WA Football Commission

Falcons soar through to Preliminary FinalsMonday, August 24, 2015 - 9:22 PM

With the grand final inching closer and only a fortnight away, what began as a tight wrestle and heavily contested fight for a grand final birth between the third placed Joondalup and fourth placed Swans, transformed into a one sided affair as the Falcons swooped down on a tired swans outfit.

There was nothing unpleasant about the conditions of the surface at Hamer Park, boasting a ground in top condition with the healthy addition of a sunny 18 degree day.

From the first bounce Swan Districts had complete control, opening what was the most important match of the season for both sides with a superb delivery inside their forward fifty. This resulted in the opening goal to power forward Asha Price, who would put another six points on the board with a classy snap goal around the body only moments later. Under strong pressure, Joondalup found themselves in trouble early on. The Falcons then responded with their first major straight out of the middle courtesy of strong ruck work from both Danika Miles and Kylie Lane.

Joondalup quickly turned the game on its head, switching on as the Swans never saw the ball in their forward fifty for the second quarter. The finals intensity heated up as both sides played hard, forcing turnovers and a wrestle throughout. Joondalup’s Bella Ndayikeze was important with her strong tackling, pressure, and constant push up the ground to create more Falcon goals.

Kristina Oxley was important, slotting 2 goals in five minutes to help give the premiership hungry Falcons a healthy fourteen point lead at the main break.

Though the game was falling out of the Swans hands, their dominance and strong defensive pressure saw their defense hold up nicely among several Falcon deliveries inside fifty.

At no point in the game could Swan Districts string more than two majors together. Though unable to capitalize on the scoreboard but looking dangerous inside their forward fifty, the Swans were able to lift a small glimmer of hope and added their first goal to the scoreboard courtesy of Asha Price around the nine minute mark of the third term.

The days events were a strong reminder of Joondalup’s Round 16 28 point win over the Swans, which saw them neatly cement third spot on ladder in the tight race for the top four.

The Swans were messy in defense, particularly in the final term coughing up the football in countless turnovers coming from kick outs where the Falcons had manned up well. The dedicated defensive play of the Joondalup forwards forced the Swans to cough up the ball on several occasions, resulting in more Falcon goals.

The Joondalup reserves have not won a premiership in eight years, but this showcase of composure and dominance in such an important game revealed they are ready and fired up to break that drought.

Final Score: Joondalup Falcons 10.10 (70) def Swan Districts 4.4 (28)

- Sandra Argese 2015