across West Perth’s half-back line, setting up well behind the ball and acting swiftly to intercept. His handling was clean in marking contests, but Gathercole was also shrewd enough to recover first when he could only get a hand in on the play. Capping off his work with quick movement of the ball by foot, the state Under 18 representative hardly put a foot wrong.

#40 Jasper Scaife
30/09/2004 | 197cm | 85kg | Key Forward

One of the nation’s Next Generation Academy products who may be flying under the radar, Scaife produced another strong showing at centre half-forward. The Fremantle-tied talent booted 2.2 from 17 disposals and six marks, presenting well up to the forward 50 arc and showcasing his booming boot. His dexterity was just as impressive, as Scaife kicked with both feet and fared well at ground level for one of his majors.

#50 Eli Alexander
28/04/2005 | 192cm | 75kg | Key Forward

Somewhat of a surprise packet, Alexander booted a game-high five goals to bring his Colts career tally to eight in three games. The bottom-ager could do no wrong at times, making good on a variety of opportunistic attempts at the big sticks to go with the more conventional marks and set shots. With some filling out to do, he has some nice traits and a sharp eye for goal – snaring majors in every term only proves as much.

EAST FREMANTLE:

#2 Graham Sandy
18/07/2003 | 172cm | 63kg | Small Forward

While his numbers hardly jump off the page, Sandy produced some exciting moments on what was a tough day to be an East Fremantle forward. His exploits in the early stages earned him time in midfield, and while he only managed seven touches, Sandy was particularly lively. The over-ager’s best moment was a high-flying mark in term two, and he used the resultant kick to assist one of Dante Wiseman‘s two goals.

#14 Elijah Burrows
24/05/2003 | 185cm | 72kg | Defender

The East Fremantle defence saw plenty of the ball as West Perth racked up 51 inside 50s, and Burrows was thus made to respond throughout a tough outing. He began to get going with some accumulative work in term two, distributing the ball with his left-foot kicking and attempting to advance his side up the field. Like Sandy, a high marking attempt was one of his better moments, coming in the third quarter.

#18 Zac Petersen
12/07/2005 | 183cm | 74kg | Defender

East Fremantle’s top ball winner with 17 disposals, Petersen was another who racked up the ball on account of West Perth’s dominance. He took on a good amount of the kick-in duties and looked to move the ball quickly out of defence, even if it meant biting off some risky kicks. Still, he backed his skills on the rebound and used them well on one occasion all the way up at half-forward, as he booted long inside 50 to assist Samuel Otto’s third term goal.

#26 Jared Filmer
28/01/2005 | 189cm | 74kg | Defender

The third East Fremantle defender to feature, Filmer was not the most prolific but still made an impact with his 14 touches (11 kicks). Donning a flashy pair of boots, he looked to inject a bit of speed from the last line and also hit up at the ball aggressively when defending. The bottom-ager did his fair share going both ways, producing moments of flair to lift a side which lacked a bit of attacking inspiration at times.

UP THE GRADES:

There were two matches up at League level, but it was again the Falcons and Sharks which boasted the major draft-age draws. In what was a top of the table clash, West Perth won out by 36 points to strengthen its grip on first place.

It was East Fremantle’s juniors which came under the microscope though, with Colts star Jed Hagan making his second League appearance. He notched seven touches and laid four tackles, while state Under 18 teammate Jack Cleaver had it 18 times in his maiden senior outing.

Over in Subiaco’s win over the West Coast reserves, the Eagles blooded Next Generation Academy product Ethan Regan, who has spent his season in East Perth’s twos. He managed nine touches and six tackles.