On an unusual weekend in the WAFL, the West Coast Eagles had more players competing in the reserves competition than the seniors.

In the interests of the safety of players, the club made the decision to hold them out of a match in country town Kalannie between East Fremantle and West Perth, and there were five players engaged in reserves footy.

With concerns over the venue for the game, Andrew Strijk and Michael Mascoulis (West Perth), Brad Dick and Callum Papertalk (East Fremantle), as well as Anton Hamp (Claremont) played in the early game.

Strijk had 20 possessions and kicked three goals for the Falcons, while Mascoulis, in his first game back from a hamstring injury, played 60 minutes and gathered nine possessions in a positive return to football.

Dick showed he is ready to play senior football with another good performance for the Sharks, his 13 possessions yielding three goals, while Papertalk also kicked a goal and was solid.

Hamp had 13 touches and kicked a goal for Claremont against Subiaco.

In senior matches, rookie forward Murray Newman played an important role in Swan Districts’ victory over East Perth. He kicked three goals from his 16 possessions as his team scored an emphatic 27-point win over the Royals.

Tall utility player Jeremy McGovern continues his development and he was a key contributor in Claremont’s come-from behind victory against Subiaco. He had 12 possessions and eight marks, but also impacted the game with 24 hit-outs.

Gerrick Weedon had 17 touches played solidly in defence and on the wing, while Lewis Stevenson was restricted to nine possessions after being cast in an important defensive role. Ryan Neates was lively in the last quarter and helped to propel the Tigers over the line.