SWAN Districts upset West Perth to continue its charge up the WAFL Colts ladder, banking an even three-goal win on the road in Round 13. After a goalless opening quarter, the Swans began to apply scoreboard pressure and never looked back to secure a fourth win in their last five games.

>> SCROLL for the results, ladder, and fixture

A pair of goalkickers starred for either side, with Swan Carlos Partington and bottom-age Falcon Koby LeCras booting four majors apiece. Swans trio Soren Feast (26 disposals, nine marks), Leo Steed (25 disposals), and Jai Debono (23 disposals, nine marks, one goal) were prolific in the victory.

After taking down the third-ranked side, Swan Districts remain just one game separated from the Falcons and second-place South Fremantle. Reigning premier Claremont rounds out the top five after nabbing its first win in over a month, beating the Bulldogs by just six points to leapfrog Subiaco and Perth.

Bolstered by the presence of five state 18s squad members, the Tigers led at every break but were challenged late in the piece. South Fremantle fought to cut the margin back to a goal with two minutes left on the clock, before a handy point from Heath Mellody 90 seconds later helped seal the deal.

Val Davies booted three goals from 16 touches and five marks to help drive a plus-19 clearance, and plus-22 inside 50 advantage home on the scoreboard. Son of a gun Harper Banfield led all comers with 27 disposals (24 kicks), while Jackson Cattalini (23 disposals) slotted a crucial late goal.

State representatives George Gale (18 disposals, 10 marks), Oscar Willis (17 disposals), and Charlie Watson (15 disposals, 19 hitouts) were all solid contributors for the victors. Meanwhile, Millar Rank again led the way for South with 22 touches and a goal alongside Lucas Cattalini (19 disposals).

Over at Mineral Resources Park, East Fremantle completed a come-from-behind victory over Perth to move eight points clear in top spot. The Sharks trailed by single-digit margins at each break before surging ahead with three goals to one in the final term, securing a tense eight-point win.

Perth would be left to rue its inaccuracy, registering two more scoring shots from 11 more forward 50 entries. At the other end of the ground, in-form Shark Benjamin Wood bagged four-straight majors from an economical seven touches, including the sealer with just 20 seconds left on the clock.

It was no surprise to see Kaiden Summerell lead all comers with 29 disposals (23 kicks) and five marks. Lincoln Martignago (21 disposals, seven marks, one goal) was the only other Shark to tick up over 20 touches, as a quintet of Demons managed to do so, led by Xavier Bianchini (26 disposals).

Among that group of Redlegs, Brodie Donkin (24 disposals) and Jayden Clarke (21) both also managed to hit the scoreboard with a goal each. While East Fremantle sits pretty atop the table with a bye next week, Perth will look to rebound against the Royals as the race for fifth spot heats up.

Speaking of East Perth, the eighth-placed side picked up its fourth win of the season after downing Peel Thunder by 46 points. The Royals restricted Peel to a single goal at one end of Lane Group Stadium to keep the home side winless after 11 games, snapping a five-game losing streak in the process.

State 18s train-on Lachlan McGlade snared three goals, while Marcus Cassidy‘s two majors came from a team-high 22 touches in the win. Fletcher Brown was also prominent with 18 disposals, 12 tackles and a goal, while Peel’s Jack Mathey stood out atop the disposal charts with 31.

With the state Under 18 side having played out its four games, plenty of top-end talent will begin to filter back into the WAFL Colts competition. Seven rounds remain in the home-and-away season, although the next three weekends will host only two or three games each before a full allotment in Round 17.

STATE U18 SQUAD MEMBERS

Claremont:
Robert Farmer – 4 disposals, 5 tackles
George Gale – 18 disposals, 10 marks, 3 tackles
Heath Mellody – 15 disposals, 1 goal
Charlie Watson – 15 disposals, 5 marks, 19 hitouts
Oscar Willis – 17 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles

East Perth:
Garrison Kenh – 5 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles
Lachlan McGlade* – 6 disposals, 3 tackles, 3 goals

Peel Thunder:
Basil Hart – 4 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 1 goal
Bol Makuach – 5 disposals, 2 tackles
Mitchell Stirling – 15 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal
Jax Williams – 11 disposals, 5 marks, 1 goal

South Fremantle:
Lucas Cattalini – 19 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles
Heath Wilson* – 12 disposals, 4 tackles

Swan Districts:
McCartney Murdoch* – 13 disposals, 30 hitouts

West Perth:
Koby LeCras* – 9 disposals, 7 marks, 4 goals
Harvey Spawton-Guy – 12 disposals, 5 marks, 2 goals

>> Scouting Notes: Western Australia vs. Vic Metro

* – denotes train-on

ROUND 13 RESULTS

Perth 8.11 (59) def. by East Fremantle 10.7 (67)
West Perth 7.8 (50) def. by Swan Districts 10.8 (68)
Peel Thunder 5.9 (39) def. by East Perth 12.13 (85)
South Fremantle 10.6 (66) def. by Claremont 10.12 (72)

Bye: Subiaco

WAFL COLTS LADDER

1. East Fremantle | 9-2 | 155.0%
2. South Fremantle | 7-4 | 188.1%
3. West Perth | 7-4 | 114.7%
4. Swan Districts | 6-5 | 101.1%
5. Claremont | 5-5 | 100.8%
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6. Subiaco | 5-5 | 94.4%
7. Perth | 5-5 | 93.7%
8. East Perth | 4-7 | 75.0%
9. Peel Thunder | 0-11 | 46.2%

ROUND 14 FIXTURE

East Perth vs. Perth
Saturday July 12 @ Sullivan Logistics Stadium

Swan Districts vs. South Fremantle
Saturday July 12 @ Steel Blue Oval