WAFL MATCH REPORT: Preliminary Final East Perth v Claremont

By Liam Maher

With a place in the Grand Final on the line, East Perth left it all out on the field to earn their shot at the ultimate prize. In tough conditions and a fiercely contested match, the Royals delivered a classic performance to edge out Claremont and book their spot in the big dance! A hard-fought and well-earned win on a great day for East Perth (7.4 -46) to (5.11 -41).

The stage was set for a huge final between two fierce rivals, East Perth and Claremont. In front of a passionate home crowd, the Royals were determined to book their place in a second consecutive grand final. Conditions, however, made life difficult early, with strong winds wreaking havoc on ball control and ensuring a scrappy contest. Possession was hard to maintain, leading to frequent stoppages.

East Perth battled hard around the contest but struggled to move the ball forward with any fluency, while Claremont dominated territory, recording 14 inside 50s to just three. Credit must go to the Royals’ backline, who absorbed wave after wave of pressure and produced several important defensive acts to limit the Tigers’ scoring. Despite being on the back foot, East Perth trailed by only two points at quarter-time in what was shaping as a tough, low-scoring affair.

The second term began much like the first, with rain adding to the already difficult conditions and keeping the game in a tight, contested state. As the quarter wore on, however, the match began to open, and East Perth found its rhythm. The Royals began to win numerous uncontested possessions, enabling them to dictate the tempo and launch attacks on their own terms.

With their kick-mark game clicking into gear, East Perth began to hit the scoreboard, stringing together three goals in succession before Claremont could find an answer. The contest remained close, but after a gruelling and hard-fought first half, the Royals held a narrow one-goal lead, heading into the main break (4.1 -25) to (2.7 – 19).

The second half began similarly to the opening stages of the game, with blustery conditions making clean possession difficult to come by. Both sides lifted their physicality to gain the upper hand, and the contest grew more intense. East Perth appeared slightly off the pace early, still finding the football but often undone by Claremont’s pressure.

Momentum swung back and forth throughout the quarter as the Royals briefly surrendered the lead before finding a response to steady themselves. It was clear by this stage that neither side was prepared to back down, and the result would have to be earned the hard way. As the siren sounded for three quarter time, East Perth clung to a slender one-goal advantage, leaving the outcome very much up in the air (6.3 – 39) to (4.9 – 33)

As the final stanza began, both sides threw everything into the contest in pursuit of victory. With the conditions still making scoring opportunities scarce, every possession carried extra weight. Holding a narrow advantage, East Perth looked to dictate tempo by controlling the football and running down the clock. It was a risky tactic, but it proved effective enough to keep the opposition at bay.

Claremont surged forward repeatedly, yet time and again the Royals’ backline stood tall, winning crucial one-on-one battles and fending off any attacks. Their defensive strength gave the rest of the team confidence to hold firm in a low-scoring arm wrestle. As the minutes ticked away, belief grew among the East Perth faithful that their side would prevail. When the final siren rang, the Royals had secured a gutsy, hard-fought win, sparking scenes of celebration as they booked their place in the 2025 grand final (7.4 – 46) to (5.11 – 41).

A famous victory for the East Perth Football Club and a chance to go all the way to premiership success the following week. Captain Hamish Brayshaw led from the front again with another huge performance, collecting 29 disposals, six marks and seven tackles. He was well supported by Tom North in the midfield (19 disposals, five tackles, two goals) and Stan Wright off half back (27 disposals, three marks, five tackles, one goal). The defenders were all amazing on the day, but Harrison Macreadie (17 disposals, eight marks) was the pick of the bunch.

A succesful day for the club all round as both the League and Reserves teams made their way through to their respective grand finals. Both games will be played at Optus Stadium on Sunday September 21^st. The biggest game of the season and the chance to win the biggest prize in football. Be sure to get tickets as the Royals aim to complete their quest for premiership success in 2025. Go Royals!!!!