Week 1 Finals Men’s Match Report

It was mixed results to open the WAFL Men’s finals on Sunday for the two competing Swan Districts teams with the colts losing the elimination final but the reserves prevailing in the qualifying final.

Both teams were in action on Sunday at East Fremantle’s The Good Grocer Park with the Swan Districts colts attempting to keep their season alive while the reserves had earned a double chance, and had the opportunity to get within one win of a grand final appearance.

The day’s action got underway at The Good Grocer Park with the colts elimination final which saw Swan Districts take on West Perth with the two teams having finished the home and away season in fourth and fifth position.

There’s been great excitement surrounding Leon Kickett since his impressive couple of league games to close the season and he came back to the colts on Sunday, and kicked two goals in the opening five minutes.

Levi Calcott also kicked another goal in the opening quarter but West Perth also kicked three goals up the other with the Falcons then going into the quarter-time break with the four-point advantage.

It was goal for goal throughout the second quarter and the goals from Kickett, Calcott and Blake Kelly kept Swan Districts in touch and West Perth’s lead was just four points by half-time.

It was then a blistering start to the second half from Swan Districts with three goals in the first seven minutes from Calcott, Carlos Partington and Kickett.

That saw the Swans out to a 15-point lead which became 21 when Cooper Shord also kicked truly and the black-and-whites had all the momentum.

West Perth did manage the last goal of the third quarter but still by three quarter-time it was Swan Districts leading by 13 points.

However, from there it was all West Perth in the last quarter kicking the only four goals to turn that 13-point deficit into the 11.13 (79) to 10.4 (64) victory.

Leon Kickett ended up kicking four goals in the last game of the colts season for the Swan Districts colts from his six kicks.

Levi Calcott also kicked three goals from 13 possessions and four marks.

Blake Kelly gathered 24 possessions for the Swans, Ezekiel Hewett, Lucas Andrews 17, Soren Feast 16 and Leo Steed 16.

A spot in the reserves second semi-final then went on the line when Swan Districts took on South Fremantle at The Good Grocer Park in the qualifying final.

It was a perfect start from Swan Districts with the first two goals of the game courtesy of Luke Kelly and Henrick Alforque inside the opening nine minutes.

Alforque also added a second goal shortly before quarter-time but it was South Fremantle who had three goals as well and were leading by two points at the first break.

Swan Districts then kicked the only two goals of the second quarter thanks to Alforque and Chayse Martinson which saw the black-and-whites head into the half-time interval with the 12-point advantage against the Bulldogs.

Otis Harvey kicked the only goal for Swan Districts in the third quarter and that was enough to maintain a five-point lead by three quarter-time for the Swans.

Nathan Ireland, Ayden Cartwright, Ireland again and Kristian Caporn then combined to give the black-and-whites the opening four goals of the last quarter which opened up a 30-point lead.

South Fremantle did manage the last three goals but Swan Districts went on to score the 10.8 (68) to 8.7 (55) victory to book in a spot in the second semi-final against Claremont this Sunday at Revo Fitness Stadium with a grand final place on the line.

Henrick Alforque kicked three goals from 11 possessions in the win for the Swans with Nathan Ireland booting two from his six kicks and six marks.

Connor Blakely racked up 28 possessions for Swan Districts, Ayden Cartwright 25, Luke Kelly 24, Luke Cotellessa 22, Ethyn Kane 18, Chase Loftus 16 and Brodyn Fitzgerald 16.