Subiaco Season Review

It was a fine line between pleasure and pain for Subiaco at the end of the home and away season as their finals dream fell agonizingly short.

The Lions recorded a comprehensive victory over co-tenants East Perth in Round 20, only to fall 1.5 per cent away from earning a place in the finals, a heartbreaking finish to their year.

Coming off a four-win season in 2025, Subiaco took giant strides following the return to the club of senior coach Jarrad Schofield.

The Lions claimed 10 wins but became known as the “cardiac kids”, involved in eight matches decided by less than a goal, winning four but also losing four.

Subiaco were defeated by three points by East Fremantle in Round 2, three points by South Fremantle in Round 5, three points by Claremont in Round 8 before the Bulldogs inflicted a one-point loss in Round 13.

On the flipside, the Lions claimed three one-point wins, overcoming Peel in Round 4, Perth in Round 17 and Claremont in Round 19.

To add to Schofield’s stress levels, his team scrambled to a four-point win over Swan Districts in Round 12.

On a numbers front, Stefan Giro was a stand-out performer with an average of 23 disposals a game and 19 goals for the season, Jaxon McGowan averaged 24 possessions a match, Will Hickmott and his brother Liam both produced more than 20 disposals a match while Greg Clark played 15 matches, averaging 20 touches a game.

Jack Mayo ended the year as the club’s leading goalkicker with 35 majors, with support coming from Ryan Borchet (30), Jack Petruccelle (19), Giro (19), Sonny Siano (14), and Ben Sokol (11).

Eight players fronted up to every game during the season, giving the Lions continuity.

Mayo, Giro and the Hickmott brothers were joined by Charlie Burke, Judd Kelman, Galen Savigni and Sonny Siano in 18 games for the year.

On the injury front through the year the club lost Jordan Snadden and Jack Cooley to ACL setbacks, Ben Sokol and Taj Schofield to long term hamstring injuries, while Jacob Wagenknecht was sidelined with an ankle problem but returned to play two reserves games late in the campaign.

Three consecutive seasons without finals is rare territory for Subiaco, a club which has been the benchmark for success in the WAFL this century.

Given what the Lions produced this year, optimism will be high that the club will take the next step in 2027 and contend for the premiership.