Select grade below

Ten-goal Keitel leads record West Perth rout

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 - 2:59 PM

Ten-goal Keitel leads record West Perth rout

John Townsend

The first time a West Perth player kicked 10 goals at Joondalup, he was wearing No.37 and the Falcons were gearing up to win the flag.
 
The last time a West Perth player kicked 10 goals at Joondalup, he was wearing No.37 and the Falcons were gearing up to defend their premiership.
 
Tyler Keitel’s career-best display in the 169-point rout of West Coast on Saturday turned back the clock 28 years to Paul Mifka’s ground-breaking effort in 1995.
 
And the pair share another considerable similarity beyond their names being on the No. 37 locker given that both balanced their West Perth playing and training commitments with careers as WA police officers.
 
Mifka was at Pentanet Stadium for much of the record-breaking game on Saturday but left before Keitel matched his effort by landing his 10th major just before the final siren.
 
The versatile left-footer used Facebook to explain why he left the game early but didn’t miss arch rival East Perth in his comments.
“Did he get 10? I left during the last quarter,” Mifka said.
“Wish I stayed around. It was just hard to watch the thrashing.
“Unless we play East Perth. Those are enjoyable.”

The result was beyond doubt when West Perth kicked six unanswered goals in the opening 11 minutes with Keitel and fellow key forward Mitch Dobson relishing the absence of pressure from the undermanned Eagles team to score heavily in the 34.13 (217) to 7.6 (48) result.
 
West Perth’s percentage jumped from 75 to 249 while both forwards produced personal bests with Keitel’s 10 complementing an eight-goal haul from Dobson that featured arrow-like set-shot kicking for goal.
Keitel’s kicking stood out with half of his haul coming from 50m bombs after marking on the lead, including the final strike that floated left and right like an escaping balloon before fading over the line.
 
It was the first time since Ash Hansen, of Swan Districts, kicked 11 in 2012 that a WAFL player had produced a double-figure tally.
Keitel also passed Fred Buttsworth and Ray Schofield (both 265 goals) and Ross Ayre and Ron Evans (both 271) to move into 11th place on the club goal-kicking tally with 273.
 
And nuggetty forward Sasha Kernutt, whose powerful aerial work belied his 177cm frame, celebrated his 28th birthday by landing five goals for the first time.
 
The massive score and margin were the highest in West Perth’s 281 matches over 30 seasons at Joondalup while only the twin returns of 37.17 (239) at Leederville Oval against South Fremantle (to win by 210 points in 1987) and East Fremantle (178 in 1981) produced bigger scores and margins in the club’s 133-year history.
 
The rout was founded on West Perth’s dominance in the middle where Shane Nelson (38 disposals), Luke Meadows (29) and the Lynch brothers (Aidan 24 and Conal 20) were prolific ball-winners against a thoroughly outclassed opposition.
With Michael Mallard wearing down his young ruck opponent Harry Barnett and greyhound Jo Hinder slicing through the Eagles defence from his wing, there was little surprise that the Falcons compiled 69 forward-50 entries and maintained their ball in their forward line for much of the game.
 
West Perth 7.3 17.5 23.11 34.13 217
West Coast 0.0 3.2 5.3 7.6 48
Goals - West Perth: 10: Keitel. 8: Dobson. 5: Kernutt. 2: Black, Hinder, Langdon, Knott. 1: Nelson, Peirce, Rotham.
West Coast: 2: Lucassen. 1: Barnett, Dewar, Deegan, Downsborough, Eastough.
Best - West Perth: Keitel, Nelson, Dobson, Meadows, Hinder, Kernutt, A Lynch.
West Coast: Barnett, Nelson, Trew.
 

 

Next Game - League

Round 6
Saturday, 04 May
V
2:10 PM at Lane Group Stadium
Game Preview

2024 Membership

Currently at
156
Click to Join

Current / Target

3920 / 2500

Upcoming Events

  • 2024 Hall of Fame Dinner

    Wednesday July 24 at 6:30am

    Function Room, Pentanet Stadium

    Event Information

OUR PARTNERS

2024 Corporate Classic

Proud to Belong

Next Game - WAFLW

Round 11
Saturday, 11 May
V
12:10 PM at East Fremantle Oval
Game Preview

BGC Housing Group Partnership