CLAREMONT, East Perth and Swan Districts all consolidated top-four positions with impressive wins on Saturday with West Perth beating Subiaco and there were a host of star performers across the four games.
East Perth beat Peel 25.13 (163) to 17.6 (108) at Mandurah's Bendigo Bank Stadium, Swan Districts downed East Fremantle 15.14 (104) to 9.9 (63) at East Fremantle Oval, Claremont thumped Perth 24.14 (158) to 11.4 (70) at Claremont Oval and West Perth won over Subiaco 14.16 (100) at Arena Joondalup.
The WAFL competition is 10 rounds in as it stops for the State game this Saturday in Adelaide and the ladder looks to have broken up into three distinct groups.
Reigning premiers Claremont sit atop the ladder with a 7-2 record but both East Perth and Swan Districts are breathing down its neck on 6-2 to be a game behind but with a match in hand as well over the Tigers.
East Fremantle slipped to 5-3 after losing to Swan Districts at home last Saturday with Subiaco and West Perth both just outside the four with 4-5 records. Then there is the 3-5 South Fremantle, 2-7 Perth and 1-7 Peel Thunder.
Click here for the summary of Round 10 of the WAFL
http://www.wafl.com.au/summary/10
THE BIG WINNERS
While Claremont and East Perth stayed in the top-two spots with impressive wins, they came over bottom sides Perth and Peel, but Swan Districts' impressive 41-point victory came against fellow top-four side East Fremantle.
The black-and-whites led virtually all day to run out impressive winners as they had far too much run through the midfield and finished with 76 more possessions than the Sharks.
Swans also had three more inside-50 entries, 11 more shots on goal and the win set them up in third position just percentage behind East Perth and a game behind Claremont, but with a match in hand.
THE BIG LOSERS
With three wins between them from 17 games, it again appears that Perth and Peel will battle over the wooden spoon with both teams, and indeed coaches Damien McMahon and Trevor Williams, to feel the heat as neither side looks to have improved after promising so much coming into 2012.
THE SHINING LIGHTS
Swan Districts played a strong brand of football to beat East Fremantle by 41 points. Tim Geappen kicked four goals, Ashley Hansen returned to boot 3.4, Michael Walters slot through three majors and Ryan Davis and Murray Newman added two goals apiece.
Tom Roach (pictured) was outstanding on the wing for Swan Districts with 34 possessions. Co-captain Josh Roberts added 28 disposals, Shaun Hildebrandt 26, Marlon Motlop 24, Justin Simpson 23, Wayde Twomey 21 and Matthew Outridge 19.
Max Duffy and Brock O'Brien kicked two goals apiece for East Fremantle. Rory O'Brien gathered 28 disposals, Steven Dodd 25, Mitch Brown 20 and Mark McGough 17. Jonathan Griffin had 16 possessions, 10 marks, 34 hit outs and a goal also for the Sharks.
Kane Mitchell, Paul Medhurst, Luke Blackwell, Ian Richardson, Trinity Handley and Tom Lee are the Claremont players in the West Australian squad that will take on South Australia at Glenelg on Saturday, and all did their chances of playing no harm yesterday.
Fresh off kicking six goals last week against Peel, Tom Lee (pictured) added another half-dozen majors against the Demons to put his hand well and truly up to play for WA against the Croweaters.
Veteran Medhurst was also terrific with 20 possessions, nine marks and four goals. Reigning Sandover Medallist Blackwell picked up 29 disposals as well with Mitchell racking up 29 to go with his two goals.
Richardson added another two goals from 17 touches and six marks up forward with Handley putting in another solid all-round display down back after starting up forward.
West Coast's Tom Swift picked up 34 possessions also for Claremont with Nick Suban gaining form with 19 touches and Alex Silvagni playing well in defence. He also took two massive marks.
Claremont was without ruckman Mitch Andrews, but Alistair Gillespie (21 touches, 24 hit outs and two goals) and Jeremy McGovern (18 disposals, 24 hit outs) did well.
Perth was able to stick with Claremont for most of the first half, but it fell away badly from there to leave the Demons flat heading into the state game break.
Leon Davis worked hard both off half-back and up forward to finish with 21 possessions and two goals. Fremantle's Nick Lower came back into the side and picked up 20 disposals with Paul Bevan having it 19 times, Aaron Elari 18 and Ben Noakes 17.
Christian Eyres worked hard in the ruck to finish with 36 hit outs. Fraser McInnes presented hard and kicked three goals with Matt Moody adding two.
It was a high-scoring affair at Bendigo Bank Stadium with East Perth prevailing over Peel by 55 points.
Adam Prior (pictured) kicked six goals for the Royals with Garry Moss adding four to go with his 20 possessions. Mathew Seal and Josh Smith also booted three goals apiece. Fremantle youngster Hayden Crozier also added two.
Freddie Clutterbuck racked up 30 possessions, Craig Wulff 25, Aaron Sweet 22 and Michael Swan 21. Paul Johnson dominated in the ruck again with 23 possessions, 31 hit outs, six entries inside-50 and two goals.
Brad Holmes continued his strong form that sees him a chance to play for WA against South Australia with five goals for Peel. West Coast big man Scott Lycett also had 17 disposals, six marks, 13 hit outs and four goals with Matt Battye booting three goals too and Joel O'Driscoll two.
West Perth beat Subiaco by 22 points with Andrew Strijk (pictured) outstanding with 19 possessions, six marks, seven inside-50 entries and three goals. Kody Manning also booted two goals.
Young midfield gun Shane Nelson picked up a game-high 30 possessions to go with six tackles, eight inside 50s and a goal.
Mark Hutchings gathered 29 disposals, Aaron Black 24, Dion Fleay 23, Luke Tedesco 20 and Brent LeCras 18. Chris Keunen had a strong game in the ruck as well with 18 touches, six marks, 29 hit outs, five inside-50 entries and a goal.
Subiaco captain Aidan Parker (pictured) was outstanding in his 200th WAFL appearance for the Lions with 25 possessions from centre half-back. Clancy Wheeler also had 25 disposals, Kane Bloxsidge 24, Patrick Hassett 21, Conor Davidson 18 and Blake Broadhurst 18.
Rhett Kerr had 19 possessions, nine marks and three goals with George Hampson, Jack Anthony and Brant Chambers booting two apiece.
PUSHING FOR A SPOT
Swan Districts' reserves beat East Fremantle by nine points with Aaron Jetta booting three goals and Simon Parry picking up 26 possessions, Nathan Broad 26, James Embley 23, Ray Daniels 22 and Steve Potente 18.
Brad Miles and Tim Viney kicked three goals each for East Fremantle with Aiden Tropiano and Matthew Hill gathering 20 disposals each.
Claremont's reserves thumped Perth by 67 points with Aaron Thomas and Keegan Knott booting three goals each, and Matthew Goyder and Anton Hamp two. Jack Bradshaw had 25 possessions, Thomas Taylor 24, Sam Fong 24, Chaz Flint 23 and Matthew Davies 21.
Llane Spaanderman returned for Perth and had 17 possessions and 21 hit outs in the ruck. Brennan Stack kicked two goals and Michael Florio gathered 31 disposals.
East Perth's reserves beat Peel by 30 points with David Marinovich kicking five goals, Mitch Howlett three, and Rowan Brookes, Ashley Boyes and Chris Franklin all adding two.
Ryan Herring kicked three goals for Peel with Alex Devitt, Rhett Mason and Bryce Thornton adding two. Mason also had 32 possessions, Liam McKenna 24 and Rob Beswick 22.
West Perth's reserves beat Subiaco by seven points with Matt Fowler kicking four goals, and James Batterham and Josh Donaldson two goals each. Joel Latham racked up 35 disposals, Joel Rice 26 and Jay Tindall 21.
Marc Re kicked three goals for Subiaco as did Tim Whyte with Joel Ashman adding two. Rowen McDonnell had 26 possessions, Simon Moore 22 and James Lee 22.
