IT was moving week in Round 5 of the WAFL, as a gap begins to form between the competition’s top six sides. Meanwhile, Claremont returned to top seed after a thrilling victory, and Perth secured its first four points for the campaign.
Claremont returned to the top of the ladder after a sensational comeback victory over East Perth. Trailing by 31 points at the first change, the Tigers produced an inspired fightback, running the Royals down to win by seven points at Revo Fitness Stadium.
Over at the WACA, West Perth clinched a hard-fought 15-point win over East Fremantle in a high-pressure game. The reigning premiers produced a four-goal to nil first term and managed to hold the Sharks at bay for the rest of the contest to secure the win which moves their ledger to 3-2.
In a similar fashion, Subiaco worked hard to register a 12-point victory over South Fremantle at Leederville Oval. The Lions’ pressure was the catalyst for their victory, as they laid 31 more tackles than their opponents to help set up their third consecutive triumph.
In the battle of the cellar dwellers, Perth thumped West Coast by 97 points at Revo Fitness Stadium. After a largely competitive but winless start to the season, the Demons took advantage of their depleted opponents, dominating the Eagles en route to their first win under new coach Peter German.
Capping off the round, Peel Thunder sent a statement to the league, smashing Swan Districts to the tune of 62 points in Mandurah. The Fremantle-aligned club was well served by Dockers-listed players, with dropped AFL pair Will Brodie and Sam Sturt amongst the best as the Thunder put a usually plucky Swans side to the sword.
DRAFT PROSPECTS:
It was a relatively quiet week on the draft front at League level, with Subiaco pair Koltyn Tholstrup (six disposals) and Luker Kentfield (four) modest contributors in the Lions’ win over South Fremantle. In the same game, mid-season draft prospect Robert Hansen Jnr had eight disposals while the 2004-born Roan O’Hehir found the ball 18 times playing in defence. Peel young gun Clay Hall returned to Colts level over the weekend after a promising maiden stint in the seniors.
MATURE AGE WATCH: Regan Clarke (Perth)
Keen watchers of representative underage football may remember Clarke’s name, after he famously kicked the title clinching goal for Western Australia against Vic Country at the 2019 Under 18 Championships. While the 21-year-old was one of the few members of that WA side to be overlooked in the draft, he has gone onto become a consistent and reliable performer Perth, using his elite endurance base to play as a hard running midfielder.
He produced a best on ground performance against West Coast, racking up 33 disposals, four tackles and two goals to lead the Demons to their first win of the season. At 175cm, Clarke’s diminutive stature has and will likely hold him back from getting a chance at the next level, but his high work rate and ball-winning ability sees him shape as one of the better young prospects in the WAFL at the very least.
