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Round 5 Match Report – Perth v West PerthTuesday, May 1, 2018 - 10:27 AM - by Chris Pike
WEST Perth continued its dominance this century over Perth with a 62-point victory at Lathlain Park on Saturday on the back of kicking eight of the first 10 goals of the game.
It was a dominant first half by West Perth with the Falcons doing as they pleased with the turnovers and lack of ability to hit targets, hold chest marks or handle the ball cleanly causing havoc for the Demons.
The Falcons took full advantage to lead by 53 points at half-time and the second half didn’t reach any great heights for either side in warm conditions, but West Perth cruised to the 17.11 (113) to 6.15 (51) victory.
The win improves West Perth to a 3-2 record on the season while Perth slips to 1-4.
It continued West Perth's remarkable run both against Perth and at Lathlain Park.
The Falcons are yet to lose in 14 trips to Lathlain Park since 2004 while winning their last nine visits. They have won 14 consecutive matches against the Demons as well as a result of Saturday's 62-point victory.
Coming off kicking a career-best seven goals against Perth at Lathlain Park last year, Tyler Keitel had another good day against the Demons at the same venue on Saturday booting five goals from 15 kicks and 11 marks.
Andrew Strijk also had a field day returning for the Falcons and playing deep forward ending up with 24 disposals and 15 marks while kicking 3.4.
Tyson Moulton kicked three goals as well for West Perth and Keegan Knott two.
Allowing Strijk to play forward rather than having to play across half-back in the absence of the injured Kody Manning was the form of Blake Wilhelm who slotted into that role tremendously finishing with 26 possessions and seven marks.
Michael Lourey took on the role as the No. 1 ruck with aplomb with Chris Keunen spending the week back in the reserves. Lourey ended the day with 19 possessions, 27 hit outs and a goal.
Corey Chalmers racked up 35 possessions for West Perth too while Shane Nelson gathered another 35 disposals, Luke Meadows 25, Aaron Black 24, Kris Shannon 23, Trent Manzone 21, Connor West 20 and Jay van Berlo 19.
Every West Perth player made a good contribution to the dominant win even Jordan Mills and Ben King who might have only combined for 10 possessions and four marks, but were rock solid defensively.
Luke Salomone kicked Perth's first two goals of the game while Kristian Cary proved their best option in attack in the absence of Spencer White, Sam Garstone and Cody Ninyette with 11 kicks and five marks despite only kicking 1.3.
Cody Leggett shifted to half-back in the second half for Perth to provide a steadying influence and he ended the afternoon with 34 possessions and seven marks.
Corey Byrne was a shining light for the Demons in the midfield with 26 possessions while Richard Bourne was another great positive with the run he provided with his 26 disposals.
Experienced trio Corey Yeo (26 possessions), Brant Colledge (26) and Clint Jones (25) had plenty of the ball but couldn’t have an influence while Matthew Taylor struggled in defence despite 19 disposals.
Brent Edmonds did well keeping Rudy Riddoch goalless and having 18 touches himself while debutant ruckman Dakota Baldwin-Wright had 19 hit outs, eight possessions and six tackles.
It took less than a minute for the scene to be set for the day with West Perth going forward, Andrew Strijk pouncing on the loose ball and slamming it home.
Less than two minutes later and Tyler Keitel drilled one from 50m out and then minutes later Connor West kicked in a long ball that got through a big pack without being touched, and somehow dribbled over the goal line with Perth defenders there alongside the ball.
By the time Keegan Knott kicked truly as well at the seven-minute mark, West Perth had left Perth shell-shocked and they had the first five goals of the contest when Tyson Moulton kicked truly too.
Luke Salomone at least kicked a goal for Perth before quarter-time.
Five minutes into the second quarter and it was more of the same with goals for West Perth to Strijk and Keitel as the margin grew to 36 points before the Demons got a steadier courtesy of Salomone again.
But the Falcons responded shortly after thanks to Moulton and then answered a Perth goal to Kristian Cary when Knott kicked his second too. Moulton's third put the Falcons 41 points up and then Michael Lourey made that that 46 points.
West Perth's lead had grown to 53 points by half-time when Strijk booted his third of the opening half too.
West Perth looked likely to put the hammer further down in the third quarter when Jay van Berlo kicked a goal in the opening minutes to make it a 59-point ball game. But Perth kicked the only other goal of a forgettable third term courtesy of Corey Byrne at the 19-minute mark.
The Demons got back within 47 points early in the last term when John Levien kicked a goal too. But West Perth went on to kick the last three goals of the game, including two more to Keitel to give him five for the day and the Falcons the 62-point victory.
Perth's reserves started the day at Lathlain Park with a strong 19.10 (124) to 8.8 (56) victory against West Perth.
Michael Bennell kicked four goals for the Demons, Anton Scotney three, Kurtis Chester two, Isaac Buckley two and James Corner two.
Chester also compiled 27 possessions for Perth, Daniel Horan 27, Callum Marshall 27, Mitch Browne 25, Shaun Smith 24 and Lennon Marlin 17.
Mitch Peirce kicked two goals for West Perth to go with 19 possessions.
Brayden Antonio gathered 18 disposals for the Falcons, Scott Nelson 18, Steve Potente 18, Jacob Turner 17 and Matt Guadagnin 14 as he embarks another comeback attempt in 2018 while his cousin, Zac, 15 years his junior is embarking on his league career.
Perth now has a significant break with the bye to come in Round 6 ahead of the State game before returning to action in Round 7 against Claremont on Saturday May 19 at Claremont Oval.
West Perth now has unenviable task this Saturday of taking on the rampant and refreshed Subiaco at Leederville Oval. The Lions have beaten East Perth, South Fremantle, Swan Districts and Claremont to start the season by an average of 89.5 points before the bye last weekend.
PERTH 1.3 4.7 5.11 6.15 (51)
WEST PERTH 5.3 13.6 14.10 17.11 (113)
PERTH – Goals: Salomone 2; Byrne, Yeo, Cary, Levien.
Best: Leggett, Byrne, Bourne, Edmonds, Nicholas, Salomone.
WEST PERTH – Goals: Keitel 5; Strijk, Moulton 3; Knott 2; Lourey, Manzone, van Berlo, West.
Best: Strijk, Wilhelm, Chalmers, Lourey, Nelson, Meadows, Keitel, Black.
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