WAFL Match Report: Round Nineteen v East Fremantle

by Liam Maher

A day that promised to deliver great football from two Premiership-contending teams proved to be a great contest. For East Perth, however, they came off second best in this, suffering another tough loss. The Royals had chances to win, but ultimately fell short, going down by 15 points (11.7 – 73) to (13.10 – 88).

This clash shaped as one of the most important games of the season for both sides, and the stage was set with perfect sunny conditions. The opening minutes were scrappy, with both teams struggling to find clean possession, but once the game settled, East Perth quickly asserted themselves. The Royals looked to attack through the corridor, moving the ball with confidence and precision kicking that set them apart early.

Captain Christian Ameduri led from the front, first delivering a pinpoint goal assist to Zac Raykos before slotting one of his own minutes later. The intent and energy shown by East Perth made it clear they had come ready to play, relishing the chance to run and spread in dry conditions after several weeks of wet-weather footy. By quarter time, the Royals had built a strong lead and carried all the momentum (4.3 – 27) to (1.4 – 10).

East Perth came out after the break looking to extend their dominance, and it took less than two minutes for Tom Medhat to score a goal. The Royals appeared on track to keep the momentum rolling, but the contest quickly turned as East Fremantle wrestled its way back into the game, taking control through cleaner ball use and sharper spread on the outside.

Although East Perth still won plenty of the ball, their defensive structure began to unravel, leaving gaps that the Sharks exploited. The backline became scattered under pressure, and the Royals’ early ascendancy slipped away. After such a promising start, it was a disappointing turn of events as the first-half effort was undone. By halftime, the tide had shifted, and the Royals found themselves trailing by nine points, with room for improvement in the second half (5.3 – 33) to (6.6 – 42).

The second half began with both teams ready to go, and momentum continued to play a decisive role in the contest. This time it was East Perth who surged, coming out firing with three unanswered goals to snatch back the lead. Their improved work around the contest, combined with sharper ball movement on the outside, showcased the Royals at their best.

East Fremantle refused to let the game slip, hitting back with goals of their own to keep the pressure on. But the Royals steadied late, with Sebit Kuek and Jonah Brooks both finding the scoreboard to restore control. As the siren sounded, East Perth held a narrow lead heading into what promised to be a thrilling final quarter (10.4 – 64) to (9.7 – 61).

With only three points separating the teams, the final quarter was set up to be a thriller. Both sides tightened their defence, leading to a congested and stoppage-heavy opening. When East Perth managed to find space, they looked to move the ball quickly, but their execution let them down as they struggled to convert opportunities into scoreboard pressure.

East Fremantle, by contrast, made the most of their chances and gradually built a decisive gap. The Royals fought hard to stay in the contest, and a late goal from Sebit Kuek gave a glimmer of hope, but the challenge proved too much. In the end, East Perth fell to their second loss in a row, going down by 15 points (11.7 – 73) to (13.10 – 88).

An inconsistent game from East Perth, where they showed glimpses of their best football but struggled to sustain it. Christian Ameduri put in a great performance on the day with 21 disposals, four marks, seven tackles and two goals. Fellow midfielders Angus Scott (25 disposals, eight marks, four tackles) and Liam Tedesco (21 disposals, eigh marks, six inside 50s) were also fantastic. No surprises that Scott Jones dominated in the ruck again with another 52 hit outs added to his tally.

Not the result Royals fans wanted, but there were a lot of positives and a lot of key takeaways from this game. Next week is the final regular game of the season as East Perth heads down to take on Claremont on their home turf. The game is Saturday, August 23rd, 2.10 pm bounce-down at Revo Fitness Stadium.

This game is a likely finals rehearsal, so get down to watch what should be another great game of footy.