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Final score
Swans 12- 6 - 78 beat Perth 10-10- 70

Good hit out for both clubs. Skills were pretty ordinary from both teams but you would expect that after such a long layoff. After a fairly even opening quarter, Swans got their running game going in the 2nd and played a very open brand of football to clear out to a 5 goal lead at half time. Perth came steaming back in the 3rd term and they were dominating the clearances and ramped up their tackling. Swans failed to match them and they were not working as hard as they had in the first half.

Swans still turned for home with a small lead but that was soon gobbled up by the Demons and they hit the front early in the last Q. At that stage it looked like Swans were going to be overrun.

To Swans credit, they snatched back the momentum and a few good entries into the forward 50 produced 3 goals which ended up being enough to hang on.

Only a scratch match but good to see that the players dug deep when they were challenged.
For Swans many of the usual suspects looked in good form, Riggio, Turner, Gault, Howard and Notte all contributed. The new guys such as Fisher Anderson and Waite did some good stuff. I also saw a fair bit of Bain, Cipro and Farrant. The only downer was George Hampsons injury, hopefully its only a twinge and he was withdrawn as a precaution.

One thing the guys need to work on is their kicking inside our back 50. We turned over at least half a dozen of these today, short kicks which were intercepted by oncoming Perth players. Luckily the Demons didn't really make us pay for these as I think only Jake Cognilio got a goal from a turnover but you can bet your bottom dollar that Subiaco would have nailed all of them.


For Perth, They would have been disappointed with their first half but you can see that their experienced recruits in Masten, Mcinnes and Grey will have a significant impact on their performances this shortened year.

Now for the season proper starting next Saturday at Bassendean!

Interesting game Mike and decent old hit out before Round 1, not sure why Perth had 8 on the bench to our 5 and then with Hampson & Anderson sitting out the 2nd half injured it left us way short on numbers compared to our opposition.

I also found that strange by Perth when I saw it at the start of the game and expected Perth to run the game out better than Swans.
Good 2nd qtr and early 3rd then Perth got going.
Outside Subi and South I think it will be even, Perth lots of big bodies.
New players were handy and give depth, Waite needs to sort out his short passing.

For those at the scratchie - any opinion about Perth's lack of depth in the absence of Kody?

Interesting game watched by a good crowd that suggests a good turnout next week. I hope the performance in the forward line of Fischer, Anderson and Hampson in the second quarter is not a one off effort; they combined well with Anderson in particular showing some seriously good skills. I thought I saw Anderson on the ground late in the last, but is Hampson's injury serious?

Personally, I am pleased with the return of Stephens to defence. Tight, no nonsense defender from the Skwirowski mould who I thought had given it up after a serious knee injury against WP last year. I must have still been laughing after Ronnie Boucher's performance at the guernsey presentation Thursday and missed Stephens issued his no. 38

SH Anderson only played the first half and then watched the second in his civvies like George, you may have mistaken Stephens for him as both look similar.
Stephens has had a few knee/leg injuries in the past but does have some pace and can play a part off half back or as a tagger but he just needs to tidy up his kicking as he turned over a few in the back half that directly coughed up goals to Perth.

Stephens and Waite gave away 4 or 5 goals between them with their kicking out of the backline, nothing changed in the game plan there as we try to play like an AFL team coming out of the backline with short kicks
No point having Notte forward if we play like that, won’t get down there enough

Beasley Hutton wrote: SH Anderson only played the first half and then watched the second in his civvies like George, you may have mistaken Stephens for him as both look similar.
Stephens has had a few knee/leg injuries in the past but does have some pace and can play a part off half back or as a tagger but he just needs to tidy up his kicking as he turned over a few in the back half that directly coughed up goals to Perth.

BH was Hampson injury another hammy? That has plagued his whole career, he is a brilliant player when fit and probably would have made the next level if he had got over the hammy's early in his career.

Senior Seagull wrote:

Beasley Hutton wrote: SH Anderson only played the first half and then watched the second in his civvies like George, you may have mistaken Stephens for him as both look similar.
Stephens has had a few knee/leg injuries in the past but does have some pace and can play a part off half back or as a tagger but he just needs to tidy up his kicking as he turned over a few in the back half that directly coughed up goals to Perth.

BH was Hampson injury another hammy? That has plagued his whole career, he is a brilliant player when fit and probably would have made the next level if he had got over the hammy's early in his career.

SS I think George's leg muscle injuries over the years are probably a carryover from having 2 knee recos as a teenager.