Finals Analysis – West PerthWednesday, September 7, 2022 - 9:39 AM - by Chris Pike

WEST Perth has been a regular contender for another premiership since 2013 and this could be the Falcons' best chance to breakthrough having claimed top spot on the WAFL ladder for the first time since 1993.

West Perth won the premiership back in 2013 with Bill Monaghan the coach but there's now only Mark Hutchings, Aaron Black and Shane Nelson left from that team that is looking to experience glory again nine years later.

Since that triumph in 2013, West Perth missed the finals the next year but then were back in the Grand Final of 2015 before losing in the first semi-final of 2016, elimination final of 2017, Grand Final of 2018, elimination final of 2019, preliminary final of 2010 and first semi-final of 2021.

West Perth lost to Claremont in last year's first semi-final after beating Swan Districts in an elimination final before they were left without a coach when Geoff Valentine took up a job with Fremantle and as Peel Thunder coach.

The best possible replacement was there waiting, though, with premiership winning captain and coach Darren Harris returning to West Perth with unfinished business after leaving the Falcons to join West Coast in 2005, and also after being controversially let go from Claremont after the 2020 Grand Final.

This will be an eighth consecutive finals campaign for West Perth and it will be the first time they get to attack it from top spot having secured the minor premiership for the first time since 1993 on the back of a record of 13 wins, four losses and a draw.

While West Perth has won premierships in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2013, they never finished on top of the WAFL ladder at the end of the home and away season. They will now attempt to win this year's premiership the same year as finishing in top spot for the first time since 1975.

The Falcons have earned themselves the week off to start the finals series having finished on top and they will then host either East Fremantle or Claremont in the second semi-final at Joondalup's Pentanet Stadium with a chance to move straight into the Grand Final with a victory.

THE SEASON SO FAR

West Perth opened up the new season with a narrow loss at home to Claremont before bouncing back with a hard earned 11-point win against Peel in Mandurah in a high quality affair.

The Falcons then went on a winning streak beating Subiaco, South Fremantle, West Coast, Perth and East Perth to set up a top-of-the-table clash with East Fremantle at the WACA Ground in Round 8.

West Perth ended up losing a tough battle by two points but the Falcons soon regained top spot by defeating Swan Districts, Perth and Peel Thunder in successive weeks.

The Falcons then suffered a tough loss to Claremont before bouncing back to beat West Coast and then playing out a draw with South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in Round 15.

That left West Perth with some work to do to still lock away top position but a Round 16 win against East Fremantle was significant in achieving that feat.

The Falcons then hammered arch-rivals East Perth by 70 points before a hiccup against Swan Districts in the second last round, and then securing the minor premiership by beating Subiaco in the final round at home by 47 points.

KEY WINS OF THE YEAR

A win in Round 4 against a South Fremantle team who has played in the last three WAFL Grand Finals was the first significant message West Perth sent regarding its intentions for 2022.

In the end the second statement victory was against the second placed East Fremantle in Round 16 when top spot went on the line at Pentanet Stadium. 

West Perth was able to dominate the second half against the Sharks to end up winning by 36 points and in the end that was a significant blow that saw the Falcons end up securing top spot and the minor premiership.

West Perth also snapped its recent tough run against Subiaco to beat the reigning premiers in both meetings of 2022 while along the way they also beat Peel Thunder twice.

MATCH UP WITH FELLOW FINALISTS

West Perth split its two match ups with the second ranked East Fremantle throughout the season starting with a two-point loss at the WACA Ground in Round 8 before winning by 36 points in the return encounter in Round 16 at Pentanet Stadium.

Despite East Fremantle winning in Round 21 last year as well, it's West Perth who has dominated the recent history with the Falcons having won nine in-a-row against the Sharks dating back to 2016.

The last time the two teams met in the finals was the 2002 first semi-final where West Perth won by five points. Prior to that it was two clashes in 1998 ultimately which saw the Sharks win the Grand Final for their last premiership.

West Perth has developed quite the recent rivalry with Claremont including two fascinating meetings in 2022, starting with the Tigers winning by four points in Round 1. 

Claremont then opened up a 10-goal lead on West Perth in Round 13 before going on to win by 29 points leaving the Tigers as the only team the Falcons haven't been able to defeat in 2022.

West Perth has lost its last three matches now against Claremont including last year's first semi-final where the Tigers won by 24 points at Revo Fitness Stadium to end the season of the Falcons.

South Fremantle is another team that West Perth has a fascinating recent history with and the Falcons haven’t lost to the Bulldogs now since Round 1, 2021.

West Perth beat South Fremantle in Round 4 of this season at Pentanet Stadium before the two teams played out a draw in Round 15 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The two teams are no strangers to battling in finals in recent times either with the most recent being the 2020 preliminary final when South Fremantle prevailed on the way to winning the premiership.

The Falcons knocked off the Bulldogs in the 2018 preliminary final to reach what is their last Grand Final appearance.

West Perth might have beaten Peel Thunder this year but they were both tough encounters with the Falcons prevailing by 11 points in Round 2 in Mandurah and then three points in Round 12 in Joondalup.

The Falcons have now won six straight against the Thunder with Peel's last win against West Perth being in Round 1, 2019.

The two teams have already played in two finals previously including Peel's first ever which was the 2015 qualifying final where the Falcons hammered a decimated Thunder line-up by 109 points.

It was a total turnaround in the 2016 first semi-final with Peel winning by 10 goals on the way to their first premiership.

PLAYERS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT

The core group at West Perth remains together and are desperate to win a premiership. While Shane Nelson, Aaron Black and Mark Hutchings are premiership players, fellow veterans Luke Meadows, Tyler Keitel, Aidan Lynch, Blake Wilhelm, Keegan Knott, Mark Hamilton and Dean Munns are still chasing that first flag.

It's hard to find a weakness in the West Perth's line-up with great depth in the midfield with the likes of Nelson, Black, Meadows and Lynch joined by Mitch Peirce, Tristan Hobley and now AFL and WAFL premiership player Hutchings.

The West Perth back-line is rock solid too led by key defenders Hamilton and Noah Pegoraro who are ably supported by Zac Guadagnin, Wilhelm, Ben Johnson and Tyson Moulton.

Then up forward, Keitel and Knott spearhead the attack for the Falcons but it's far from a two-man show with Mitch Dobson, Anton Hamp and then any of Rudy Riddoch, Sasha Kernutt, Conal Lynch and Mitch Antonio dangerous as well depending on who's selected.

KEYS TO WINNING

While West Perth did prove tough to score against in 2022, they were at their best when playing a more attacking brand of football to give their dangerous forward-line to put a winning score on the board.

The Falcons back-line stood up strongly throughout the season conceding just 57.9 points a game so they know they can bank on not giving up a big score, but the key is giving their forwards the chance of kicking a winning score.

There's no shortage of targets in attack for West Perth including marking options Tyler Keitel and Anton Hamp with Keegan Knott at their feet and Mitch Dobson and Rudy Riddoch roaming around.

So their keys to having a successful finals campaign is for their midfields to not only win a lot of the ball, which is a given when it comes to the likes of Shane Nelson, Aaron Black, Luke Meadows, Aidan Lynch, Mark Hutchings and company.

However, how they use the ball and how attacking they are will be key to whatever success they turn winning the minor premiership into during this finals campaign.

IMPORTANT STATS

3rd – West Perth is the third best attacking team in the competition, averaging 79.9 points a game this season

2nd – The Falcons are the second best defensive team in 2022, conceding just 57.9 points a game

346.3 – West Perth averaged the second most possessions per game this season at 346.3 disposals

1st – The Falcons are the best starting and finishing team across the season, outscoring their opponents by 205 points in first quarters and 136 points in last terms. They are ranked sixth in second quarters and fifth in third terms

13 – The number of West Perth players with over 100 games of WAFL experience. Aaron Black has played 239 games, Shane Nelson 206, Anton Hamp 181, Trent Manzone 153, Tyler Keitel 141, Blake Wilhelm 123, Luke Meadows 116, Mark Hamilton 113, Aidan Lynch 107, Mark Hutchings 105, Rudy Riddoch 104, Dean Munns 103 and Keegan Knott 100.