TABtouch Team of Round 7Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 11:05 AM - by Chris Pike

IT was quite the dramatic Round 7 in the WAFL on Saturday with Mitch Peirce and Zac Strom kicking the match-winners with the last kicks of their games for West Perth and South Fremantle respectively with impressive wins also for Subiaco, Swan Districts and East Fremantle.

All five matches in Round 7 of the WAFL took place on Saturday afternoon with players delivering some scintillating individual performances and teams combining to play out some thrillers, and there ending up being some upset results.

Swan Districts returned to the winner's list and ended a nine-game losing streak at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval with a 10.10 (70) to 7.14 (56) victory over the West Coast Eagles with Matt Riggio delivering a best on ground performance.

South Fremantle made it five consecutive wins but it took the last kick of the game from Zac Strom for the Bulldogs to overcome East Perth 15.13 (103) to 16.6 (102) at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Subiaco adjusted to life without Josh Deluca with a hard fought 11.10 (76) to 8.4 (52) win against Claremont at Claremont Oval with the Lions bouncing back from their first defeat since the 2017 Grand Final.

East Fremantle made it consecutive wins and handed Perth its second straight loss at East Fremantle's New Choice Homes Park, with the Sharks prevailing 12.8 (80) to 9.8 (62) with Cameron Eardley particularly outstanding.

The later starting fixture took place at Joondalup's HBF Arena and it was a second straight thriller between West Perth and Peel already this season. 

In the end it was the last two goals of the game from Andrew Strijk and Mitch Peirce that led to the Falcons beating the Thunder 12.6 (78) to 11.7 (73).

Following seven rounds of the 2019 season, Subiaco (6-1) remains on top of the ladder but only just on percentage ahead of the also 6-1 South Fremantle.

Perth (5-2) remains in third position with Claremont (4-3) and Peel Thunder (3-4) rounding out the top five ahead of West Perth (3-4), Swan Districts (2-5), West Coast Eagles (2-5), East Perth (2-5) and East Fremantle (2-5).

PLAYER OF THE ROUND – MITCH PEIRCE
Having had to serve his apprenticeship awaiting a regular chance in the West Perth midfield, he earned a regular spot in 2018 in a team that reached the Grand Final and now has gone from solid contributor to outright star so far in 2019 including a match-winning display on Saturday.

He has come right through the ranks at West Perth playing 40 colts matches before earning his first taste of senior football with 13 reserves appearances in 2015.

He broke through for two league appearances in 2016 and looked capable of playing at the level, but finding spots in a team with plenty of midfield depth wasn’t an easy task.

Despite continued strong ball winning and tackling form in the reserves, he only managed four league appearances in 2017 but that all changed in 2018 as he became a regular player in a Falcons side that ended up making it all the way to the Grand Final.

He averaged 19.0 disposals and 7.4 tackles a game in his 16 league appearances in 2018 and now has gone to another level so far in 2019.

Even before Saturday's match-winning best on ground performance for the Falcons, the 22-year-old had been averaging 21.3 disposals including a season-high 28 possessions last week in West Perth's win against Perth.

Then on Saturday against Peel Thunder at HBF Arena, it was the best performance of his 29-game league career when he led the Falcons to the win. 

He racked up 36 possessions, 12 marks, eight inside-50 entries, three tackles and a goal. It wasn’t just any goal, though, it turned out to be the last kick of the game that saw him put West Perth in front by five points and for them to make it three consecutive victories.

Players of the Round
Round 1 – Kyal Horsley (Subiaco)
Round 2 –  Anton Hamp (Claremont)
Round 3 – Haiden Schloithe (South Fremantle)
Round 4 – Brant Colledge (Perth)
Round 5 – Tony Notte (Swan Districts)
Round 6 – Rohan Kerr (East Perth)
Round 7 – Mitch Peirce (West Perth)

BACK POCKET – JAXON CAHILL (East Perth)
The young small forward is fitting into league football impressively this season and put together another tremendous performance on Saturday against the Bulldogs. Despite the Royals narrowly losing in the finish, he was terrific with 24 possessions and nine marks while also helping to keep South Fremantle's small forwards from getting loose.

FULL-BACK – ANTON HAMP (Claremont)
Is right up there as the leading key defender in the competition right now and consistently has been for a couple of years. Did well opposed to Subiaco's tall forwards while also finishing the afternoon with 16 possessions and eight marks despite the eventual loss for Claremont.

BACK POCKET – LACHLAN MARTINIS (Claremont)
Has turned himself into one of the best attacking defenders in the competition this season and his consistent form continued on Saturday despite Claremont ending up losing to Subiaco. He finished the afternoon with 22 possessions, four marks, two tackles and two inside-50 entries.

HALF-BACK FLANK – MORGAN DAVIES (East Fremantle)
The Claremont recruit has likely been East Fremantle's most consistent performer so far this season settling into a role across half-back where he has done a good job of setting up play. He continued that form in Saturday's win against Perth with another 22 possessions and eight marks.

CENTRE HALF-BACK – MICHAEL SINCLAIR (Perth)
The State defender continues to be tremendously consistent and outstanding in defence for Perth where his ability to read the play, intercept opposition forays forward and then set up play going the other way makes him a standout. Despite the loss to East Fremantle, he still 27 possessions, six marks and four tackles for the Demons.

HALF-BACK FLANK – BLAKE WILHELM (West Perth)
Has now become an experienced leader and consistent performer off the half-back line for West Perth with 77 WAFL games under his belt. His ability to run and carry the ball out of defence, and to use it well by foot make him a standout performer. He delivered his best game of the season on Saturday in the win over Peel with 30 possessions and 10 marks.

WING – KANE MITCHELL (Claremont)
While his fellow Sandover Medallist in the midfield, Jye Bolton, was well held by Subiaco, he produced a trademark prolific and hard running performance to do all he could to keep the Tigers in the contest against the Lions. Ended up racking up 32 possessions to go with nine marks, five tackles and four inside-50 entries for the game.

CENTRE – MATT RIGGIO (Swan Districts)
The 182-game WAFL veteran delivered his best performance of the season for Swan Districts in Saturday's win against the West Coast Eagles in a best on ground display. He was tremendous through the middle and also proved dangerous drifting forward to end the afternoon with 26 possessions, 11 tackles and two goals.

WING – ROHAN KERR (East Perth)
The reigning WAFL Player of the Round continued his tremendous and consistent start to the WAFL season having joined East Perth in 2019 after two years out of the system. Another big outing on the wing against South Fremantle at the port on Saturday where he produced 28 possessions, 11 marks, four tackles and three entries inside the forward 50.

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – SHARROD WELLINGHAM (East Perth)
The Collingwood AFL premiership player and former West Coast utility has struggled to get up from week to week this season to date, but he showed how clever, dangerous and effective he can be when on the field in Saturday's narrow defeat for the Royals against the Bulldogs. He kicked three clever and classy goals to go with 16 possessions, nine marks and five inside 50s.

CENTRE HALF-FORWARD – MASON SHAW (South Fremantle)
The key forward and South Fremantle vice-captain continues to embrace being the main target in attack for the Bulldogs this year and produced another match-winning performance in Saturday's win against East Perth. Ended up kicking five goals from 14 possessions and six marks to have now booted 17 goals in the past four matches.

HALF-FORWARD FLANK – HAIDEN SCHLOITHE (South Fremantle)
The 2017 Sandover Medallist has started the season in superb form getting right back to his best of two years ago and he can consider himself unlucky that he didn’t join teammate Marlion Pickett and fellow former Docker Josh Deluca as being picked up in the AFL Mid-Season Draft. Couldn’t have done more on Saturday than his superb performance made up of 30 possessions and six inside-50 entries.

FORWARD POCKET – TRENT MANZONE (West Perth)
The hard-running midfielder is in the best form of his 111-game WAFL career so far in 2019 and that continued in Saturday's win against Peel Thunder where not only did he win plenty of the ball through the middle but also got forward and was damaging. Ended up kicking two goals from 26 possessions, seven marks, three tackles and three inside 50s.

FULL-FORWARD – ANDREW STRIJK (West Perth)
It's remarkable to think that up until a little over 12 months ago he had never spent much time playing deep forward. Having spent most of his 234-game career either at half-forward or half-back, he continues to be the most natural player to play out of the goal square in some time. Kicked another three goals from seven scoring shots in the win against Peel with 15 disposals and eight marks.

FORWARD POCKET – HARLEY BENNELL (Peel Thunder)
The injury-plagued but hugely talented Fremantle-listed player returned from constant calf complaints to play his first game of the season on Saturday and instantly put his hand up for an AFL call up with the Dockers. Almost led the Thunder to the win as well with his 30 possessions, five marks and two goals.

RUCK – BROCK HIGGINS (South Fremantle)
Continues to be the standout ruckman in the competition in 2019 and again had the better of an emerging big man in East Perth's Ajang Ajang as South Fremantle kept its winning form going at Fremantle Community Bank Oval. Finished the afternoon with 19 possessions, 33 hit outs, four tackles and three marks.

RUCK ROVER – CAMERON EARDLEY (East Fremantle)
The prolific East Fremantle on-baller is nearing his 100-game WAFL milestone and was instrumental in the win against Perth on Saturday with a best on ground display. He turned on a tremendous showing against a strong opposition midfield brigade to finish the afternoon with 37 disposals, nine inside-50 entries, four marks and a goal.

INTERCHANGE – CRAIG HOSKINS (Subiaco)
Was given the run-with job on Claremont's dual Sandover Medallist Jye Bolton on Saturday at Claremont Oval and his successful performance in limiting his influence was instrumental in Subiaco bouncing  back to win after their first loss since the 2017 Grand Final. He held Bolton to just eight possessions when he hadn’t had a game this season with less than 29 touches while he had seven possessions, five tackles and three marks himself.

INTERCHANGE – SHANE NELSON (West Perth)
Yet another tremendous showing in the midfield from the triple fairest and best winner who is now just four games of his 150th game at the Falcons that will see him earn life membership. Is showing no signs of slowing down, in fact continues to go from strength to strength. Finished with 33 disposals, six marks and five tackles in the narrow win against Peel at HBF Arena.

INTERCHANGE – LEIGH KITCHIN (Subiaco)
With Josh Deluca out of the team and now gone for the rest of the season from Subiaco, the first-year captain stepped up in the midfield to deliver a terrific performance in the win over Claremont. Finished with 28 possessions, seven marks, six inside 50s, five tackles and a goal.

INTERCHANGE – NICK KOMMER (East Fremantle)
Coming off a best on ground performance in East Fremantle's breakthrough win against Swan Districts, he backed it up with another outstanding showing in the win against Perth showing just how valuable his presence is to any success the Sharks are to have. Put together a game made up of 30 possessions, five marks, four tackles and three inside-50 entries.
 

UNLUCKY BUNCH
There were plenty of players who delivered tremendous performances across Round 7 but couldn’t quite fit into the Team of the Round, including:

Swan Districts' George Hampson, Jesse Turner, Josh Cipro, Corey Gault and Tony Notte.

West Coast Eagles' Josh Smith, Brady Grey, Jarrod Cameron, Andrew Fisher, Brendon Ah Chee and Keegan Brooksby.

South Fremantle's Jacob Dragovich, Shaun Bewick, Jake Florenca, Nick Suban and Zac Strom.

East Perth's Patrick McGinnity and Shaquille McKenzie.

East Fremantle's Blaine Boekhorst, Luke Strnadica and Tom Monaghan.

Perth's Zareth Roe, Matthew Taylor, Cody Leggett, Clint Jones, Jacob Payne and Corey Byrne.

Claremont's Jack Bradshaw, Ryan Lim, Declan Mountford and Bailey Rogers.

Subiaco's Ryan Borchet, Rowen Powell, Kyal Horsley, Hayden Kennedy and Ben Newton.

West Perth's Tyler Keitel, Aaron Black, Corey Chalmers and Aidan Lynch.

Peel Thunder's Blair Bell, Lachie Schultz, Stefan Giro, Mitch Crowden, Travis Colyer and Tobe Watson.