Schofield proud of Subiaco's resilience, excellenceWednesday, September 5, 2018 - 11:08 AM - by Chris Pike

GIVEN Subiaco's dominance of the WAFL in recent times it was hard to imagine they could go up another level, but that has happened in 2018 with the minor premiership in all three grades and an undefeated league season and coach Jarrad Schofield couldn't be prouder.

Having already won premierships this century in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2015 on top of Grand Final appearances in 2003, 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2017, it was hard to imagine there was further improvement left at the Lions.

However, spurred on by the pain of losing the past two Grand Finals to Peel Thunder despite being the standout team through the home and away seasons, Subiaco has put together a simply remarkable 2018 season.

The Lions went right through the home and away season undefeated at league level amassing a perfect 18-0 record in doing so becoming the first WAFL side to achieve the feat since East Fremantle in 1946, with East Perth having also accomplished it in 1944.

Not only that, but Subiaco's reserves and colts teams also finished on top of the ladder to earn the minor premierships and a week off last weekend as the WAFL finals series for 2018 got underway.

It is the first time that all three grades for Subiaco have claimed the minor premiership and it's only the second time it's happened in WAFL history following the East Perth team of 1967.

Now it's a day of second semi-finals in store at Leederville Oval on Sunday with Subiaco's colts hosting Swan Districts, the reserves taking on East Perth and the league side playing South Fremantle with a Grand Final spot at Optus Stadium on the line for the winner of all three contests.

Having already been the minor premiers at league level the last three years, winning premierships in 2014 and 2015, and reaching Grand Finals the past two years, it was a big ask from Schofield to expect Subiaco to improve further in 2018.

That has without question happened but he is just as proud of the efforts of the whole club to be minor premiers across all three grades.

Now he has his team ready for a South Fremantle team coming off a 98-point qualifying final win over West Perth but who they have beaten in each of the past two finals series.

There will be no complacency by anyone at Subiaco, though, and Schofield is fully aware that anything can happen in finals now no matter how good the home and away season has been.

"I'm super proud of the whole playing group and the whole club to have three teams as minor premiers," Schofield said. 

"That has really set the club up for the future as well. I'm super proud and the guys understand that they work hard then they get the rewards, and that reward is to hopefully walk away with the premiership. 

"But we understand finals are a new season and it can be anyone's because if you're off your game, you can be found out for sure."

As minor premiers four straight years and having already played in the past four Grand Finals in-a-row, the motivation coming from losing the past two premiership deciders has been a significant factor driving on everyone at Subiaco in 2018.

But for Schofield more than anything, it's about that pride in improving and pressure coming from everyone within the club to continually get better that continues to mean they are always pushing one another to improve even if going through an undefeated season in 2018.

Even going back to last year, Schofield was proud of the way the Lions bounced back from losing the second semi-final to Peel to beat South Fremantle in a preliminary final following a slow start to reach a fourth straight Grand Final.

So coming into 2018, they have learned a lot from what went right the last two years and what didn’t quite work in Grand Final week or on Grand Final day, and despite having won 18 straight matches there's no complacency or a feeling that a loss is getting closer with every victory.

Schofield and his Subiaco playing group are solely focused on the job at hand for right now that is South Fremantle in this Sunday's second semi-final at Leederville Oval.

"We've learned a lot about our game this year and from the disappointment of the last two years, but that's in the past now," he said.

"We have a driven group, we've brought new faces into our playing group, we've developed our own and debuted 10 young fellas this year to really add to our depth. We feel like we are better prepared and the hurt of last year still sits in the guts of some of our senior guys.

"I think if anything, we've had a foundation of resilience set amongst the group having gone through last year of losing the first game of the season, winning 19 straight and then losing that first final against Peel. 

"It showed the resilience of the playing group to respond in two weeks and then really dominate the game in last year's Grand Final but we just couldn’t kick straight. I think our guys are better prepared and you might say that the more we win that we're one game closer to losing, but we don’t believe that internally. 

"We focus on week to week and I think that shows the mental strength and resilience of our playing group to keep getting up every week. But we are under no illusions that we set ourselves up to have a week off and the competition in the finals is going to be honest, and hopefully our best footy will come through in the finals."

Subiaco's forward-line had some question marks over it coming into 2018 with the departures for the AFL of Liam Ryan and Liam Baker, but there was no need for concern with them going on to average 113.9 points a game and score over 100 points on 11 occasions and kick 18 goals or more eight times.

Having a variety of goalkickers has been key to that with Ben Sokol kicking 37 goals, Lachlan Delahunty 30, Brad Stevenson 29, Rhys Waters 25, Zac Clarke 25 and Kyle Halligan 21.

As good as Subiaco's attack has been, perhaps their miserly defence has been even better conceding just 51.4 points a game while having held their opponents to 70 or less points on 17 occasions and to under 10 goals or less another 14 times.

Schofield has been happy with the mix in the forward-line without one main spearhead like Matt Boland, Hamish Shepheard or Liam Ryan, but he knows it's about more than just those who end up kicking the goals.

"In the past we've had Boland, Shepheard and Liam Ryan as key figures in our forward-line and sometimes you can be zeroed in on that," he said.

"But what we've been able to do this year is spread the load and it wasn’t a major focus to score heavily, but it was about getting more avenues to goal. 

"Fortunately for us, it's worked that way and guys had runs at it throughout the year, but that comes on the back of how you play defensively as well."

Because of its dominant home and away season, Subiaco earned the week off in the opening weekend of the finals as South Fremantle went on to thrash West Perth by 98 points and Claremont stay alive by eliminating East Perth.

It allowed Subiaco to get back to full health too and now Ben Newton, Adam Cockie and Rhys Waters will be among those players attempting to break back into the league side for Sunday's second semi-final against the Bulldogs.

"We've had some guys who are not getting any younger and it was an opportunity to rest them. Adam had played eight games straight which is good for him when he's got a knee that's about to blow out so it was good for him to rest," Schofield said. 

"Benny Newton had a bit of general soreness but the quality of player he is, he can step straight back in. Rhys Waters has probably missed four or five games but he's been training hard and we are just making sure we get his preparation right because he's a key figure to us."