Subiaco win thriller over West Perth in Joondalup Saturday, April 17, 2021 - 8:29 PM

THEY have quite the storied rivalry and added another chapter on Saturday with Greg Clark kicking Subiaco's winning goal in the dying stages for a three-point win against West Perth in Round 3 at Provident Financial Oval.

It was a tremendous contest right from the outside at Joondalup with West Perth starting on fire before Subiaco gained the advantage of the breeze and piled on seven goals in the second quarter.

The game was then always destined to finish in thrilling fashion and it was decided with a brilliant piece of ruck work in the forward pocket from Sandover Medallist Lachlan Delahunty. 

He palmed it down to Subiaco teammate Greg Clark who capped his best on ground performance by weaving his way through the tight confines to snap truly and deliver Subiaco the 14.10 (94) to 14.7 (91) in remarkable fashion.

West Perth came out strong in the first quarter, with visible improvement in their ball movement compared to previous weeks, making clean passes that saw the ball make its way forward quickly and efficiently resulting in two quick goals from Keegan Knott and Tyler Keitel.

The Lions did likewise, playing a more traditional style ensuring there was always six players in front of the ball, to allow more opportunity for it to move.

Despite the opportunities, they struggled to execute passes resulting in multiple turnovers which saw them quickly falling behind, leaving them with a 22-point gap to fill at quarter-time.

The Falcons dominated contested possessions in the first quarter, upping the Lions by 15 at quarter-time. 

Their clean ball use matched with their fast-paced play had Subiaco struggling to get possession and bring the ball back to their forward half.

West Perth’s dominance continued early in the second quarter, their speed with the ball often leaving Subiaco defenders exposed and falling behind the ball.

While their defence was lacking, the Lions began to settle in moving the ball forward, producing three back to back goals that propelled them past the Falcons to lead them by five points at half-time, winning the quarter with seven goals to three from West Perth.

Harry Marsh lead the opening half for the Lions with two goals and 11 disposals, with Jordan Faraone and Ben Sokol also contributing two goals each, showing the team needed to be stopped going forward if the Falcons wanted to stay in the game.

The third quarter saw an end to end game take shape as both teams implemented intense ball pressure causing fumbles for either side. West Perth were hungry to get back ahead while the Lions were looking to prevent the Falcons from scoring keep their win-streak. 

West Perth’s determination was evident in their very physical and aggressive play, which consequently caused them to make simple mistakes, producing 1.3 despite the many chances that were given.

Motivated Subiaco forward Ben Sokol ensured the Lions maintain their lead kicking two unanswered goals in the final minutes of the quarter, granting them a 15-point lead going into the final quarter.

The tension proceeded into the final quarter with scores going point for point, both teams chasing a win as the Falcons edged closer to stealing the lead away from the Lions.

Late in the quarter a clean goal from Rudy Riddoch puts the Falcons in front by two which was backed up by a wide-open goal from Knott close to the goal line which looked to have sealed the victory.

But Subiaco were not done, Ryan Borchet coming through with good hands to kick a well needed goal for the Lions bringing them just three points shy leading into the final seconds.

Greg Clark then sealed the match for the Lions claiming possession from a close-range ball-up and bagging the match-winning goal 29 minutes into a nail-biting game, securing the team’s third consecutive win for the season and proving their talent as the ladder leaders.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 3

WEST PERTH            5.1    8.1    9.4    14.7 (91)
SUBIACO            1.3    8.6    11.7    14.10 (94)

WEST PERTH: Goals – Keitel 4; Knott 3; Tedesco 2; Antonio, Rotham, Lynch, Peirce, Riddoch.
Best – Manzone, West, Nelson, Keitel, Peirce, Potente, Wilhelm.
SUBIACO: Goals – Sokol, Faraone 4; Marsh, Borchet 2; Litherland, Clark.
Best – Clark, Kitchin, Marsh, Delahunty, Sokol, Walters, Faraone, Powell.