Reserves Grand Final Match Report

Swan Districts were made to earn it by West Perth in a tremendous contest in the WAFL Reserves Grand Final on Sunday morning but having been the best team all of 2026, they got the reward of the premiership with the four-point triumph.

Swans had put together a standout home and away season in the Reserves winning the opening 12 matches before ending up two games clear in top spot with a 14-4 record.

They then won straight through to the Grand Final after beating East Perth in the second semi-final ahead of taking on West Perth in the decider at Optus Stadium on Sunday morning.

It turned out to be a tight battle the whole way and West Perth did close to within two points early in the fourth quarter, but Swans ended up having enough of the answers to secure the 9.17 (71) to 10.7 (67) victory and win the 2026 premiership in the Reserves.

Luke Cotellessa is still only 19 years of age and already has played 13 League matches with Swan Districts and he showed what a bright future he has with a best on ground Grand Final performance.

He received the Merv McIntosh Medal as a result having finished with 29 possessions, seven tackles, five entries inside the forward 50 and two goals.

Lewis Zolnier-Owens also kicked two crucial goals in the last quarter to secure the premiership triumph for Swan Districts with Ayden Cartwright kicking two goals as well to go with 19 disposals and eight marks.

Then there was Brad Lynch who finished with 25 possessions for the Swans, Otis Harvey 23, Blake Kelly 23, Tyrone Virgo 21, Cooper Rullo 20, Henrick Alforque 16, Ned Reiger 15 and Tom Smith 11 to go with 32 hit outs in the ruck.

It took less than two minutes for Swan Districts to kick the first goal of the Grand Final courtesy of Henrick Alforque.

But West Perth responded with the next two before Swans did get on a roll with goals to Ned Reiger, Cooper Rullo and Ayden Cartwright before quarter-time and to be leading by 15 points at the first break.

It was West Perth who kicked the opening goal of second quarter before Swan Districts responded at the 14-minute mark thanks to Luke Cotellessa.

The Falcons hit back with the only other goal of the quarter and that limited the lead of Swans at half-time to just 13 points.

West Perth then had it back to a seven-point ball game with the first goal of the third quarter inside less than a minute, but the Swans hit back just over a minute later thanks to Cartwright.

It then took more than 14 minutes for the next goal and that went the way of the Falcons before Cotellessa answered with his second of the contest.

West Perth weren’t going away, though, and added another just before three quarter-time to cut the Swan Districts lead back to seven points.

Things really became tense with the Falcons kicking the first goal of the last term too to bring it back to a two-point game before Lewis Zolnier-Owens kicked truly at the 14-minute mark to put Swans back up by eight.

Then following another West Perth goal, Zolnier-Owens kicked his second at the 23-minute mark and that was enough for Swans to hold on for the four-point win despite another late goal to keep things interesting to the Falcons.