Match Report – Thursday night Lions demolitionFriday, June 4, 2021 - 12:34 PM - by Matt Paddick

SUBIACO has sent a message to the entire competition, showing their destructive best in their 16.13 (109) to 1.5 (11) victory over Perth at Mineral Resources Park on Thursday.

It was set up to be a compelling contest, with Perth having impressive wins in their last two games in the lead up to their clash against the ladder-leading Lions.

Subiaco’s Greg Clark broke the early tag to dominate, with 42 disposals and a goal, while Ben Sokol was terrific with six goals in the first half.

For the Demons, backman Austin Davis did everything he could to be the driving force of the team, as Christian Eyres tried all day, with a game-high 40 hit outs.

In the first term, Sokol looked to be a force early, kicking five straight to put Subiaco in front early.

Perth had no answers for Beau Wardman’s men, as the Lions put the pressure on, both forward and behind the ball. 

Subiaco kept Perth scoreless: the first time the Demons have been restricted to no score at quarter-time since 2015.

The Lions kicked six goals for the term to be up by 40 points at the first break.

Perth had their chances in the second quarter, but weren’t able to make the most of it, as they kicked two behinds before Sokol put through his sixth goal for the night.

While the Demons had improved their effort and intensity, it all went Subiaco’s way, as three more goals in the quarter stretched their lead to 61 points at half-time. 

It was more of the same in the second half, as the Lions continued to put the foot down.

They kicked five goals and five behinds for the third quarter, to Perth’s two points, increasing their lead to 94 points.

With the sting well and truly taken out of the game, onlookers roared as Perth’s Simon Hayward put through his side’s first and only goal in the 17th minute of the final term. 

Subiaco dominated the stats all game, and cruised home in the end to walk away 98-point victors.

SUPERB SOKOL KICKS FIVE IN A QUARTER
It was well and truly the Ben Sokol show during the first quarter in Lathlain. The big-bodied forward was the focal point for the Lions, and made it look easy against the Demons’ backline. The 25-year-old was the beneficiary of accurate inside 50s from his teammates, which allowed him to go back for multiple set shots. He put through five goals in the opening term to blow Perth away, and set Subiaco up for a big win.

YOUNG LIONS IMPRESS UNDER LIGHTS
While the usual suspects for Subiaco were influential against the Demons, it was the next level of talent who also showed what they are capable of at league level. The Hickmott brothers both played a role in the win, as they both looked to move the ball inside their forward 50. Liam played more of an inside role and had 23 disposals, while Wil was on the wing and had 20 touches of his own. The pair had eight inside 50s among them, and often combined with one another in doing so. The Sorrento-Duncraig products showed Lions’ fans the future of the club is in good hands going forward. 

INEXPERIENCE PLAYING A FACTOR IN THE DEMOLITION
Perth haven’t had things go their way this season in terms of injuries, with many of their best 22 unavailable to play. The Demons played two debutants in Jack Steel and Jack Avery, and had eight on the field who had played less than 10 games. It was certainly a young Perth outfit, with the Demons giving up around 14 games of experience per player compared to Subiaco. It showed on field, as Subiaco looked a class above under lights.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 9

PERTH            0.0    0.3    0.5    1.5 (11)
SUBIACO        6.4    10.4    15.9    16.13 (109)

PERTH: Goals – Hayward.
Best – Colledge, Clarke, Nicholas, Davis, Avery.
SUBIACO: Goals – Sokol 6; Braut 2; Marsh, Clark, Beverley, Delahunty, Brandon Matera, Bailey Matera, Faraone, Kitchin.
Best – Clark, Delahunty, Sokol, Kitchin, Kennedy, Marsh, Litherland, L Hickmott.