WAFL Match Report: Round Two v Swan Districts

by Liam Maher

East Perth continued their perfect start to the 2025 WAFL season with a dominant 55-point victory over Swan Districts at Sullivan Logistics Stadium on Saturday. Coming off a gutsy win over Subiaco in Round 1, the Royals carried momentum into a game where they controlled most of the contest to secure a comfortable win 15.7 (97) to 6.6 (42).

The opening quarter was a cagey affair. It was a physical start to the game, which reflected in a slower, high stoppage game to begin. Both sides looked to move the ball quickly when they got the chance, but the defence of both teams proved hard to get past.

Sebit Kuek broke the deadlock and scored the first goal of the quarter for East Perth before Swan Districts responded with one of their own. This left the scores tied at quarter time (1.2 – 8 to 1.2 -8).  Defenders Brad Fullgrabe and Jacob Msando were both key in defence to start the game as they foiled numerous Swan Districts attacks.

The second quarter saw East Perth turn it on to take control of the game. The Royals scored their first goal 30 seconds into the quarter thanks to a great effort from Tom Graham. The Royals started getting on top in all key areas across the ground as they overwhelmed the Swan Districts with ease. The ball movement whilst in possession made it hard for the opposition to stop East Perth’s attacks.

The Royals piled on five unanswered goals for the quarter whilst keeping Swan Districts to a single behind. East Perth went into the halftime break with a 5-goal lead (6.3 – 39 to 1.3 – 9). The stats reflected East Perth’s early dominance in the game leading the inside 50 count by 18 at the main break (30-12). Tom Graham and Sebit Kuek both capitalised on this advantage booting 2 goals each in the first half.

East Perth looked to finish the game in the second half. The Royals’ game style was still played at a fast pace. However, some skill errors were present this quarter and this led to more stoppages, allowing a more contested game. Even without playing their best footy, East Perth still looked in a comfortable position in this game.

To their credit, Swan Districts rallied in the third term. The opposition put on 5 goals to 3 in the third quarter as the Royals opened the door for a comeback going into the final term with a 19-point lead (9.4 – 58 to 6.6 – 42). East Perth would have a challenge in the final term to hold onto their lead.

The final quarter was one-way traffic. East Perth dominated the play across the park. The Royals managed to hold the Swan Districts scoreless while kicking 6 goals of their own in a final-term rout.

Everything seemed to work well for East Perth. They were hitting targets, laying big tackles, and intercepting possessions. It was exciting for fans to watch their team play to the best of their abilities this early in the season. Hopefully, we see more of it in weeks to come. The game finished with a Tom Medhat goal after the siren to secure a 55-point win (15.7 – 97 to 6.6 – 42).

East Perth are now two for two and couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. Christian Ameduri (23 disposals, 12 tackles) and Tom North (28 disposals, nine tackles) starred in the midfield, finding plenty of the ball and laying a massive 21 tackles between them. Zac Raykos (31 disposals, six marks, six tackles) led the team for disposals in his best game for the club at the league level. Brad Fullgrabe (nine disposals, three marks) was also massive in defence to keep Swan Districts star forward Leigh Kohlmann to just three disposals for the game.

With the Royals now sitting top of the ladder to start the season, the belief in the squad continues to grow. The depth and spread of contributors across the field show just how dangerous this team can be. The focus now turns to next week, where East Perth will look to extend their unbeaten run as they build toward another shot at the flag. The next game against Claremont will prove to be a big challenge for the team, but one they are ready to face head-on. The game is going to be a night game (7.10 pm bouncedown) at Sullivan Logistics Stadium on Good Friday. Bring the family down and come watch another classic East Perth match.