Good Friday McDonald’s WAFL Results

SUBIACO has made it two from two to start the 2016 McDonald’s WAFL Premiership Season beating East Perth in the annual Good Friday clash at Medibank Stadium.

Another strong crowd of 3000 people turned out for the now traditional clash between the Leederville co-tenants and whilst East Perth was vastly improved on last week, Subiaco still proved too strong winning 13.15 (93) to 9.8 (62).

Subiaco has won the last two WAFL premierships and started 2016 with a hard fought win over Peel Thunder last Saturday and backed that up with the solid 31-point Good Friday win giving them wins already over two teams that played finals in 2015.

East Perth has lost its opening two games but it was a vastly improved showing than last week’s 76-point loss to Claremont.

Both defeats have been against finalists from last year with the Royals to now play South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Friday night.

Subiaco had 23 more inside-50 entries for the game than East Perth, including a run of 14 straight either side of quarter-time, and it was sixth-gamer Dylan Clarke who took most toll with three goals from 17 possessions.

Hamish Shepheard also kicked two goals for the Lions as did Kyle Halligan and Brett Robinson.

Up the other end, Subiaco key defenders Declan Jackson and Jordan Lockyer did a tremendous job limiting the influence of East Perth big men Fraser McInnes, Jonathan Giles and Paul Johnson when forward.

Through the middle, reigning Subiaco fairest and best Chris Phelan compiled 28 possessions to go with six inside-50 entries and a goal.

Leigh Kitchin also gathered 26 disposals, Kyal Horsley 21, Adam Cockie 20 (10 tackles), Robinson 20 and Craig Hoskins 19 (14 tackles).

Makeshift ruck pair Clancy Wheeler and Lachlan Delahunty also did well both in the middle and when forward. Wheeler finished with 18 touches, eight hit outs, five marks, five tackles, five inside 50s and a goal. Delahunty had 20 disposals, six marks and 15 hit outs.

Opposed to them, East Perth ruck pair Johnson and Giles were solid. Johnson was especially effective in the middle with 14 possessions and 24 hit outs. Giles wasn’t as productive but did kick two goals when forward.

Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls had a strong second half for the Royals and finished with three goals from nine possessions and six marks for the game.

Wingmen Steven Payne (25 possessions) and Tom Lamb (23 disposals) were both strong contributors for East Perth while Mark Hutchings racked up 23 touches, Kane Lucas 23, Paddy Brophy 19 and Luke Partington 19.

East Perth’s key defenders put in strong performances with Tom Barrass having a good battle with Shepheard and having 18 possessions and nine marks.

Kyle Anderson had 17 touches and five tackles, and Nathan Blee 19 possessions with both doing well to limit the influence of Subiaco’s Sean Bradley, Wheeler and Delahunty on the scoreboard. The trio kicked just one goal between them.

East Perth veteran Garry Moss was doing well providing good drive off half-back for 22 possessions but he suffered a cruel blow late in the game injuring his knee. It appeared he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament which would mean the second knee reconstruction of his career.

East Perth started well with a mark and goal to big man Giles in the opening minute.

But Subiaco slowly worked its way on top from there with goals to Clarke, Ben Sokol and Shepheard to give them a 12-point quarter-time advantage.

The Lions then completely dominated the first 20 minutes of the second term with the Royals not managing a single entry inside their forward 50. That only resulted in two goals, though, one a 60m bomb from Wheeler and another to last week’s six-goal hero Halligan.

East Perth steadied with two of the last three goals of the first half to cut the half-time deficit to 23 points.

Clarke booted his second to stretch Subiaco’s lead back out to 28 points to start the second half but East Perth had come out a more settled and determined unit.