East Perth coach Ross McQueen says sitting atop the WAFL ladder is a nice reward for his group and the fans but says it means little if they don’t finish the season in strong fashion. After three quarters of domination, the top spot was almost ripped out of the Royals’ grasp as Perth kicked six unanswered goals in the final term at Sullivan Logistics Stadium to close within seven points. But the group’s wise heads prevailed as they used smart chip-and-marks to stave off Perth’s irresistible late momentum, claiming a valuable four points in the 11.
15 (81) to 11.8 (74) win that puts them a game clear of Peel Thunder. “This time last year, we were in a similar position, and it’s nice now to be a game clear, but you just need to bank as many wins as you possibly can,” McQueen told The West Australian.
“Top’s nice for the moment, but we’ve got Claremont next week and another four really tough games after that, but it’s nice for the players to enjoy and our very loyal supporters.” Football has been a game of extreme momentum swings in 2024, with East Perth on the receiving end of late charges multiple times, so much so that McQueen referenced Friday night’s AFL clash between Essendon and Adelaide at halftime to remind his players of the dangers. “We talked about Adelaide and Essendon last night.
Adelaide kicked eight goals in a quarter, and they’re playing against the third-best team in the AFL, and they couldn’t stop it, so you’ve got to ride it o.
