Minor Grade Recap - Second Semi Finals

Subiaco’s Colts have progressed to the 2018 Colts WAFL Grand Final after winning their second semi final on Sunday, while the Reserves will have to go the hard way after losing their second semi final match.

 

The colts produced another outstanding display of team football beating Swan Districts by 46 points.

 

The reserves meanwhile made a hot start but were overrun late, falling to East Perth by 7 points in a tight finish.

 

Get the full Subiaco match recaps from a big semi final day at Leederville.

 

COLTS RECAP

 

Subiaco’s Colts will play in their first Grand Final since 1995 after storming to the Grand Final with a dominant performance in the Colts second semi final.

 

After conceding two goals in the first two minutes of the game, Subiaco worked back during the first term, then built their lead through the final three quarters.

 

A five goal to one second quarter was the biggest catalyst in the win, as Subiaco made the most of their forward chances in the second quarter to build the match winning lead.

 

Nathan French led the Lions in disposals with 25, while Tristan Hobley continued his sparkling run with another 24 disposals and Luke Foley had 22.

 

Up forward French was also a dangerous match winner with three goals, with Jordan Faraone, Luke Foley and Nick Martin all kicking two.

 

Subiaco will now get a valuable weeks rest ahead of the WAFL Colts Grand Final in two weeks side where the Lions will battle either Peel or Swans who play off in next week’s Preliminary Final.

 

GAME CHANGERS

 

FRENCH CONNECTION

Hard nosed Subiaco midfielder forward Nathan French chose the best time for a career best day. French was outstanding working up the ground and dangerous inside 50 as he had both a career high in disposals and goals proving to be a key contributor to the win.

 

SPOT ON FOLEY

Two months ago there were fears that gun Subiaco midfielder Luke Foley’s season might be over due to injury. However Foley has shown dedication to his recovery pinpointing this semi final game as his target date for a return. Indeed Foley hit that return date at full fitness and proved a valuable in for the Colts side. Foley had 22 disposals and kicked two goals and will likely be better for the run come Grand Final day.

 

HICKMOTT LEADS AGAIN

Reigning Taylor Medal winner Liam Hickmott has had an outstanding back-up campaign to his 2017 in 2018 and was at the front line again on Sunday. Hickmott finished with a game high 12 tackles to set the tone in the midfield for the Lions in another typically hard working display.

 

STURDY DEFENCE AGAIN

For the fourth time this season the unheralded Subiaco Colts defence held a potent Swans attack to under 50 points. Across the season the Subiaco Colts have conceded right on 50 points a game and this semi finals performance was right in line with the all season effort of a solid back six.

 

SECOND QUARTER MAKES IT HAPPEN

Subiaco’s Colts took the game away in the second quarter as they kicked five straight to turn a quarter time tie into a 24 point half time lead. Though the lead did build after the long break, it was this burst in the second that really opened the game up for the young Lions.

 

FINAL

SUBIACO         4.1       9.1       11.6     14.10.94

SWANS           4.1       5.1       5.2       7.6.46 

 

BEST: French, L. Hickmott, Leunig, Golding, Foley.

GOALS: French 3; Faraone, Foley, Martin 2; Georgiades, Golding, McKinnon, Schofield, Shellabear-Healy 1.

 

RESERVES RECAP

 

Subiaco’s Reserves suffered a tough loss in the 2018 WAFL Second Semi Final, falling by seven points to a fast finishing East Perth.

At quarter time it appeared that the Subiaco Reserves would go back to the WAFL Grand Final to defend their title as they built a 44 point lead, holding their opponents scoreless.

 

However East Perth would peg the game back across the next two quarters and stormed home with six goals to nil in the last quarter to send Subiaco crashing to defeat and facing a cut-throat Preliminary Final next week.

 

It was a disappointing finish after a bright start which produced some of the best football the Subiaco Reserves have played this year.

 

Brad Stevenson performed strongly with a five goal haul up forward while Adam Cockie was the midfield catalyst with 26 disposals, eight inside 50’s and some key work on the inside.

 

However Stevenson and Cockie were two of few winners on the day, as the remainder of their Lion teammates battled to have the same impact on the contest.

 

Subiaco will quickly look to rebound, now needing to beat Claremont in a replay of the 2017 WAFL Reserves Preliminary Final to get back to the Grand Final and defend their title of 2017.

 

GAME CHANGERS

 

HOT START

It was a blink and you miss it start from Subiaco as they had three goals on the board inside the first five minutes of the game and had put seven goals on the board by quarter time. Brad Stevenson was a lively presence forward as was Ray Daniels and the Subiaco midfield was on top off the back of the ruck work of Tim Sutherland. It was the ideal start, ultimately though, a pace that the Lions could not sustain.

 

MISSING IN THE CLUTCH

Subiaco’s Reserves have had a couple of occasions in close games where they have not quite been able to produce the clutch performance. They suffered a tight loss to Claremont last month and there were shades of that loss in the back half on Sunday.

 

EXPECT A BOUNCEBACK

Despite how the Second Semi Final ended, Subiaco will be buoyed by their ability bounceback across the season. Subiaco lost back to back games only once during the year, back in round two and three. Since than some of the team’s most memorable wins this year, including round four against Claremont, round seven against Peel and round 18 against Swans have been bouncing back from losses.  

 

FINAL

SUBIACO         7.2       8.5       11.10   11.13.79

EAST PERTH    0.0       4.4       7.5       13.8.86

 

BEST: Cockie, Stevenson, Menegola, Beverley, Lawrence.

GOALS: Stevenson 5; Daniels 2; Cleggett, Cockie, Edwards-Baldwin, Nelson 1.