WEST Perth survived a close contest from a spirited Perth side to claim a five-point WAFL Women’s win at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday night. The Falcons held off a fast-finishing Demons outfit, winning 8.8 (56) to 8.3 (51), claiming their third victory in a row and continuing their mid-season surge up the WAFLW ladder.

West Perth started fast, applying forward pressure from the opening bounce and converting their dominance into scoreboard pressure. It took less than a minute for them to hit the scoreboard, with the first of three goals from Sara Riou giving the Falcons early control.

They did not let up there, with West Perth continuing to look dangerous inside 50, and Chloe Metcalf rewarded her side’s momentum with a strong contested mark and a composed set shot finish in front of goal.

But after an early onslaught from the Falcons, Perth settled and began to build its own momentum. Taya Strickland kick-started the Demons with a brilliant snap under pressure and followed up minutes later with another resounding goal to bring the home side back within striking distance.

The second quarter was an armwrestle as both teams tightened up defensively. West Perth held onto their lead after a downfield free kick resulted in a straightforward goal for Metcalf’s second of the game. However, Perth was not going to go down easy in the game as they answered again, this time with a clever snap around the body from Paige Bower.

West Perth was left clinging to a one-point lead going into the third term, but it was Perth who came out with renewed energy after the break. Gemma Dix finished off a beautifully worked passage of play from Perth with a composed goal before Isabella Shannon sent a long bouncing ball home to extend the Demons’ lead for the first time in the game.

It was Perth’s game to win in the final quarter, their first victory in sight as they led by a 10-point margin. But as we’ve come to expect from West Perth, they responded with vigour through a beautiful snap around the body from Jamarah Walley. The goal that sealed Perth’s fate came from a 50m penalty converted by Lexi Strachan.

Emily Bennett had a shining performance for West Perth, picking up 24 disposals, eight tackles, and six inside 50s for her side in an absolute midfield masterclass. Riou had the standout forward performance for the game, slotting three majors, as well as racking up 15 disposals for her side.

For the Demons, it was Dix (26 disposals, four inside 50s, five tackles and one goal) and Shannon (28 disposals, 12 tackles, three inside 50s and one goal) who provided complete performances, lending their talents all around the ground and influencing Perth’s attacking momentum at every opportunity. Teammate Holly Britton also stood out in midfield for the Demons, coming away with 18 disposals, four tackles, and three inside 50s.

Despite some accuracy issues in front of goal, the Falcons managed to pull themselves ahead in the final term and break the hearts of Perth players searching for their maiden WAFLW win. The result leaves West Perth continuing to build belief as it can climb the ladder with a growing sense of confidence.

PERTH 3.0 | 5.2 | 8.3 | 8.3 (51)
WEST PERTH 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 8.8 (56)

GOALS:
Perth: T. Strickland 2, I.Shannon, G. Dix, L. Davey, P. Bower, I. Harding, M. Grage
West Perth: S. Riou 3, C. Metcalf 2, E. O’Brien, L. Strachan, J. Walley

RMC BEST:
Perth: I. Shannon, G. Dix, H. Britton, M. Carlshausen, J. Haines
West Perth: E. Bennett, S. Riou L. Strachan, M. Norbury, J. Roper

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Claremont continued its red-hot season with a massive victory over East Perth, taking the win in a 67-point victory that saw East Perth return home with just two points on the scoreboard. Claremont had nine individual goal scorers, with Juliet Kelly leading the way with two goals to her name whilst also absolutely dominating the stat sheet, racking up 48 disposals, ten tackles, and six inside 50s. Alongside her was teammate Matilda Sergeant leaving the field with 44 disposals, one behind, six tackles, and four inside 50s. Jess Verbrugge did well for East Perth, tallying 16 disposals, five marks, nine tackles, and one inside 50.

Swan Districts had a controlling 8.5 (53) to 6.3 (39) win over South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, with Taylah Edwards putting four goals past the Bulldogs to cement herself as the games top scorer. Usual suspect Carys D’Addario racked up 23 disposals, nine tackles, and three inside 50s for Swan Districts. Tahleah Mulder shone for the Bulldogs, coming away with a massive 22 disposals, 14 tackles, and four inside 50s.

Subiaco kept themselves at the top of the ladder with a commanding 83-point win over Peel Thunder, sending their opponents home with just one-point on the board. Krstel Petrevski (36 disposals, four marks, five tackles, one inside 50), Paige Sheppard (32 disposals, seven marks, four tackles, five inside 50s), and Lisa Steane (29 disposals, nine marks, six tackles, two inside 50s) all starred as usual for Subiaco, dominating the field for their side.

Chloe Wrigley (26 disposals, four marks, two tackles, one inside 50) and Ebony Dowson (22 disposals, eight marks, five tackles) put in best performances for the Thunder, showing their skill and resilience in a tough match up. Olivia Wolmarans and Aimee Schmidt topped the scoreboard, both slotting three majors apiece, with teammate Charlotte Tompkin not far behind, coming away with two goals for her side.