Match Report – Accurate Sharks make Falcons paySunday, August 29, 2021 - 11:00 AM - by Charlie McCormack

A REMARKABLY accurate East Fremantle has bid farewell this version of East Fremantle Oval in style ending the 2021 WAFL season in impressive form beating a terribly inaccurate West Perth on Saturday.

The Sharks were playing their last game of the season with a bye to come in the final round and arrived at New Choice Homes Park with momentum on the back of wins the last fortnight at Leederville Oval against Subiaco and East Perth.

However, West Perth deserve to be considered the form team of the competition coming into the game on the back of a win over the reigning premiers South Fremantle last Sunday and winning eight of their last nine overall.

The Falcons had the chance to rise to second spot on the ladder with a win over the Sharks on Saturday too, but the game took on a remarkable trend with East Fremantle supremely accurate and West Perth the complete opposite.

By the end of the afternoon, East Fremantle had kicked 20 goals and three behinds with West Perth managing just nine goals and 23 behinds which saw the Sharks end up winning by 46 points, 20.3 (123) to 9.23 (77).

East Fremantle Oval is now set to undergo a $25-million redevelopment and this team of 2021 did its part in honouring the history with a host of players on hand to bid farewell to this current ground.

Not only did East Fremantle win to pay respect to that history, but the Sharks finish the season now with three strong wins. 

It's the first time they have won three in-a-row since 2016 and also is a first win for coach Bill Monaghan against West Perth he won a premiership and is the all-time longest serving and winningest coach.

It was a crucial blow to the Falcons top three aspirations, with the result seeing them fall a game behind South Fremantle and Claremont into fourth place. 

Hugh Dixon kicked five goals and asserted his dominance aerially with nine marks while Kyle Baskerville was outstanding in accumulating 42 disposals and nine marks as he finished his career-best season with a best on ground display. 

Captain Matthew Jupp had the job on Bernie Naylor Medal leader Tyler Keitel and held the star forward to two goals in what was an enthralling duel between two quality players.

Ball magnet Shane Nelson never stopped working for the Falcons as he registered a whopping 44 disposals, while skipper Aaron Black (32 disposals) and wingman Steven Potente (27 disposals) also found plenty of the football. 

The Falcons were the better side in the opening stanza, but failed to make the most of their territorial dominance by squandering plenty of gettable opportunities.

At the other end, Dixon was causing the West Perth defensive unit all sorts of problems, as the Tasmanian booted three first quarter goals to help his side to a four-point lead at the first change. 

Dixon would kick his fourth to start the second quarter, before the Falcons began to get on top as they hit the front midway through the term after an excellent crumbing goal to Keegan Knott. 

But a purple patch from Blaine Boekhorst would help the Sharks wrestle back the lead before half-time, with the former Carlton wingman kicking two goals and setting up another in a 15-minute burst to help his side to a 12-point advantage at the break. 

The Sharks carried that momentum into the second half, as they made a blistering start to the third term to boot three goals in five minutes and blow the margin out to 30 points. 

Black would respond with a major for the Falcons, but they continued to fluff their lines in front of goal, and had no answer for the Sharks run and transition ball movement from defence to attack. 

Tom Monaghan booted his first goal before tough midfielder Luke English kicked a classy goal out of a stoppage to extend the margin out to 38 points just before three quarter-time. 

The Falcons closed to within 23 points early in the last term but Dixon would respond immediately with a thumping set shot for his fifth goal and the Sharks would kick away from there to seal a comprehensive victory. 

SHARKS HONOUR HISTORY
In their final game at East Fremantle Oval before its redevelopment, the Sharks hosted a number of their past players for the clash with West Perth. The former Sharks would have enjoyed their afternoon in the marquee set up, as the current-day Sharks played a hard-running brand of football to upset West Perth and continue their superb late-season form. After the strong finish to the season, there would be hope amongst East Fremantle fans that the Sharks can return to their glory days sooner rather than later, as the wait for their first premiership since 1998 continues. 

INACCURACY HAUNTS FALCONS
The adage that bad kicking is bad football couldn’t be more apt then when summarising the contest between East Fremantle and West Perth. While the Falcons enjoyed a territorial dominance for most of the game (winning inside 50s 56-43), they missed a plethora of kickable chances to put on scoreboard pressure while at the other end, the Sharks were deadly, kicking an unbelievable 20.3. Sasha Kernutt was the worst culprit for the visitors, undoing his good work with five behinds while the usually reliable Keegan Knott booted four of his own.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 21

EAST FREMANTLE        4.1    9.2    15.3    20.3 (123)
WEST PERTH            2.9    5.14    7.22    9.23 (77)

EAST FREMANTLE: Goals – Dixon 5; Monaghan 3; Boekhorst, Marsh, Lester-Smith, O'Reilly 2; Kommer, Jansen, English, Holmes.
Best – Baskerville, Dixon, Tassone, Boekhorst, Eardley, Marsh, O'Reilly, English.
WEST PERTH: Goals – Black, Knott, Keitel 2; Shane Nelson, Peirce, Delaporte.
Best – Shane Nelson, Black, Potente, Hobley, Murray, Guadagnin.