Round 12 Men’s Recap

The Subi boys have come out on top in a high-scoring thriller with East Fremantle, with the Lions just barely edging out the Sharks 16.7.103 to 16.6.102 in what commentators referred to as one of the best WAFL games in years.

Saturday’s upset, which sent the Sharks from 2nd on the ladder down to 4th, contained 7 lead changes; an indicator of just how closely fought the battle between the two sides was. 

Stefan Giro, who picked up 24 disposals and a clean goal off a step at 50 metres, spoke to the feeling in the changerooms at the end of first half.

“It didn’t feel like we were 17 points down. Everyone was still up and about. We felt like we were still playing some really good footy and if we stuck to our process, we’d keep ourselves in the game.”

Greg Clark also went down late in the second quarter, and the Lions had to play out the rest of the match without its captain.

Following the main break, Subiaco went on to kick their highest-scoring quarter of the year, with a run of 6 goals (and 3 behinds) that brought the game down to less than a kick at the final break.

East Fremantle, however, didn’t let up, and pressed forward with an attack in the dying moments of the game. It was the hands of Patrick Mullane, who got a hand to it before it passed through the goals, that saved the match, robbing the Sharks of 6 points and instead bringing the margin down to 1 before the final siren mercifully blared.

“It’s pretty hard to go past Pat’s game-saving effort,” Giro admitted. “The reaction to the final siren from our boys was a highlight. You can see it means a lot to the group to get another great win.”

“I think the last few weeks have given us the confidence to be composed during those dying moments. We were in a similar position last week against East Perth which gave us the experience to hold on again this week.”

The victory also represents one of Subiaco’s most accurate weeks in front of goal, with 16 goals. 11 of those were from set shots, also showcasing how strong the connection from midfield to forward line has grown and the quality of Subiaco’s inside-50 entries.

“I think we are getting better looks on goal with the way we’ve been trying to play, and overall getting more attempts because of our inside 50 entries,” Giro explained. “A few boys kicked some hard set shots too, especially Trav’s on a tight angle for his first goal.”

Indeed, Travis Shearer’s first goal at senior level was not an easy one, but the Esperance boy’s efforts kickstarted a run of 3 unanswered goals in 4 minutes that would secure the first quarter in Subi’s favour.

“I really feel like our best players were widely spread, which is a great sign, especially when our captain went down injured,” Giro elaborated.

Among Subi’s best on the day, Liam Hickmott was vital in filling the void left by Clark, accumulating 22 disposals and creating 7 i50 entries. Down back, Patrick Mullane was also a pivotal part of the team’s defence, even outside of his game-saving touch at the end.

Jack Mayo continued a great season in front of goals, slotting 3 for the day. Richard Bartlett also scored 3 goals of his own, while Joshua Robbins and Sonny Siano rounded out the repeat scorers club with 2 each.

“It’s great to see our younger players like Bartlett and Sonny having an impact,” Giro said. “They both played great games.”

Subi’s defensive efforts were also paramount on the day, with the club landing an impressive 74 tackles on the Sharks across the day. Benjamin Golding, Taj Schofield and Liam Hickmott alone made up nearly a third of them, with Schofield and Hickmott having 7 and Golding securing 8.

“We want to pride ourselves on our pressure and ability to keep the ball in the front half,” Giro explained. “Our pressure and contest efforts have been huge the last couple of weeks and has been something we’ve been working on.”

“Our forwards and mids have especially improved in this area, which has in turn helped our backs.”

The win is Subi’s second in a row, following a 10-point win over East Perth last week.

The weekend proved to be a successful one for the club; while the Colts couldn’t quite come home with the win, the Reserves side took a 3-point victory over the Sharks.