Swans Fall To Falcons In ANZAC Round

SWAN Districts couldn’t quite account for West Perth in Saturday's annual Anzac Round clash at Steel Blue Oval with the Falcons coming away with the 31-point victory.

It was a relatively even battle in what was the sixth straight meeting to commemorate Anzac Day between the growing rivals with the Falcons only managing to lead by 12 points at quarter-time and then four points at the main break.

But the Falcons turned it on with seven unanswered goals during the third quarter to set up the eventual 15.6 (96) to 9.11 (65) victory at Steel Blue Oval.

Swan Districts has now lost its past two matches to Subiaco and West Perth after opening the season with victories against Perth and Peel Thunder.

Rhys Palmer fought hard in the midfield for Swan Districts against the tide ending the afternoon with 30 possessions, seven marks, seven inside-50 entries and a goal.

Jesse Turner also amassed 30 disposals and eight marks for Swans with David Ellard gathering 21 touches, Matt Riggio 20 and Steven Payne 18.

Tony Notte did what he could at either end of the ground finishing with 17 possessions, seven marks and a goal with Tobe Watson also having 16 disposals and four marks.

Nathan Blakely had 15 touches and 31 hit outs in the ruck for Swans with Brayden Noble kicking two goals.

Swan Districts was looking to bounce back from last week's 96-point loss to Subiaco and came out encouragingly with the first two goals of the game, both courtesy of Brayden Noble in the opening 12 minutes.

But West Perth responded impressively with the next four goals through Shane Nelson, Kody Manning, Tyler Keitel and Jay van Berlo to head into the first change with a 12-point lead.

Swans got a goal back to start the second term thanks to Jackson Slater before an immediate West Perth reply to Michael Lourey.

The Falcons pulled further away when Rudy Riddoch kicked his first against his old team but the black-and-whites finished the half strongly with goals to Todd Banfield and Matthew Rogers to be within four points at the major break.

West Perth then came out in the third quarter and displayed its best football so far of the 2018 season to put the game beyond doubt.

Keitel got things rolling with a couple of early goals for the Falcons before Chris Keunen and Ben King both converted from 50m penalties. By the time Keegan Knott had added a couple and Riddoch his second, the Falcons held a match-winning 44-point lead at three quarter-time.

Swans coach Adam Pickering swung Tony Notte forward and Corey Gault back for the last quarter. Notte kicked an early goal for Swans and then Levi Ridley, Rhys Palmer and Adam Faulkner did as well in response to van Berlo's second for West Perth.

That gave Swans a brief glimmer of a comeback but it didn’t last and Lourey kicked the game's last goal as the Falcons cruised to the strong 31-point triumph.

West Perth's reserves also had a solid 14.13 (97) to 9.12 (66) victory in the reserves at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.

Albert Dean and Chad Daniels kicked two goals apiece for Swan Districts.

Greg Ottaviano picked up 19 possessions for Swan Districts, Freddie Clutterbuck 18, Ethan Maguire 17, Dean 17, Daniels 17, Jacob Coniglio 16 and Ben McGillivray 16.

Swan Districts' colts bounced back well from their first loss of the season to beat West Perth by 71 points at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.

Swans had lost their top-of-the-table clash to Subiaco at Leederville Oval the previous Saturday but bounced back strongly on home turf as part of Anzac Round to beat West Perth 14.10 (94) to 3.5 (23).

Swan Districts kicked the only four goals of the first quarter and then again kicked four goals to nil in the third term, and four goals to one in the last to come away big winners.

Atem Deng kicked three goals for Swan Districts, Joseph Hinder two, Ryan Bennell two, Jarred Cameron two and Sebastian Bright two.

Mitchell Bain racked up 29 possessions for Swans, Graydon Wilson 28, Malaki Rodoreda 22, Kade Walldrot 19, Jackson Beck 18 and Joel Curtis 17. Blake Rowlinson had 10 touches and 19 hit outs in the ruck.

Swan Districts remains at Steel Blue Oval this Saturday to host the struggling East Fremantle who is coming off a 94-point derby defeat to South Fremantle on Sunday.

SWAN DISTRICTS                             2.3          5.5          5.9          9.11        (65)

WEST PERTH                                      4.3          6.3          13.5        15.6        (96)

SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Noble 2; Palmer, Faulkner, Rogers, Banfield, Slater, Notte, Ridley.

Best: Palmer, Turner, Notte, Riggio, Ellard, Payne, Watson.

WEST PERTH – Goals: Keitel 3; Lourey, van Berlo, Knott, Riddoch 2; Nelson, Keunen, King, Manning.

Best: Nelson, Manzone, Wilhelm, Meadows, Chalmers, van Berlo, Keitel, Black.