Related Articles
Falcons get funding boost
26 May, 2011
Falcons soar in stellar start to season
28 April, 2011
Falcons take new approach
25 February, 2011
Bouncedown event held in April
24 February, 2011
Cash strapped Falcons seek alternative grounds
22 July, 2010
New rivalry beckons
20 July, 2010
Freeway Falcon arrives safely
20 July, 2010
Sala skips to 150
10 June, 2010
Fleay to play game 100
31 March, 2010
Falcons flourishing despite key outs
30 March, 2010
Salecic soldiers on
20 February, 2010
Commetti calls No.1 spot
18 February, 2010
A Darling footballer
22 July, 2009
Campbell's surprise selection
17 July, 2009
Milestone for Smoker
15 July, 2009
Perth derby a mini final
Posted Aug 5, 2010 - 19:27 PM
THE stakes have never been higher ahead of this Saturday’s Perth derby at Medibank Stadium, as the sixth placed Royals and the third placed Falcons both look to continue on their winning ways in the race to the finals.
East Perth’s 115-point thumping of Peel last round made it three in a row and two by 100-points or more, while West Perth has not looked back since its worst performance of the season against South Fremantle, with convincing wins over Subiaco and also Peel.
A Falcons win would just about cement their spot in the top four, while a win for the Royals would (pending other results) put them in the top four for the first time this season.
West Perth coach Bill Monaghan knows all too well the ramifications placed on the result, given the form of both sides heading into what looms as a mini elimination final.
“East Perth move into the four if we lose and that will make things difficult for us to earn a finals spot,†he said.
“As coaching staff, we don’t make a great deal of the derby; it is something that we mention and we pay respects to the traditions of our club.
“I would like to think the players don’t prepare themselves much differently for this than they do for any other game. However, there is always that subconscious part of the players’ make-up that says it means a lot.â€
Both sides are locked at one all in the previous two derbies this season, and Monaghan said his side always expects a fierce encounter, no matter where their rivals are on the ladder.
“If you are playing a side struggling to win games, there is not that intensity, but if you are playing a top side and you are a top side, there is intensity. You get the same with a derby whether it’s one versus nine or one versus two,†Monaghan said.
The Falcons will welcome back Callum Chambers and Clayton Lasscock after they produced solid performances in the reserves, while they will have to do without Kepler Bradley again after he received a recall for
Fremantle.
Royals forward Ben McKinley has followed suit after doing enough to earn a spot for West Coast with a seven goal haul last week against Peel.
