East Perth will take on Peel Thunder in an elimination final after prevailing over East Fremantle by 48 points in a winner takes all battle at ATOM Stadium.

The 13.9 (87) to 6.3 (39) victory helped the Royals leapfrog the Sharks on the ladder and sets up an intriguing battle with the Fremantle Dockers’ WAFL affiliated club on Sunday at Bendigo Bank Stadium.

Fraser McInnes got East Perth off to a perfect start when he reeled in a pin-point pass from Jackson Nelson and converted his shot from 45m.

Tom Cole doubled the Royals’ lead with an inspiring piece of individual play that saw him cough up the football, win back the Burley and slot a running shot from 40m and Sam Powell-Pepper booted home the visitors’ third goal in 17 minutes when he gathered a loose ball, bumped a Sharks’ defender into next week and slotted an imperious right-foot snap from 35m.

Mitch Boyle registered East Fremantle’s first goal of the game in the 20^th minute, but Powell-Pepper ensured the Royals had the momentum heading into the second term when he mitted a crafty centring ball from Shayne Hille and booted his set shot from 25m through the tall posts. 

Hille was rewarded for his earlier assist with the second term’s opening goal after getting on the end of a bullet-like pass from Malcolm Karpany, but Jacob Green nullified his goal with the Sharks’ second major of the game five minutes later.

East Perth skipper Craig Wulff gifted Patrick McGinnity the easiest of goals when he took a diving mark and sent a handball over the top to point-blank range for the 27-year-old and Luke Partington increased the Royals’ advantage to 30 points when his snap from 30m curled inside the left point post in the 15^th minute.

The Sharks snared a late goal on the stroke of half-time, but East Perth still held a comfortable 25-point lead at the main break.

Jordan Snadden boosted the Royals’ buffer to 31 points when he nailed an inspiring 45m drop punt from the left boundary in the sixth minute of the third term before East Fremantle pegged back 12 points by the way of goals to Mitch Watson and James Bristow.

Malcolm Karpany ensured East Perth leveled the quarter when he offered a strong lead, marked 25m from goals and dissected the big sticks with his ensuing set shot.

Half-back Paddy Brophy put a dent in Wulff’s chest with a majestic inboard pass to set up the fourth term’s opening six-pointer before suffering a dislocated shoulder injury in a marking contest that would see him take no further part in the game.

The Royals rallied in Brophy’s absence and Jamie Bennell and Malcolm Karpany kicked back-to-back goals before Cameron Eardley picked up a consolation goal for the Sharks in the 23^rd minute.

Wulff won a holding free-kick after sticking a heavy tackle and slotted the game’s last goal with a steady set shot from 20m.

Luke Partington topped the Royals’ disposal count for the second week running with 30 touches, Kurt Mutimer backed up his impressive display for the Royals’ reserves side last week with a 25-touch game and Jackson Nelson was rewarded for his hard work with 24 possessions.

Jack Redden amassed 23 disposals and five tackles, Malcolm Karpany had 23 touches to go with his two goals, Eric Mackenzie gathered 23 disposals while suffocating the Sharks’ defenders alongside Mitch Brown and Tom Cole, who got their hands on the ball 19 times each.

Patrick McGinnity was tough at the coal face and won the Burley 18 times, Jordan Snadden used the ball well on 17 occasions, Tom Lamb worked hard for 15 touches and Jamie Bennell accumulated 13 possessions to go with his final quarter goal.

Paddy Brophy amassed 12 touches before his injury, Liam Duggan equaled the half-back's haul before leaving the field with a minor case of concussion and Fraser McInnes collected eight disposals to go with his first quarter major.