WEST Perth is one win away from a fairytale WAFL Women’s Grand Final after dispatching of Swan Districts by 44 points in the semi-final on Saturday. The margin did flatter the result in the end, with the Falcons piling on four goals in the final term to run away 11.4 (70) to 4.2 (26) winners.

In an entertaining first term, the Falcons piled on three goals to two with a sharpshooting display entertaining the home crowd. In the first four minutes Erin O’Brien had two on the board and it was clear the fears of the last fortnight – where West Perth had dropped back-to-back games and lost the chance at a top two finish – had dissipated.

After not kicking a goal and instead finishing with nine behind a week early, by six minutes into the second term, the Falcons had four goals and were well on top. The midfield that included Imahra Cameron, Bianca Webb and Emily Bennett was well on top, while young duo Mia Russo and Kaitlyn Roper – the best two in last year’s Rogers Cup flag – were providing a point of difference rotating in there too.

Swan Districts ball-winners by contrast could not have the same zest they showed in recent weeks, with Lily Paterson – coming off 37 disposals just a week earlier – held to 15 for the game, while the Black Ducks were often desperately defending after quarter time rather than finding too many avenues to score.

Late goals in the first half to Taylor Ferguson and O’Brien (her third) really drove the dagger into the Black Ducks’ hopes, and by the time Brooke Hongell kicked a classy goal off a brilliant turn and snap just two minutes into the second half, the belief was building.

To be fair to Swan Districts, the visitors kept coming, and crucial goals to both Sienna Pollard – whp kicked her second and was arguably her side’s best on the day – and Emily McGuire meant the Falcons could not rest on their laurels. When Pollard gathered at the top of the goalsquare and snapped with a chance to put it back to 14 points, the home crowd sighed with relief as it just missed, making it 19 points at the last change.

Any worries about a comeback were soon put to bed for Falcons fans, with a key moment coming early in the fourth. After the Black Ducks charged out of defence and Courtney Zappara took three bounces along the wing she kicked to a one-on-one at the top of the forward 50. However the brilliant one-on-one work of Liliana Grassenis was too good and the young defender cleared it to safety.

From there, the Falcons ran it down the other end and Megan Norbury and Russo combined in congestion to get it to Webb who hit up Cameron on the lead. Her set shot sealed the deal as the margin grew back to 25 points, but any doubts that the Falcons were advancing were quickly eradicated in the 10th minute, when Russo burst from a half-forward stoppage and slammed home a huge goal on the run from 45m.

It was the straw that broke the camel’s back as Swan Districts defence could not hold up as well after that, with the unselfish Falcons sharing it around with Kayla Van Den Heever somehow clunking a mark amongst four defenders, before turning to hit-up the loose Roper straight in front. She nailed the goal with ease, and her major, along with O’Brien’s fourth made it a massive 44 points by the final siren.

The Falcons had plenty of stars across the park, with Roper (23 disposals, eight tackles and a goal) recording a game-high disposal count, sharing the midfield load with Webb (18 disposals, three marks, three inside 50s and a goal), Cameron (21 disposals, six marks, four tackles, four inside 50s and two goals) and Russo (17 disposals, six tackles, four inside 50s and a goal) all busy.

Ferguson (21 disposals, eight marks, three inside 50s and a goal) and Norbury (13 disposals, two marks) were important holding width on the outside, while Bennett (16 disposals, five tackles and three inside 50s) and O’Brien’s four goals were also among the better performances on the day.

For Swan Districts, Pollard finished with two goals from 13 disposals and four inside 50s, while King (15 disposals, two marks, four tackles and two inside 50s) and Hope Ugle-Hayward (10 disposals, two marks and eight tackles) were lively, but did not have enough winners across teh park to get the job done.

WEST PERTH 3.0 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 11.4 (70)
SWAN DISTRICTS 2.0 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 (26)

GOALS:
West Perth: E. O’Brien 4, I. Cameron 2, T. Ferguson. B. Hongell, K. Roper, M. Russo, B. Webb
Swan Districts: S. Pollard 2, T. Edwards, E. McGuire

RMC BEST:
West Perth: I. Cameron. B. Webb, K. Roper, M. Russo, T. Ferguson
Swan Districts: S. Pollard, K. King, H. Ugle-Hayward, L. Quaife, L. Paterson