PERTH emphasised how much it has improved over the past 12 months in comparison to East Fremantle with the Demons getting closer to a first finals appearance since 1997 with a 64-point win at Lathlain Park on Saturday.

 

Perth and East Fremantle were the bottom two WAFL teams last year winning just three games apiece and while they both occupied the same spots at the foot of the ladder entering Saturday's clash at Lathlain Park, the gulf between both clubs was on show.

 

The Demons came into the game on the back of beating South Fremantle by a goal the previous Saturday and that was the same Bulldogs team that had thumped East Fremantle by 73 points five days earlier.

 

The Sharks had backed that up losing to Subiaco by 103 points so confidence was low as they entered the clash with Perth and that only grew in the absence of Nick Kommer and Cameron Loersch with another former AFL-listed Jonathon Marsh going down injured early.

 

Perth came out firing with seven goals to three in the opening quarter and then despite East Fremantle closing the gap to 12 points by half-time, the Demons took control from there.

 

Perth piled on 11 goals to three in the second to romp to the 21.13 (139) to 11.9 (75) victory.

 

The win improves the Demons to a 4-6 record on the season to be only percentage outside the top five.

 

East Fremantle remains last at 2-8 a game and percentage behind Claremont.

 

It was a remarkable third game of league football from Michael Bennell with the 24-year-old Albany native booting seven goals from nine kicks, four tackles and three marks.

Last year's leading goalkicker Cody Ninyette also played his best game of the season kicking five goals from 13 kicks, five tackles and four marks for Perth while Corey Byrne and Kristian Cary kicked two goals apiece. Cary also had 20 possessions, seven inside 50s, six marks and six tackles.

George Hampson kicked three goals for East Fremantle to go with 20 possessions. Jamie McNamara kicked two goals as well with Cameron Eardley booting two along with 27 disposals, seven tackles, six marks and six inside-50 entries.

Dion Anthony racked up 30 possessions and 13 marks for the sharks while Sean Henson collected 26 disposals, Jayden Schofield 22, Chris Scott 21 and Jordan Snadden 17.

Matthew Jupp (19 possessions, nine marks, nine tackles) and Dylan Winton (19 disposals, eight marks, four tackles) did what they could as key defenders for the Sharks.

Less than 13 minutes passed on Saturday at Lathlain Park and the game was virtually over as a contest after Perth started on fire blowing East Fremantle away with goals to Mitch Henderson, Michael Bennell, Cody Ninyette, Bennell again, Ninyette again and Anton Scotney.

Then after a goal to East Fremantle's George Hampson, Bennell and Ninyette a third apiece and even after a couple of late Sharks goals, the Demons were in control by 23 points at the first break.

East Fremantle did respond with a good second quarter, though, starting with quick goals to Jonathon Marsh and Jarrad Jansen. Even though Perth got to a 12-point lead by half-time with a late goal to Bennell, the Sharks had kicked five goals to three to be right in the contest.

That didn’t take long to change in the third quarter. Unanswered Perth goals to Blake Johnson, Corey Byrne (two), Ninyette and Cary saw the lead for the Demons grow to 43 points.

East Fremantle got a couple of goals back through Jamie McNamara and Cameron Eardley, but the Demons led by 38 points at three quarter-time when Bennell kicked his fifth of the day.

He then added a sixth to open the last term and added a seventh soon after with Ninyette kicking his fifth, and others to Laine Wilkins and captain Clint Jones to see the Demons romp to the 64-point victory.

Perth set the stage for its strong league showing later in the afternoon with a 16.15 (111) to 9.13 (67) victory against East Fremantle at Lathlain Park.

There were especially good signs with the returns of Spencer White (three goals) and Jared Bell (13 possessions, five marks).

Kurtis Chester also kicked three goals for the Demons, Marshall Jones three, Joe Ugle two, Lennon Marlin two and Chris Leonard two.

Shaun Smith racked up 28 possessions for the Demons, Callum Marshall 28, Jake Schleicher 23, Ugle 21, Taran Etto 21, Chester 19, Jones 19, Braden Piggott 19 and Leonard 19.

Leon Pearton and Corey Holmes kicked two goals apiece for East Fremantle.

Joel Kalajzic gathered 27 possessions for the Sharks, Zac Jackson 24, Kim Schofield 20, Tom Marshall 19 and Aaron Holmes 19.

Perth could be inside the top five by this Saturday night if it's able to end its losing streak against West Perth at 14 when the Demons play the Falcons at Joondalup Arena.

 

East Fremantle will enjoy the bye in Round 12 to try and regroup before taking on Claremont in a battle of the WAFL's bottom two sides at East Fremantle Oval.

 

 

PERTH – Goals: Bennell 7; Ninyette 5; Byrne, Cary 2; Wilkins, Jones, Scotney, Johnson, Henderson.

Best: Bennell, Colledge, Leggett, Cary, Yeo, Sinclair, Byrne, Browne.

EAST FREMANTLE – Goals: Hampson 3; McNamara, Eardley 2; Perham, Marsh, Fletcher, Jansen.

Best: Eardley, Anthony, Hampson, Jupp, Scott, Winton.