WITH five teams having a bye in Round 18, East Perth took its opportunity to move within half a game of fourth-placed West Perth after easily accounting for Peel Thunder at Rushton Park on Saturday.
The Royals remain a slim chance to play in this year’s finals series after winning four of their past five games. Hindering Tony Micale’s team is the fact they have played two more games than the Falcons.
The Thunder seems destined for another wooden spoon.
Mat Seal and Ben McKinley kicked five goals each for East Perth in the 19.11 (125) to 11.10 (76) win.
Wingman Craig Wulff was outstanding for the winners, being best afield with 35 touches, seven marks, six tackles and one goal.
Andrew Merrington was excellent in the ruck and Trevor Oliver and Brendan Hancock gave their team plenty of drive out of defence.
Three of Seal’s goals came in the opening term as the visitors kicked seven goals to one to set up the win.
It was the same old story for Peel with too much left to too few.
Matt Battye kicked five goals for the Thunder, while Kain Robbins provided his midfielders with a strong target, finishing with four goals. The duo combined for nine of Peel’s 11 goals.
Peel wasn’t aided by the fact by midfielder Simon Rosa had to leave the field with concussion.
The Royals had 30 more tackles, nine more inside 50s and 18 more hit-outs than their opponent.
SOUTH Fremantle scored a huge psychological victory over Subiaco at Medibank Stadium on Friday night in a top-of-the-table clash.
The Bulldogs won a tight encounter 14.13 (97) to 11.12 (78) to move a game clear of the Lions at the top of the WAFL table.
The win will give John Dimmer’s players a great deal of confidence should they meet the Lions in this year’s grand final.
Callum Wilson’s outstanding form continued with another five goals for the winners, four of them coming in the final quarter, while Kris Miller and Peter Bell combined for 55 possessions.
Wilson should have had seven or eight goals but kicked six behinds to go with his five majors.
Kyle Hams, Sam Hunt, Toby McGrath and Reece Adams were others to star for the winners.
Trent Dennis-Lane kicked four goals for the Lions in the absence of Brad Smith.
Eagle Tyson Stenglein (Sub) was solid with 16 touches and Adam Cockie (Sub) worked his way into the match.
The home team started the better of the two teams with a four-goal opening quarter, but the Bulldogs got back into the game in the second term with five goals to take an 11-point lead into the main break.
They ran over the top of the reigning premiers with six goals to four in the final quarter.
The Bulldogs had 19 more tackles for the night and eight more inside 50s.
Michael Rix (Sub) had 33 hit-outs and 17 possessions in a night not suitable for big men to be among his team’s best, while Chad Fletcher toiled hard for 31 touches and Shaun Hildebrandt had 10 marks to go with his 27 possessions.
League ladder: South Fremantle 44; Subiaco 40; Swan Districts 38; West Perth 34; East Perth 32; Perth 28; East Fremantle 24; Claremont 20; Peel Thunder 20.
Leading goalkickers: 52 - Chad Jones (Cla); 50 - Trent Dennis-Lane (Sub); 43 - Brad Smith (Sub); 42 - Tim Geappen (SD); 37 - Brent LeCras (WP).
Round 19 (all games starting at 2.15pm, Saturday): Perth v Subiaco, EFTel Oval; Claremont v Swan Districts, Claremont Oval; West Perth v East Fremantle, Arena Joondalup; Peel Thunder v South Fremantle, Anniversary Park, Rockingham.