Finals Week 2 Recap

Subiaco will be taking the long way through the Finals year this season, as losses in both grades to Claremont at Lane Group Stadium on Sunday made certain that both the Reserves and the Colts will play in Week 3 of Finals.

The Colts took to the field first, and while the first half of the match was closely contested, Claremont managed to kick 10 goals to Subi’s 2 in the second half to secure a 63-point victory. The Lions struggled to move the ball forward and spent much of the morning on the backfoot defending against Claremont’s incessant attacks, with Subi ending the day with half the scoring shots as their opposition.

While the result wasn’t the desired one, some bright spots did appear during the match. Charlie Burke stood out with 23 disposals, appearing all over the ground and playing a central role in the Colts efforts for the day. Regan Mott’s defensive efforts were the best on ground, clocking the most tackles of anyone on either side for the day, while Malakai Champion generated the most inside 50 entries of any individual.

When the Colts faced Claremont only two weeks ago in the final round of the Home & Away season, the scoreline looked remarkably similar; a 66-point margin. Although there are definitive signs of improvement, especially in the forward line, Subiaco’s Colts will need to overcome Claremont if they hope to win the Premiership in 2024.

Later that morning, it was the Reserves turn to take to Mandurah’s turf. Subiaco got off to a fantastic start, keeping Claremont goalless in the first quarter to lead by 23 points at quarter time. Claremont did not take the threat lying down however, and after two ferocious quarters of back-and-forth Subiaco led by a single point going into the final term. In the end, Claremont managed to snag victory by 10 points. Statistically as close as games get, both sides ended with the same amount of scoring shots, with the final scores being 12.5.77 to 10.7.67.

The Lions’ defensive line were indisputably the shining stars of the match. Patrick Mullane, Benjamin Golding, Noah Ash, and Corey Bellouard all accumulated over 20 disposals each, indicative of an incredible defensive effort. Rylie Morgan wasn’t far behind with 19 disposals, rounding out the top 5 ball-getters of the day for either side. Golding also managed the most inside 50 entries and even a goal, an all-around great day for the centreman despite the result. Jacob Wagenknecht also made waves, tying Golding for most tackles on the side and scoring a goal himself.

The losses make the rest of Subiaco’s finals campaign more treacherous; both the Reserves and the Colts find themselves in Preliminary Finals at Steel Blue Oval this Sunday. The Colts will take on Swan Districts first before the Reserves play East Fremantle. Winning guarantees a spot against Claremont in the Grand Final for either grade. Losing means the end of the 2024 season.