Subiaco prove too tough to win 2014 WAFL premiershipSunday, September 21, 2014 - 6:56 PM - by Chris Pike

SUBIACO has handled the wet conditions and grand final stage perfectly to hand East Perth a second straight grand final defeat to the tune of 16 points to win the 2014 premiership at Patersons Stadium.

Despite East Perth being heavily favoured to win the 2014 premiership coming off losing last year's grand final to West Perth, then winning the minor premiership two games clear on top of the ladder and beating Subiaco in the second semi-final, the Lions had all the answers on Sunday.

The wet conditions for the grand final suited the likes of Jason Bristow, Chris Phelan, Kyal Horsley, Chris Deluca and his younger brother Josh ideally, and Subiaco opened up a match-winning lead in the third quarter and won 11.16 (82) to 9.12 (66).

The win is Subiaco's 12th premiership overall and fifth since 2003 with the Lions now having won flags in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2014 while East Perth has still not won a flag since its own hat-trick between 2000-02.

Subiaco threatened to break the game open just before half-time with an 11-point advantage but then did so in the third quarter with six goals to two. The lead was a match-winning 34 points when George Hampson kicked his third goal at the nine and-a-half minute mark of the final term.

Bristow was the standout player on the ground ideally suited to the tough and contested nature of the game due to the weather. The 30-year-old 114-game veteran finished with 27 possessions, seven clearances, five tackles, four inside 50s and a goal.

His captain Horsley returned after missing the preliminary final and finished with 27 disposals, six inside 50s, five clearances and a goal while Phelan was superb in his 98th WAFL game with two goals to go with 25 touches, eight clearances, five inside 50s and two goals.

Hampson delivered three goals despite coming into the game under an injury cloud and then hurting his hamstring before half-time while Chris Deluca kicked two goals and Josh Deluca one along with 21 possessions and five clearances.

Joel Latham also had 20 possessions, Wayde Twomey 19 and Shaun Hildebrandt 17 while defensively Daniel Leishman was outstanding holding Josh Hill goalless.

Frank Stockley made up for missing West Perth's premiership last year by winning in his first year with Subiaco and worked hard in the ruck with 11 touches, 27 hit outs and eight clearances.

While 18 Subiaco players celebrated a WAFL premiership for the first time, 211-game full-back Darren Rumble became the first Lions player in history to win five flags while Hildebrandt won a third and Horsley a second.

Twomey won his first with Subiaco after winning in 2010 with Swan Districts.

Co-captain Brendan Lee battled manfully for East Perth with 24 possessions, nine tackles, seven inside-50 entries and four clearances.

Sam Butler gathered 22 disposals, Blayne Wilson 22, Dean Cadwallader 19, Ashley Smith 19 and Jacob Brennan 17 who also held dangerous Subiaco forward Shane Yarran goalless.

Kyle Anderson also kept Subiaco full-forward Matt Boland goalless while at the other end, Fraser McInnes kicked three goals for East Perth and Josh Smith two.

East Perth had all the early play in the game and had plenty of opportunities to kick the first goal but couldn’t capitalise with McInnes missing the best opportunity when he kicked into the man on the mark from a shot directly in front and not far out.

Eventually it was Patrick McGinnity who kicked the game's first goal at the eight-minute mark in what turned out to be the first score of the game, but from that point Subiaco worked its way back into the contest.

That Lions couldn’t take their chances either with four straight points before 18-year-old Josh Deluca grabbed a chance in congestion to get a kick and score a goal.

McInnes then took another strong mark near goal for East Perth and this time he converted to put the Royals back in front by a point at quarter-time.

Subiaco was back in front early in the second quarter when one of three inclusions from the preliminary final Hampson kicked truly.

Josh Smith kicked a good goal from a set shot in response to draw scores level again at the 10-minute mark of the second quarter, but there were still three more goals in the half to come with the rain disappearing for the first time in the match.

Subiaco got a goal through Chris Deluca to regain a six-point lead and then Phelan had one snap on goal that was spoiled in the goal square, but he followed up to do the crumbing at snapped through a clever goal.

Both teams got involved in a heated scuffle after that goal, but Subiaco had a game-high 11-point lead before Josh Smith snapped through a clever goal on his left foot just before half-time to cut the Lions' lead to four points at the main break.

East Perth then took the lead again to start the third term when McInnes kicked his first goal, but Subiaco were simply not going to let the chance at a premiership slip.

Phelan's second goal of the grand final put Subiaco back in front and the Lions never looked back with Horsley, Chris Deluca, Hampson, Waters and Bristow all adding goals before three quarter-time.

Subiaco led by 28 points at the last change and then 34 when Hampson booted his third of the day defying his sore body.

East Perth did get the last three of the grand final through Clutterbuck, Cadwallader and Butler, but it mattered little as Subiaco won by 16 points.

SUBIACO        1.7    4.9    10.12    11.16    (82)
EAST PERTH        2.2    4.5    6.8    9.12    (66)

SUBIACO – Goals: Hampson 3; C Deluca, Phelan 2; Bristow, Waters, Horsley, J Deluca.
Best: Bristow, Phelan, Horsley, Hampson, Leishman, Twomey, J Deluca.
EAST PERTH – Goals: McInnes 3; J Smith 2; Butler, Cadwallader, Clutterbuck, McGinnity.
Best: Lee, Wilson, Anderson, Cadwallader, Butler, Brennan.

SIMPSON MEDAL: Jason Bristow (Subiaco).