Despite the wonderful weather conditions at Pentanet Stadium on Saturday, it was an awful day out for the WAFL Eagles, falling to the West Perth Falcons by 92-points in a 10.4 (64) v 24.12 (156) demolition.
West Perth started strongly, Tyler Keitel kicking a goal in the first 20 seconds of the opening term, his first of six majors for the game.
As the first quarter ramped up, West Coast were able to start moving the ball inside their forward fifty, with the team’s first goal coming off the boot of Shannon Lucassen, the clever forward positioning himself well and finishing cleanly from 25 metres out.
The Eagles showed some promise with back-to-back goals, Reagan Hutchinson kicking his first goal with his first touch in WAFL football.
Jai Culley kicked West Coast’s third goal for the term, but the Falcons were able to respond, and with a goal on the siren from Sasha Kernutt, the home side took a 19-point lead into the quarter-time break.
Tyler Mouritz opened the second quarter with a goal for the Eagles, before the Falcons put their foot down, kicking eight unanswered goals and kicking away to a daunting 50-point margin.
West Coast were able to break the drought late in the second term, with Coen Livingstone kicking his first goal of the game, before new recruit Revis Alone kicked his first goal with his first League kick, and securing back-to-back majors for the visitors.
The Eagles looked to have found a small spark heading into half time, but West Perth continued to fire after the main break, kicking a further five goals to the Eagles two in the third term.
West Coast couldn’t find any answers to West Perth’s scoreboard onslaught, kicking just two goals in the final term, while the Falcons piled on another five.
Culley was a standout for the Eagles, finishing with 25 disposals and two goals, while Andrew Gaff impressed with 25 touches, a team-high 10 marks and a game-high five tackles.
Keitel (six goals) and Kernutt (four) were damaging up forward for West Perth, with Shane Nelson (35 disposals, one goal) and Connor West (35 disposals, one goal) prime ball-getters around the ground.
The WAFL Eagles will take on Claremont on Saturday at Mineral Resources Park, bouncedown at 10am.
WEST PERTH 6.2 14.5 19.8 24.12 (156)
WEST COAST 3.1 6.2 8.3 10.4 (64)
GOALS
West Perth: Keitel 6; Kernutt 4; Black, Lynch, DeMarte 2; Bevan, Hinder, Knott, Meadows, Nelson, Scaife, Todd, West. West Coast: Culley, Lucassen 2; Alone, Creasy, Hall, Hutchinson, Livingstone, Mouritz.
BEST
West Perth: Kernutt, Hinder, Bevan, Keitel, Nelson, West. West Coast: Culley, Gaff, Sparks, Lucassen, Burgiel, Hall
