Round 12 Match Report – Swan Districts v SubiacoTuesday, June 26, 2018 - 3:00 PM - by Chris Pike
SUBIACO kicked the first nine goals of the game on the way to yet another empathic performance as the undefeated league-leaders beat Swan Districts by 82 points at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.
Swan Districts had taken heart from a good start against Subiaco back in Round 3 where they led at quarter-time despite ending up losing that game at Leederville Oval by 96 points.
But there would be no repeat of that on Saturday at Steel Blue Oval with the Lions kicking the first nine goals of the game and Swans going goalless until the 12-minute mark of the second quarter.
It was yet another remarkably dominant performance by Subiaco who have now won all 10 of its matches so far in 2018 winning those by an average of 71.5 points to sit three games and a massive percentage clear on top of the ladder.
Swan Districts has lost its past two matches but still sits in fourth position with a 5-5 record. Swans remain a game clear of the fifth placed East Perth but is now two matches and percentage behind the third placed West Perth.
Subiaco couldn’t have been more dominant all afternoon ending up collecting 146 more possessions than Swan Districts, taking 39 more marks, going inside-50 on 55 occasions to 35 and then ending up with 34 scoring shots to 17 before winning by 82 points.
Subiaco had a host of players that stood up to have huge afternoons at Steel Blue Oval and none more so than captain Kyal Horsley, who continued his brilliant season with another 37 possessions and two goals.
Ruckman Zac Clarke also showed he's warming into the season nicely after missing all of 2017 with a knee injury putting together another 24 disposals, 33 hit outs, nine marks and two goals.
Chris Phelan also ended the game with 31 possessions and two goals while Leigh Kitchin racked up another 37 disposals, Josh Deluca 31 (11 tackles), Braden Fimmano 26 (nine marks), Max Walters 24 and Lachlan Delahunty 22 (12 marks).
Ben Sokol kicked three goals for the Lions along with 22 disposals and 14 marks with Rhys Waters and debutant Tom Edwards-Baldwin kicking two goals as well.
Subiaco's back-line also enjoyed their afternoon led by 28 possessions and eight marks from Aaron Heal. Greg Clark also had 24 disposals and eight marks, Jordan Lockyer 24 touches and 11 marks, and Drew Rohde 17 possessions.
It wasn’t a day full of positives for Swan Districts with Matthew Rogers, Todd Banfield, Corey Gault, Matt Riggio, Jackson Slaters and Steven Payne all kicking a goal each.
Tobe Watson did continue his emergence with another 26 possessions, five marks, five tackles and five entries inside the forward 50.
Riggio also gathered 26 possessions, Rhys Palmer 23, Jesse Turner 19, Rogers 18, Alex Howard 17, Payne 17 and the returning Freddie Clutterbuck 17 to go with eight marks and four tackles in his first league appearance of 2018.
Corey Gault battled hard in the ruck for 17 touches, 34 hit outs, six marks and a goal but the absence of Nathan Blakely meant he had to play on the ball the majority of the day and not provide a marking presence in attack.
Swans did have the first couple of scoring shots of the contest but they were behinds to Matthew Rogers and debutant Brad Fullgrabe. But once Subiaco got some chances, they capitalised starting with goals to Rhys Waters and Josh Deluca.
Zac Clarke, Waters, Max Walters and Ben Sokol then also added first quarter goals with Subiaco up by 36 points at quarter-time.
Subiaco debutant Tom Edwards-Baldwin then showed he belonged at league level kicking two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second quarter in between another from fourth-gamer Mackenzie Lawrence.
Swan Districts did finally get its first goal of the game at the 12-minute mark of the second quarter thanks to Corey Gault. Sokol kicked his second in response soon after for Subiaco before Rogers did goal for the black-and-whites.
But again the Lions finished the half with goals to Chris Phelan and Lachlan Delahunty to be 63 points up at the long break.
Kyal Horsley kicked his first of the day to open the second half before Swans did get one back courtesy of Todd Banfield.
Even Angus Litherland got forward for Subiaco to kick his second goal of the season. Sokol then added his third before Leigh Kitchin kicked truly also before Swans got another thanks to Jackson Slater.
The Lions were still well in control up by 75 points at the last change and that grew to 79 with a goal to Zac Clarke 11 minutes into the last term. Horsley then finished off with the last goal of the game and Subiaco won the contest by 82 points.
Subiaco's good day at Steel Blue Oval continued with a commanding reserves victory, with the Lions winning 15.10 (100) to 8.4 (52).
Subiaco was on top from the outset kicking four goals to one in the first quarter before adding another five to one in the second to be up by 49 points at half-time.
It was then three goals each in the third term before another three each in the last with the Lions ending up winning by 48 points.
Andrew Doyle kicked three goals for Subiaco, Ryan Borchet two, David Ehlers two and Aaron Breman two.
Daniel Leach amassed 36 possessions for the Lions, Adam Cockie 27 and Nick Menegola 20.
Steven Wityk kicked two goals for Swan Districts from five kicks and three marks.
Adam Faulkner picked up 27 possessions for Swans, Callum Garcia 23, Levi Ridley 20, Laurence Grescos 17, Ethan Maguire 17 and Patrick Italiano 17.
Swan Districts now heads to Bendigo Bank Stadium this Saturday trying to bounce back from the big loss against the reigning premier Peel Thunder who are coming off the Round 12 bye.
Subiaco looks to stretch its winning run to 11 heading to Joondalup Arena to play the third placed West Perth on Saturday.
SWAN DISTRICTS 0.3 2.4 5.6 6.11 (47)
SUBIACO 6.3 12.7 17.9 19.15 (129)
SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Rogers, Banfield, Gault, Riggio, Slater, Payne.
Best: T Watson, Riggio, Rogers, Gault, Howard, Palmer, Turner.
SUBIACO – Goals: Sokol 3; Horsley, Waters, Phelan, Clarke, Edwards-Baldwin 2; Kitchin, Litherland, Deluca, Delahunty, Walters, Lawrence.
Best: Horsley, Clarke, Kitchin, Phelan, Deluca, Delahunty, Heal, Fimmano.