THE final margin was exactly 100 points less than their meeting on Good Friday but again Subiaco did enough to remain unbeaten in the 2018 WAFL season beating East Perth by 18 points at Leederville Oval on Saturday.

 

Subiaco ended up continuing its dominance of the WAFL this season and of East Perth in recent seasons, but the Lions didn’t have it all their own way on Saturday in the battle of the Leederville Oval co-tenants.

 

While Subiaco did end up winning 11.15 (81) to 9.9 (63) to make it nine straight wins to remain undefeated this season and 10 in-a-row against East Perth, the Royals got closer than any other opponent to the Lions so far in 2018.

 

Subiaco had won the last nine games against East Perth coming into the game and that included a 118-point hammering on Good Friday to open the 2018 WAFL season, but the Royals delivered a vastly more competitive performance this time around.

 

Subiaco had kicked five goals to two in the third quarter to lead by 31 points at three quarter-time, but East Perth never surrendered and did kick five goals to two in the last term to ultimately fall 18 points short of the unbackable premiership favourites.

 

As a result of the win, Subiaco improves to a 9-0 record on the season to be two games and percentage clear in top spot with the Lions already getting close to securing what will be a fourth straight minor premiership.

 

Despite the competitive showing, East Perth has now lost four straight matches following a four-game winning streak to only just be clinging to fifth position with a 4-5 record.

 

Versatile big man Lachlan Delahunty had another impressive performance for Subiaco ending up kicking three goals to go with 20 possessions, eight marks and eight hit outs.

Rhys Waters and Ben Sokol both kicked two goals apiece for the Lions.

Captain Kyal Horsley had another 29 possessions, five inside 50s, four marks and three tackles for Subiaco while Chris Phelan gathered 27 disposals, Leigh Kitchin 24 (eight tackles), Josh Deluca 22 (six tackles), Greg Clark 22, Rowen Powell 20 and Braden Fimmano 19.

Hayden Kennedy continued his career-best run of form with another 26 possessions and eight inside-50 entries while the defence of Drew Rohde (15 touches, five marks) and Jordan Lockyer (15 disposals, nine marks) were solid again.

Will Maginness kicked three goals for East Perth and Nathan Blee two to go with 18 possessions, five hit outs and three tackles.

Brendon Ah Chee did what he could to earn a recall for West Coast in the AFL with 22 possessions, seven marks and six tackles with Luke Partington also finishing with 22 disposals and four tackles.

Mitch Fraser gathered 20 possessions down back while Sharrod Wellingham had 20 disposals, Brayden Ainsworth 20, Kurt Mutimer 18.

Matthew Allen continued his good form in attack with 19 possessions, nine marks and a goal.

East Perth started well with the game's first goal thanks to Will Maginness. Subiaco answered courtesy of Ben Sokol but Maginness then added a second at the 24-minute mark to be five points up.

But the Lions kicked the last goal of the term through Lachlan Delahunty to lead by a point at quarter-time and then it took 20 minutes for the goal major of the second quarter. 

That went Subiaco's way to Rhys Waters and the Lions added another through Braden Fimmano to be 14 points in front at the main break.

It took just 20 seconds for the Royals to open the second half impressively with a goal to Nathan Blee but again Subiaco had the answers including three goals in seven minutes courtesy of Waters, Mackenzie Lawrence and Delahunty.

The Lions would go on to lead by 31 points at three quarter-time before three goals in the first five minutes of the last term for East Perth to Matthew Allen, Maginness and Mitch Dobson made things interesting.

The Lions steadied, though, and goals to Brad Stevenson and Sokol secured the eventual 18-point triumph.

Subiaco's reserves also scored a solid 12.8 (80) to 6.12 (48) victory against East Perth at Leederville Oval.

Ryan Borchet, Tom Edwards-Baldwin and Aaron Breman kicked two goals apiece for Subiaco.

Travis Cleggett gathered 27 possessions for the Lions, Daniel Leach 26 and Ryan Wade 17.

Adam Cockie closed in on his first league game of the season finishing with 23 disposals, nine tackles and a goal.

East Perth had six individual goal scorers while Ben Miller racked up 25 possessions, Matt Young 24, Kye Willcocks 22, Hamish Brayshaw 21, Nelson Waite 20 and Jaxon Cahill 20.

East Perth will look to stop its losing slide now this Saturday hosting the equally desperate Claremont at Leederville Oval.

 

Subiaco hits the road to take on a refreshed Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval this Saturday looking to make it a 10-0 start to the 2018 season.

 

 

EAST PERTH – Goals: Maginness 3; Blee 2; Wellingham, Dobson, Ainsworth, Allen.

Best: Ah Chee, Ainsworth, Blee, Allen, Maginness, Partington, Fraser.

SUBIACO – Goals: Delahunty 3; Waters, Sokol 2; Stevenson, Wheeler, Fimmano, Lawrence.

Best: Kitchin, Delahunty, Horsley, Phelan, Kennedy, Sokol, Deluca, Waters.