WAFL R16 Wrap Up with Jacob Landsmeer - Thanks to The Left Bank

Hagan the Hero as Sharks Make It Three Straight

A final quarter trio of goals from young tyro Jed Hagan have lifted East Fremantle to a crucial win over West Perth at Arena Joondalup on Saturday.

Hagan kicked three of his four goals in the final stanza, the only Sharks player to find the major opening in a tense last term, scores level at the eight-minute mark before the 19-year-old registered the final three goals of the game in the 11.10 (76) to 9.6 (60) victory.

While West Perth may have been heading in to the round 16 clash on a seven-game losing streak, East Fremantle was in no position to take the Falcons lightly, needing a win to remain in the finals conversation in a particularly tight WAFL season.

East Fremantle was dealt a blow before the game with key forward Dillon O’Reilly a late withdrawal due to a shoulder injury, placing responsibility on Jono Marsh and Cody Leggett to hit the scoreboard.

On a cold and windy but largely dry afternoon the Sharks opened the scoring in the opening minute, Alex Montauban rolling through a brilliant boundary line goal from left full forward.

Zak Patterson responded after a strong Falcons transition from the outer wing, Jono Marsh starting strongly at the other end as he presented to claim a strong mark and then kick truly from 45 metres for the Sharks’ second.

West Perth dug their heels in for the remainder of the quarter, stifling the Sharks ball movement and forcing them wide, goals from Corey Rundle and Sasha Kernutt giving the home side a four-point lead at the first break.

The early shootout had given way to a more defensive arm wrestle come the second quarter, neither team kicking a goal between the 15-minute mark of the first quarter and the six minute mark of the second, when Cody Leggett showed great strength to outmark Falcons captain Dean Munns and convert from the top of the goal square.

O’Reilly’s late withdrawal forced a reshuffle of the magnets for coach Bill Monaghan, Jarrad Jansen pushing forward and Kyle Baskerville able to play as an inside midfielder to support tyro Milan Murdock.

Jansen stood up as a forward in the second term with a goal after a strong lead, East Fremantle nudging ahead by 10 points.

The teams traded majors in the run to half time, Tyler Keitel with his first major before Hagan hit back with his first of the afternoon, only for Aaron Black to dodge and weave his way through traffic to slot a brilliant goal for the Falcons.

Neither team had much to show for their first hour of effort in the contest as East Fremantle led by just two points at the major break, but the Sharks started the third term inspired, able to boot the first three majors to open up a 20 point lead, the biggest of the game.

Marsh opened the scoring with his second goal of the afternoon from deep at left full forward courtesy of a set shot, before Ben McGuire produced a brace of goals, first able to snap truly from deep in the pocket before running through the fifty and bouncing through another some three minutes later.

At that point it looked like East Fremantle had broken the West Perth resistance, only for Falcons spearhead Keitel to produce an inspired hat trick of majors to reduce the margin back to two points.

Keitel was showing why he has largely dominated the competition this season, just as dangerous on the ground as in the air, troubling key defenders Lachlan Bailey and Lennon Marlin.

Keitel’s three-peat cancelled out East Fremantle’s early quarter dominance, setting up a thrilling finish with the Sharks only leading by three points.

It looked like the Sharks might be blowing their chances when they opened the final term with three consecutive behinds, Jack Cleaver, Hagan and Tom Bennett all missing chances to significantly extend the lead.

When Keitel snapped his fifth major (and fourth goal consecutively in the game) the competition’s leading goal kicker had levelled the scores, his 50th goal of the season locking the teams on 57 points apiece.

Some desperate defence led to a brilliant Sharks clearance, Michael Tassone able to hit Lachlan Blakiston on the wing to clear the danger area, the ruckman able to spot Chris Walker running forward of centre with his pass.

Walker’s kick scrubbed inside 50, Hagan able to gather the bouncing ball and kick truly with a snap to return the lead to East Fremantle at the ten-minute mark of the quarter.

The teenage Railways product was standing tall despite his 175 cm frame, outmarking Falcons debutant Aiden Nelson 20 metres from goal to help open up a handy 13 point advantage at the halfway point of the term.

Again, the home side failed to concede despite the scoreboard, attacking relentlessly as the game reached time on in the last.

A desperate run-down chase from Cameron Eardley seemed to avert a goal, Keitel frantically scrambling the ball in to the goal post in search of his sixth goal.

Zak Patterson had a chance to bring the margin under a kick with a minute left on the lock for the Falcons, but missed his set shot from 35 metres out directly in front to squander what would prove to be West Perth’s final chance.

Eardley’s poise proved crucial late in the game as he helped set up the final foray forward, Ben McGuire able to drive the ball inside 50 where fittingly Hagan had the final say, breaking Nathan Alexandre’s tackle and snapping the sealer on the siren.

Hagan finished with 4.3 on the afternoon, kicking 3.1 of his team’s 3.4 in the final quarter to be the match winner his side craved in a tight contest all day.

He was supported ably by Jono Marsh (2 goals and 12 disposals) while midfield duo Milan Murdock (27 disposals and 7 tackles) and Kyle Baskerville (27 touches and 9 tackles) were outstanding in the clinches for their side, while Jansen had a telling say on the outcome with 25 disposals and a goal after a rare quiet match against Peel Thunder the week before.

The Sharks will sweat however on forward Leggett’s report for rough conduct, while key defender Lachlan Bailey finished the game with a knock to the ribs.

Sharks coach Bill Monaghan was pleased by his team’s ability to find a way to win in tricky conditions.

“It was really windy, and the ground was a bit slippery underfoot,” he said.

“It wasn’t an easy day, but we did what we had to do.”

The Sharks mentor was full of praise for Hagan, the youngest player on the ground in an East Fremantle jumper but perhaps the most impactful in the match.

“He took his chances in the last quarter; he kicked four and could easily have kicked a couple more. It could have been a six or seven goal game,” Monaghan said.

“We love what he’s doing. For a young player who’s only 19 years of age he’s getting a lot of attention and he’s handling it pretty well at the moment.”

With four matches remaining in the home and away season and a race on for finals spots, Monaghan was confident his side would find it’s strongest form at the right time of year.

“We feel we can still play better footy. We haven’t been a long way off all year, our biggest losing margin this year has been 19 points,” he said.

“We’ve been up and down; we haven’t probably played our best, but we have been far from poor. I think there’s a lot of sides in reasonable form and the competition is tight.”

Earlier in the Reserves the Sharks produced a largely dominant effort over West Perth, winning 13.9 (87) to 9.4 (58).

The margin had been 41 points at the last change before the Falcons added some respectability to the scoreboard late, East Fremantle’s win set up by dominant second and third quarters where they kicked nine goals to four.

Jack Cocking presented strongly for three majors, while Kobe Austin was somewhat wasteful as he finished with 2.3 from 11 disposals and six marks.

Ethan Paholski’s superb season continued as he recorded 26 disposals and ten tackles, well supported by Enrique Aiken-Featherstone (20 disposals) and Declan Pauline (17 disposals and 10 tackles) as the Sharks midfielders produced some trademark bullocking work around stoppages.

The result leaves East Fremantle in third spot on the table in the Reserves competition, two games clear of South Fremantle although the Bulldogs have played only 11 of their 16 games for the season.

The Colts wait for a win has continued as their losing streak extended to seven matches, defeated by the Falcons 7.11 (53) to 5.10 (40).

The Sharks were left to rue their inaccuracy as well as a slow start, conceding the first four goals of the contest and forced to play catch up from there.

They had their chances in the last quarter but squandered their opportunities in front of goal to kick 1.5, the young Sharks stars of tomorrow still looking for their first win since round 8 against Perth.

Luke Carrello had 24 disposals and 7 marks in a strong performance, Elijah Stockden with 24 disposals and Jayden Lacquire with 22 while Kye Omerod was the only multiple goalkicker with two majors.

The Colts now sit in sixth position, six points behind fifth placed Perth and facing an uphill battle to make finals.

All men’s grades observe their final bye of the home and away season in round 17, before Fremantle Oval takes centre stage for the second Fremantle Derby of the season on Saturday August 3rd.