The lure of an AFL opportunity is no longer a motivating factor West Coast Eagles players in the WAFL, but all are driven by the opportunity to steer their clubs to success in the local finals series.

And most of those remaining in the finals hunt are in good touch.

Claremont’s Tom Swift, Lewis Stevenson and Beau Wilkes were in good form in a losing side against an East Perth combination that was led to victory by Ben McKinley and Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls.

Swan Districts pair Ashley Hansen and Tony Notte were again important for Swan Districts and will remain so in coming weeks, particularly in this week’s second semi-final against the Tigers.

Finals will not be on the radar for West Perth this week, but Quinten Lynch finished his season off in fine style.       

West Perth v Perth

Quinten Lynch
Widely regarded as West Perth’s best player, he worked hard through the middle of the ground and consistently sent the Falcons forward. With 33 possessions and two goals, he was probably the most influential player on the ground.

Will Sullivan
Worked hard in the ruck for Perth and broken even in the battles at stoppages. Did not have a strong influence around the ground, but was a useful, if not dominant, player for the Demons. Consistent performer in the second half of the season.

East Perth v Claremont

Ben McKinley
After a quiet first half, McKinley’s work rate and intensity improved and he was a dangerous player for East Perth. He could have had a bigger impact on the scoreboard, but was still influential and important in the Royals’ success.

Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls
An energetic and enthusiastic display in attack from Oakley-Nicholls where he read the play well and competed strongly for possession. He played with confidence and kicked two important goals. He was lively around the stoppages and did some excellent work out of the centre square in the third quarter. He was prepared to present to teammates and applied good pressure defensively.

Tom Swift
Playing through the midfield and across half-forward Swift was a fine player for the Tigers. His hands were clean and his tackling was strong. Generally he ran well from stoppage and he played with good intensity.

Lewis Stevenson
In his customary defensive role, Stevenson was good with his ball use and kicked a great goal on the run. He was aggressive in contests and used his body well on several occasions. He looked a class above the other rebounding defenders in the game. 

Ryan Neates
After starting on the bench, Neates played at half-forward. He did not have the impact he has enjoyed in recent weeks, although he improved his attack on the ball as the game went on and used his run and carry to set up a good forward 50 entry. 

Beau Wilkes
He started in defence, where he made a solid contribution, before moving into attack where again, he was solid. He showed a willingness to work hard in attack and presented well to his teammates, without always getting rewarded. He competed strongly and marked confidently.

Swan Districts v Peel

Tony Notte
Playing in the ruck and as a deep forward, Tony worked hard when on ball, putting  himself in a good position around the ground and he won 21 hit-outs.  When playing forward, he found space to lead into. He was especially good at dropping behind the defenders and was rewarded for his efforts, with three goals. 

Ashley Hansen
Always looked dangerous when the ball ventured into his area, Hansen led strongly into space on many occasions and took a number of good marks. He took a spectacular finger tip mark running away from the ball on the goal line.  Hansen kicked five goals from all angles and distances and he was also involved in a few goal assists.