Future Bright as Colts Continue Winning Way

Whilst the League side has struggled during season 2015, in a good sign for the future the East Fremantle Colts enjoyed another close win that has taken Mark Foster and his boys to the brink of playing finals football.

With the ladder very tight (only a game separating positions three to seven) it was a vitally important game for the Colts, against a Perth side that had won its past three games to be sitting just outside the top five.  Both clubs had taken a handful of Colts players up to play league, so it was going to be a test of depth.  As has been the recent trend our boys started slow and allowed Perth to dictate the play and they kicked the first two goals of the match, before Luke Strnadica landed a long bomb from outside 50 to steady the ship.  That was to be the only goal of the quarter for the Sharks as they headed in to the first break two goals down.

The second quarter was much the same, with a number of disposal errors from the Sharks allowing the Perth side easy access in to their forward line.   Delaney was doing a great job down back and Harrold was holding the dangerous full forward at bay, but Perth were still able to win the quarter, kicking 2 goals to one to open up a 20 point lead at the half way mark.

A very different East Fremantle team came out in the third and seized control from the outset.  Players who had been quieter in the first half, the likes of Adamini, Bennett and Marshall started to get their hands on the ball.  Snadden was winning contested ball and the team defence lifted a gear, holding the Perth side scoreless for the quarter, whilst we had shots on goal ourselves.  By the time Lewis had kicked a super goal from long range on the angle the Sharks had hit the front for the first time and turned in three points up with a quarter to play.

With Perth kicking with a strengthening breeze in the last the challenge was there for our boys to hold on.  Perth however had other plans, having the first four shots on goal to open up an 11 point lead, before Jaimon Alone (who came down from the Midwest for this game) took a good contested mark and kicked truly to reduce the margin to under a kick.   When Perth scored the next 8 points to have them 11 points up again with six minutes to play it looked as though the East Fremantle boys were headed for defeat.  But true to the resilience shown by our Colts in recent weeks their ability to not give in came to the fore once again.  A 50m penalty to Strnadica, who kicked truly from 40m out, gave the Sharks three minutes to score the winning goal.  When Perth took an uncontested mark deep in defence, with a minute to go, then chipped the ball around to retain possession it looked like we were going to just fall short.  With 45 seconds to go, Perth kicked long down the line, where Fowler took a great contested mark.  He quickly bombed the ball deep in the forward line where the ball was beautifully crumbed by Lewis, who tapped it in front of Holmes, who dished off a great handball back to Lewis, and somehow, from the outside of his boot, running away from goal, he snapped the ball truly for the winning goal, with just 25 seconds to play.

A great come from behind game from the Sharks that sees them hold on to third position on the ladder.

East Fremantle                  8.9 = 57                 def.                        Perth                     8.8 = 56

The Development League boys were looking to bounce back after a second half fade out against Souths in their previous game.  After a scrappy first five minutes, East Fremantle hit the scoreboard through Bowey and Cripps.  Whilst Perth controlled much of the general play they were unable to apply scoreboard pressure, kicking 2.7 for the quarter, leaving the Demons just two points adrift of the Sharks.

Perth would be kicking themselves, as they kicked three more points to start the second quarter leaving the scores level.  In the next 15 minutes the Sharks took full control of the game, having the next eight shots on goal, kicking 5.3 and opening up a handy 33 point lead going in to the main break.

With Henson continuing to rack up the possessions early in the third, after an excellent first half, along with Holmes, Carl Green and Schleicher and with Ellis providing a strong target up forward, East Fremantle scored the first two goals of the third to open up what many would have thought was a match winning lead of 43 points.

However, like the previous game the Sharks stopped in their tracks and Perth took the last 6 shots on goal in that third quarter, after a series of repeat inside 50 entries, to reduce the margin to just 17 points at the last change.

The last quarter was much the same as Perth continued to push forward and when Borrett kicked his second for the term Perth had hit the front for the first time in the match, something that no-one had thought possible an hour beforehand.  So the scene was set, with less than two minutes left for the Development League boys to do what the Colts had done before them and steal the game.  After losing the centre bounce the boys were able to take the ball deep forward and after a scrimmage the ball found its way in Ellis’ hands, who kicked truly from a tight angle.

The win sees the Development League boys successful in three of the past four games, which is a great response from a tough first half of the year.

East Fremantle                  11.11 = 77                            def.                        Perth                     9.20 = 7

After two narrow wins for the Sharks the League boys had the opportunity for a clean sweep for the first time this year.

After a shaky opening five minutes East Fremantle kicked two goals through Brock O’Brien and Fraser Perry.  A second to O’Brien at the 14 minute mark saw the Sharks open up a handy lead.  Two gettable chances to Cam Eardley and Jayden Schofield would have seen our boys really take reward for effort, but those two misses and two late goals to Perth saw that game all tied up at the first change.

From that point on the game was an arm wrestle, where up until the 14 minute mark of the last quarter the biggest lead was only 8 points.  Liam Anthony was winning plenty of ball inside, Matt Bannister (2^nd gamer) was working harder than most and having a profound impact on the game  and the dangerous B O’Brien had 5 goals to the point in the match when Rory O’Brien kicked truly to put the Sharks back in front in the last.

But that’s where it stopped for our boys as Perth, keen to break an eleven game losing streak, found something and kicked the next three goals to take an almost unbeatable lead.  When Hebiton, on debut, kicked his first goal, there was a possible sniff of victory until two late goals to Perth sealed the deal.