Swans keep unbeaten WAFLW streak going

Swan Districts took a giant leap towards locking away the WAFLW minor premiership for 2021 with an impressive 19-point win away to Claremont on Sunday afternoon.

Swan Districts came into the game looking to protect their undefeated start to the season over the opening eight matches, but Claremont was looking to maintain their own pace for top spot and had the home ground advantage at Revo Fitness Stadium in their favour too.

It shaped as a fascinating top-of-the-table contest and it proved a tight battle most of the way, but Swan Districts did enough for the 6.9 (45) to 4.2 (26) victory.

The win means that Swans improve to a perfect 9-0 record of the season and with far and away the best percentage in the competition, and now a two-win lead on the chasing pack and just five games remaining, they are in the box seat to claim the minor premiership.

Claremont has slipped back to third spot at 6-3 as a result of their loss but the Tigers look secure still for at least a top three finish with a three-game and huge percentage lead over the fourth placed Subiaco.

Swan Districts started strongly kicking two goals to one in the opening quarter to lead by seven points at quarter-time. The black-and-whites added another two goals in the second term but so did Claremont with Swans up by 11 points at the main break.

Swan Districts kicked the only goal of the third quarter to stretch their lead to 17 points by three quarter-time before both teams kicked a goal each in the last term with Swans running 19-point victors.

Tara Stribley, Brianna Hyde, Kellie Gibson, Nyra Anderson, Stephanie Graskoski and Sarah Wielstra all kicked a goal apiece for Swan Districts.

Best players for Swans included Brianna Hyde, Dana East, Sarah Wielstra, Jaime Henry and Eliza Gelmi.

Tessa Doumanis kicked two goals for Claremont with one each to Brooke Whyte and Jasmin Stewart.

Ella Smith, Tessa Doumanis, Brooke Whyte, Jasmin Stewart and Matilda Dyke were among the best contributors for the Tigers.

The Swan Districts reserves also had a big win on Sunday morning beating South Fremantle 10.11 (71) to nothing at Steel Blue Oval.

It was quite the emphatic display to hold the Bulldogs scoreless with Lexi Chapman kicking three goals, Shannon Matthews two and Fiona Boucher two.

Kyah Chirichilli, Carla Vidovich, Nicole Bombardieri, Lexi Chapman and Ivy Harding were all among the standout performers.

It was also a solid win for the Swan Districts Youth Girls team as they scored a 4.13 (37) to 3.3 (21) Rogers Cup victory against East Perth at Leederville Oval on Saturday evening.

Safiyah Cook, Leah Howard, Hayley Sykes and Kloe Taylor kicked a goal each for Swans with Taylor, Tahlia Lough, Siofra Clarke, Riley Hall and Sykes all putting in tremendous performances.

OPTUS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 10

SWAN DISTRICTS                              2.1          4.5          5.7          6.9 (45)

CLAREMONT                                      1.0          3.0          3.2          4.2 (26)

SWAN DISTRICTS: Goals – Stribley, B Hyde, Gibson, Anderson, Graskoski, Wielstra.

Best – B Hyde, East, Wielstra, Henry, Gelmi.

CLAREMONT: Goals – Doumanis 2; Whyte, Stewart.

Best – Smith, Doumanis, Whyte, Stewart, Dyke.