WAFL Match Report: Qualifying Final East Perth v Claremont

By Liam Maher

It was déjà vu as we saw the same match for a second straight week. This time, though, it was a qualifying finals match, making it the most important game of the year.

The Royals may have come into the game as underdogs, but the way they played proved they are certainly premiership contenders. As the final siren sounded, all the work on East Perth’s side paid off as they secured a momentous 13-point win, earning another shot at Grand Final qualification in next Saturday’s Semi-Final (10.6 – 66) to (7.11 -53).

On a bright and sunny day for football, this highly anticipated match got underway with both sides attacking the contest fiercely. The opening minutes were scrappy, with hardly a clean possession as pressure from both teams set the tone. East Perth began to settle first, gaining more of the ball and looking to establish a kick-mark possession style. The Royals’ intent was clear: control the tempo and force Claremont into defence.

Despite some untidy disposal’s, East Perth stuck with their plan and were rewarded, breaking through for the first two goals of the game. Their structured ball movement worked well early, easing the pressure and giving them control. However, as the quarter wore on, Claremont worked its way back into the contest, matching the Royals’ intensity. At quarter time, it was an even battle, with East Perth narrowly ahead by five points (4.1 – 25) to (3.2 – 20).

The intensity lifted again as the second term began, with both sides maintaining relentless pressure that made clean possession difficult to come by. East Perth were forced to slightly adjust their approach, shifting to a quicker and more chaotic style of ball movement to advance up the ground. Claremont, however, responded in kind, moving the ball with pace and forcing the Royals’ defenders to work overtime.

Corey Watts, Harrison Macreadie, and Xavier Milner stood tall in defence, producing a string of crucial acts that blunted several Claremont attacks. It was a low-scoring quarter overall, with both teams hurt by inaccuracy in front of the goal. East Perth eventually broke through when captain Christian Ameduri capitalised with the first goal of the term after 24 minutes of play. Claremont answered soon after with a goal of their own, leaving just a single point separating the sides heading into a massive second half (5.3 – 33) to (4.8 – 32).

Both sides settled into the contest as the second half began. While the intensity remained high, the game opened up and both teams enjoyed greater freedom in their ball movement. East Perth benefited most from this shift, reverting to their original plan of slow, controlled possession. The Royals struck almost immediately when Coby Burgiel kicked truly within 19 seconds of the restart, setting the tone for the quarter.

East Perth continued to take their chances in attack while also holding strong defensively, setting up well behind the ball and restricting Claremont’s forward entries. The inside 50 count told the story — 11 to six in favour of the Royals — suggesting they had taken the upper hand. However, East Perth were unable to fully capitalise on their dominance, leaving opportunities on the table. Claremont made the most of their limited chances, ensuring the margin stayed tight at just seven points heading into a crucial final term (8.4 – 52) to (6.9 – 45).

The final term was always going to be all or nothing, and East Perth sensed the importance of striking early. Once again, it was Coby Burgiel who delivered, kicking a crucial goal in the opening minutes to hand the Royals the momentum. From there, it became a matter of maintaining pressure and control. East Perth began to dominate at the stoppages, winning multiple clearances and surging the ball forward at every opportunity. All they needed was one more major, and captain Christian Ameduri stood tall, nailed his second goal of the match to extend the lead to a game-high 20 points.

Claremont refused to lie down, lifting their intensity as they pushed hard to mount a late comeback. The Royals were placed under enormous pressure and shifted into survival mode, determined to hold firm. Claremont finally broke through with a goal to cut the margin back to 13 points, but East Perth’s leaders stood strong, ensuring their opponents couldn’t find another opening. When the final siren sounded, the pressure was released as the Royals had completed a famous victory in a thrilling qualifying final.

The elation among the team was shared with the fans as East Perth had advanced to the next stage in their quest for premiership success. It was a great effort by the team led by Captain’s Hamish Brayshaw and Christian Ameduri. Returning to the side after a week off before this game proved a masterstroke by the East Perth coaching team as both Hamish (31 disposals, nine marks, five tackles, one goal) and Christian (24 disposals, seven tackles, two goals) performed at an elite level on the day. Zac Raykos (28 disposals, 11 tackles, three marks) once again was a standout player for his team. Coby Burgiel (12 disposals, six tackles, two goals), Shayne Hille (ten disposals, four marks, two goals), Corey Watts (14 disposals, five marks) and Scott Jones (ten disposals, 37 hitouts) all played big roles in leading the team to victory.

East Perth now moves on to next week’s game, where they head down to Fremantle Community Bank Oval to take on South Fremantle for a chance to go straight to the Grand Final. South Fremantle have been a force in the competition all season, but the Royals’ victory in this game proves they can match up against any team when they play their best football.

Be sure to get down to Fremantle Community Bank Oval next Saturday, September 6^th to watch both the East Perth Reserves team compete in a Semi-Final against South Fremantle at 11.05 am. Along with the League in their Semi-Final at 1.50 pm. This is guaranteed to be an epic battle!