Second Semi Final Match Report: East Perth v Swan Districts

East Perth vs Swan Districts Match Report
by Liam Maher

Saturday afternoon saw East Perth back in action to take on the Swan Districts in the Second Semi Final. With a spot in the 2024 Grand Final on the line, both teams left everything out on the field in hopes of securing a chance at premiership glory.  The East Perth team and fans were celebrating as the final siren sounded, the Royals sealing a 28-point victory (11.6 – 72 to 6.8 – 44) and securing their spot in their first grand final since 2014. 

In perfect conditions for football, the game started, and you could instantly feel that finals-like energy around the ground. Both East Perth and Swan Districts started the game looking to run the ball and attack one another. Nerves were evident in both team’s games as poor decision-making and skill errors made it hard to keep possession of the ball. East Perth’s pressure helped them create opportunities forward of the ball, and their first goal came as a result of this intensity.  Angus Schumacher won the ball in the centre of the ground and sent it inside 50, leaving the East Perth forwards to force the ball forward and into the hands of Christian Ameduri running into an open goal.  

As the first quarter progressed, the Royals were able to win more of the ball around the ground to set up their game. They worked to win the ball around stoppages and contested ball situations and set the standard of football that East Perth wanted to play. The Royals endeavoured to stick with their fast ball movement game although it didn’t always come off for them. It was some of their precision kicking inside 50 that made the difference on the scoreboard. Stan Wright intercepted a ball on the wing before hitting Tom Graham on the chest to set up his first goal of the day. Mitch Crowden also had a brilliant kick pushed up right against the boundary to find Christian Ameduri for his second goal of the quarter. All these moments added up as East Perth took a small lead in the first break (3.1 – 19 to 2.2 – 14). 

The second quarter started with both teams looking like they had settled into the game and were up for the challenge ahead of them. East Perth struck first again with Swan Districts failing to punch the ball over the line leaving Zac Hill to soccer through the first of the quarter. The Royals’ running game was in full effect in the second quarter as they looked to apply some scoreboard pressure. This was reflected in the inside 50 count as East Perth lead the way in the quarter, 15 to five. It appeared that the focus for this quarter was to be aggressive on attack. The Royals defenders pushed up hard on defence and played in front of their opponent.  

Although East Perth looked to have started getting control of the game, the score was still level halfway through the quarter. That was all about to change as the Royals put on four unanswered goals late in the term. Michael Randall found some run through the middle to set up Tom Graham for his second goal, before Mitch Crowden scored another almost instantly afterwards to ignite the team. East Perth put on two more goals to finish the quarter with a 25-point lead at halftime (8.5 – 53 to 4.4 – 28). Tom Graham kicked three first-half goals while Scott Jones had 38 hitouts. Angus Schumacher (18 disposals) and Mitch Crowden (14 disposals) found plenty of ball through the midfield to help put East Perth in a good position heading into the second half.  

As the third quarter started that finals-like energy set in around the ground again. While East Perth persisted in playing their running game it was the Swan Districts who had most of the run in the third term. The Royals defenders were under the pump this quarter but stood strong under the pressure from the opposition. It was no surprise that Harrison Macreadie led the way in defence again. His ability to read the play and intercept forward 50 entries has been a hallmark of his game and the East Perth defenders all season. Brad Fullgrabe and Jacob Msando were also standouts this quarter doing fantastic shutdown jobs on their respective opponents.  

As the quarter played out East Perth’s ball was well restricted by the Swan Districts. The Royals still played hard and kept it a close contest even if the game wasn’t on their terms. The team’s collective efforts paid off as they limited Swan Districts to one goal for the quarter. East Perth also scored only one goal for the quarter thanks to Tom Medhat. Arguably the play of the day, Medhat rose to take a high-flying pack mark before going back and kicking truly. The Royals were well positioned holding a 4-goal lead heading into the final break (9.4 – 60 to 5.6 – 36). 

With one quarter left to play, both teams had their sights set on booking their grand final tickets. Once again it was East Perth who struck early in the quarter, this time thanks to Shayne Hille. The hard-working small forward was able to separate from his opponent to swoop in a loose ball and kick the goal. After that, the game between of tug of war to the end, and although Swan Districts were trying everything to make a comeback, the Royals didn’t give it to them. East Perth put together a professional performance in the final quarter to control the game and maintain the lead. Their last quarter performance showed signs like what you would expect to see from any top side that needs to close out a game.  

The work rate and pressure game from the Royals were still at high intensity right up until the end of the match. It wasn’t until the final moments of the game that the tense feeling left the ground. Angus Scott worked forward off the ball to take a mark just outside the 50 but was taken down late by his opponent to give him a 50-metre penalty right to the top of the goal square. Scott kicked truly as the siren sounded, and East Perth secured a 28-point win to advance to the 2024 WAFL Grand Final (11.6 – 72 to 6.8 – 44). The perfect ending to a great finals game and a win from The Royals. 

The feeling around the ground was one of excitement and joy as East Perth players and fans were proud of what they had just accomplished but also knew that the job was not done yet. Scott Jones had an all-time great performance in the game. The ruckman had collected 21 disposals and 8 tackles as well as amassing a WAFL record 81 hit outs. Midfielders Mitch Crowden (32 disposals, four inside 50’s, one goal) and Angus Schumacher (26 disposals, five marks, three tackles) were both super impressive all day. Harry Macreadie (18 disposals, 11 kicks, seven marks) had a big influence on the game with his strong performance in the backline. All around, it was a great team display and one that would give the Royals every chance of winning their first premiership since 2002. 

East Perth now gets a week off before they play in the Grand Final at Optus Stadium on September 22nd at 3.20 pm. Tickets for the game are available so make sure to come watch the Royals in the biggest game of the season. More details about the game and other activities will be announced soon so keep an eye on East Perth emails and socials. For now, enjoy the success of everything the club has achieved so far this season, and see you at the Grand Final in two weeks!