WAFLW R8 Wrap Up with Jacob Landsmeer -Thanks to The Left Bank

Super Sharks see off Royal Challenge

Reigning WAFLW premiers East Fremantle have continued their superb form, winning their fourth consecutive match, consolidating second spot with a 54 point win over East Perth at Leederville Oval on Saturday.

A stingy Sharks defensive outfit kept the Royals to just a solitary goal, conceding only a behind in the final three quarter in their 9.7 (61) to 1.1 (7) triumph.

Making the win all the more impressive is that the nine goal victory was achieved without young gun Zipporah Fish, who was rested from the match after a starring 39 disposal game in round six against West Perth.

The Royals headed in to the match with confidence having secured their first ever win in the WAFL Women’s competition in round seven, defeating Peel Thunder to snap a 21 game losing streak having joined the competition in 2023.

Matt Templeton’s team was coming off a strong win over fellow contenders West Perth at Arena Joondalup, looking to continue a strong patch of form that had seen them record wins over Swan Districts, Peel Thunder and the Falcons in recent weeks.

The visitors started strongly, kicking the first three goals of the game through Emmelie Fiedler, Philippa Seth and Mylee Leitch to establish an early scoreboard dominance that wouldn’t be matched by the Royals.

East Perth’s only goal came through Lucy Greenwood, who ran on to a loose ball and slotted the goal from 30 metres out just before the quarter time siren to give the home team something to take in to the second term.

Instead it was the Sharks who re-asserted their dominance, cleaner around the contest and able to hit targets by hand and by foot and put pressure on the Royals when they had possession to affect turnovers.

Ashleigh Gomes was instrumental in midfield with great support from Chloe Wrigley and Beth Beckett, East Fremantle with the only two goals of the second term.

Seth kicked her second goal after a strong mark at centre half forward, sharing the ball with team mate Wrigley before getting it back and finishing truly on the run from inside 50.

Grace Freeman produced an opportunistic snap from a stoppage to extend the lead, the Sharks in firm control at half time to lead by 28 points.

The reigning premiers put the result beyond doubt in the third term, keeping East Perth scoreless for a second consecutive quarter and slamming on four goals themselves to dominate the contest.

They did however lose key ruck/forward Laura Catherine to a wrist injury early in the term, sending Feidler in to the middle for the remainder of the game where she held her own against Royals ruck duo Matilda Bennett and Makayla Rogers.

Seth slammed on her third goal inside the opening minute of the second half, able to claim an intercept mark inside forward 50 and complete her set shot from 35 metres.

Mylee Leitch produced a trademark front and centre crumbing goal just two minutes later to push the margin out to 40 points, midfield tyro Beckett on the end of an impressive passage of play to kick another major from just beyond the goal square.

It was six unanswered goals for the Sharks when Feidler dashed in to an open goal after marking goalside of her opponent, the visitors doing as they pleased as they found out a young Royals outfit with their ball movement and transition.

Remarkably that was the final goal of the match at the eleven minute mark of the third term, the heat of the early afternoon taking it’s toll on both teams and East Fremantle happy to defend their lead with a player down on the bench.

The Royals broke their scoring deadlock with the only score of the final term through Emily Boothman, but it was the Sharks who were smiling at the final siren, gaining a third straight percentage booster to continue their push for back to back premierships.

Gomes was outstanding for the visitors, the 2023 premiership skipper with 28 disposals and 7 tackles in a lead by example performance.

Beth Beckett had 25 disposals and kicked a goal, while Seth was perhaps her side’s best with 18 disposals and 3.1 in a dominant display.

Leitch and Fielder finished as multiple goalscorers as well for the Sharks, who will hope for a positive outcome on Catherine’s injury that saw her fail to return to the field.

East Fremantle will face Subiaco at Fremantle Oval in their next clash on Saturday April 27th, the Lions sitting in sixth spot with two wins from their seven games.

The Rogers Cup side also tasted success over East Perth, the win set up by a five goal second term that pushed the young guns to a 6.7 (43) to 3.5 (23) triumph on Saturday morning.

Sienna Lilly was the dominant forward on the ground with 2.3, Ruby Redman, Madison Evans, Ruby O’Keefe and Taylah York in the best players.

The Sharks will host Subiaco as a pre-cursor to the WAFLW match at Fremantle Oval next Saturday, in a battle between second and third on the table with East Fremantle looking to push two games clear of the Lions on the ladder.