Murray magic highlights fighting victory

Murray magic highlights fighting victory

John Townsend

The play of the season and the goal of the year were the most compelling features of West Perth’s tough win over Swan Districts on Sunday that has steered the Falcons into second place on the WAFL ladder.

Tyler Keitel’s discernible improvement this year – a remarkable feat for a nine-year player who has already won Breckler and Bernie Naylor medals – is most clearly manifested in his kicking for goals.

The big forward landed 10 goals in the West Coast rout last week but had a more important contribution with half that number in the seven-point win over Swans, 12.9 (81) to 11.8 (74).

All of them were set shots, with three from beyond the 50m arc including a 55m bomb into the breeze to secure the lead just before time-on in the last term at Steel Blue Oval.

But the most spectacular came in the second quarter with a set play that wrested momentum from the home team when the ball raced from goal to goal in just two kicks.

Ben Johnson’s driving kick-in from a Swan Districts behind landed in the arms of veteran Shane Nelson as he tore towards the centre circle while his kick forward found Keitel within range.

It could have been the moment of the year only for the recalled Nathan Murray to eclipse it an hour later.

The nuggetty Murray made a bright start to his career in 2021 with six wins in his first six matches but lost his place last season as the premiership-bound Falcons found more incisive midfield options.

He went back to the reserves where he continued to find the football 30 or so times a match, did that again in the opening round this season and was the leading candidate to come in when Sasha Kernutt (knee) and Conal Lynch (eye socket) were unfit to take on Swans.

Murray’s response should guarantee his place for the foreseeable future.

He won the ball his standard 30 times, laid three tackles and kicked three goals from loose play as he provided support to the main forwards.

The third major was the most memorable and complemented Keitel’s fifth strike to extend West Perth’s lead to a game-high 12 points after they were 19 down early in the match.

Collecting the ball in heavy traffic next to the boundary in the left forward pocket, Murray dribbled it 20 metres towards the goals and was swamped by his delighted team-mates when it trickled over the line.

There was a fair portion of luck in the finish but it would not have happened without Murray’s skill and timing.

Nelson was the third critical element in the West Perth success.

He gathered the ball 40 times – the 22nd time he has done that in 211 games but the first time since 2021 – and has crept past his great mate and premiership captain Aaron Black as the most prolific ball-winner of the modern WAFL era.

Nelson has amassed 6256 possessions to Black’s 6255 with no other players coming close in the 25 or so seasons that comprehensive individual statistics have been recorded.

It is feasible that prominent long-term midfielders like triple-centurions Mel Whinnen (371 games) and Bill Walker (305) won more of the ball but there are no records to confirm their status.

With Nelson having a bigger say than Swans’ leading on-ballers, West Perth were able to get the ball into their attacking zone often enough to create enough chances and prevent Swans getting a run on.

The 20 minutes either side of three-quarter time proved the critical period in the contest with West Perth kicking four unanswered goals to extinguish the home team’s flickering prospects.

One of them came as Keegan Knott manufactured a trademark snap amid a large crowd of defenders.

But the will-o’-the-wisp damaged an ankle in the process and may have to wait to celebrate his 100th club match in his next appearance.

West Perth 1.2 5.4 8.5 12.9 81

Swan Districts 4.2 6.4 8.7 11.8 74

Goals - West Perth: 5: Keitel. 3: Murray. 1: Meadows, Knott, Dobson, Hinder.

Swan Districts: 3: Palmer, Jones. 1: Riley, Ottaviano, Hewett, Edwards, McLachlan.

Best - West Perth: Murray, Keitel, Nelson, Meadows, Mallard, Johnson, Hinder.

Swan Districts: Turner, McLachlan, Palmer, Erceg, Kemp, Pina.

photographer Blake Parry