Valiant Sharks Stand Tall

Following a tough month, it was great to see plenty of smiles at Shark Park after Saturday’s 24-point win over the reigning premiers, Peel Thunder.

Determined to put the last few losses behind them, East Fremantle came out with a sense of urgency against a strong Peel outfit. Captain Jon Griffin set the tone, coming through with the first goal of the match.  The visitors missed some opportunities and when Cameron Eardley converted thanks to a clever soccer from Ambrose Ryan, the Sharks had a 10-point advantage at quarter time.

The rain set in for the second term and made it a tough contest for both sides. It wasn’t until the 15-minute mark of the quarter that Peel came through for their first goal of the game. Sean Fletcher booted a fantastic goal against the breeze to keep the Sharks in front by 8-points.

The game opened up after the main break, with both sides kicking three goals apiece. Jarrad Jansen, Ambrose Ryan and Jesse Wynne slotted the majors for the quarter, extending the Sharks lead to 10 points at the final break.

It was a nervous fourth term for Sharks fans as some missed opportunities in front of goals would have sealed the game for the blue and whites. It wasn’t until Cameron Loersch made the most of a 50-metre penalty and a late running goal from George Hampson put the game beyond doubt.

It was certainly a team effort on Saturday, with all 22 players making their presence felt.

George Hampson finished the day with a game high 38 disposals to go with 13 tackles and a goal.

A hard-working midfield with Jarrad Jansen (19 possessions, 12 tackles and a goal), Cam Eardley (17 and a goal) as well as the returning Nick Kommer (23) made their presence felt throughout the day.

Up forward Ambrose Ryan (23 disposals and a classy goal) was brilliant.  Jamie McNamara was influential in the all important final quarter and Cameron Loersch despite kicking 1.3 continues to be a threat.  Fletcher also had 4 shots on goal recording a 1.3 return.

Dylan Winton was outstanding for the Sharks against his old side and Jonathon Marsh continues to shine against the opposition forwards.

East Fremantle now turn their attention to port rivals South Fremantle, ahead of the WA Derby on Monday June 4^th.

The Development League also had a taste of success on Saturday, with a huge fourth quarter surge to win by 7 points.

It had been all Peel in the first term, with the Sharks struggling to push the ball into their forward 50.

A more competitive East Fremantle came out in the second quarter, kicking three goals while holding Peel to just one major.

It was a tough third term in the wet, with both sides managing just one goal to give the visitors an 11-point lead going into the final stanza.

East Fremantle hit the board twice within the first 10 minutes to etch out in front. Peel converted to snatch back the lead as both teams fought hard for the ball before Russell Wynne snapped a fantastic goal to keep the Sharks in contention. Zac McCarrey followed suit in the final stages of the quarter to seal the 7-point win for the Development League.

James Bristow, Zac McCarrey and Russell Wynne finished with two goals while Carl Green, Jye Clements kicked one.

Dion Anthony amassed 28 possessions, Ben Harding 26, Zach Jackson 24 and Aaron Holmes 20.