WAFL Insider Round 15: Subiaco premiership coach Jarrad Schofield now impacting the league at the Eagles selection table

The former Subiaco coach, who led Subiaco to three premierships, is now in charge of West Coast’s AFL team.

His selection agenda over the next six weeks at the top level can potentially help shape the top five in the WAFL.

Last weekend, Schofield relegated Jack Darling and Campbell Chesser to the seconds and left Dom Sheed and Jai Culley there also.

It gave the WAFL side rare AFL experience, 526 games worth. The result was a fighting eight-point win over West Perth, only their fourth victory of the season.

Darling kicked two goals and took seven marks and Culley booted two also, picking up 21 touches. Sheed had 31 possessions.

The Falcons beat the Eagles by 92 points earlier in the season.

East Perth, Claremont and East Fremantle are the three sides still fighting for spots in the top five that will play West Coast in the run home.

MORE GOALS FOR ANOTHER JACK

Darling gave West Coast a 15-point lead after the three-quarter-time siren.

West Perth’s Jack DeMarte booted the first goal of the fourth-quarter, just 25 seconds of play later, with a quick snap from just inside 50.

It was the first of his four final-term goals. His next three were all from set shots, the last coming with help from a 50m penalty.

It was a career-high haul, in just 15 games, having not kicked a goal in his previous four outings.

West Perth has now lost seven games on the trot, stuck on just three wins.

Of those seven consecutive losses, they led at halftime in four of them.

If you’d ended the Falcons 13 games at halftime, the Falcons record would be a much-more impressive 7-6.

MEDAL IS KEITEL’S TO LOSE

Falcons key forward, Tyler Keitel, has kicked 17 goals in the past three rounds, adding 6.4 against West Coast.

He now has 45 goals for the season.

With five games remaining, he looks certain to reach 50 goals.

He won his second Bernie Naylor Medal last season with 57 goals and kicked 64 goals in 2021 when he claimed his first.

Keitel is now 13 goals ahead of Swan Districts Leigh Kohlmann, after his 4.2 return against Claremont.

So, for the third year running, it looks like the competition’s leading goalkicking honour will be claimed by someone not playing finals.

The Falcons didn’t play finals in ’23 when Keitel won it, nor did Subiaco the year before, when Ben Sokol took it out.

SWAN SONG ON THE CARDS

Swan Districts beat Claremont by seven points in a thriller, claiming a seventh consecutive victory.

Tony Notte joined club legend Greg Walker on 305 games, a joint club record. Only Mel Whinnen (371), Bill Dempsey (343), Jack Sheedy (332) and Brian Peake (315) have played more WAFL games.

The odds of Swans giving Notte a send off with an elusive premiership are shortening. Remember he missed out on selection for the 2010 win over Claremont.

On Saturday, Notte was important, with eight marks and 21 touches against the Tigers.

As the Swans flew home in the final term, ball magnets Nik Rokahr, nine touches, and Jye Chalcraft, 10, were outstanding.

Kohlmann kicked two of his four goals in that final quarter.

TIGERS FALLING AWAY

Before this season, Claremont’s Callan England had picked up just four Sandover Medal votes, from 86 games.

He’s going to improve on that significantly in 2024.

England is one of 11 Tigers to play all 13 games this season. Only the Swans (13) have had more players appear in every game this season.

England has been a massive trigger for the Tigers form over past six weeks, averaging 28 touches, including 31 against the Swans on Saturday.

He’s also hit the scoreboard four times in that period.

The Tigers have led at halftime in nine of their past 10 games. In their past five, they have fallen away after the main break, outscored in second halves in each of them.

The Swans were the only team though, last weekend, to be able to run over the top of them and pinch a win.

EARDLEY FREE TO PLAY

East Fremantle defender Cam Eardley is free to play against West Perth this weekend after receiving a fine for his rough conduct charge from the weekend.

He initially attracted a one-match ban for his hit on Peel Bo Allan in the fourth quarter of the Sharks win, but the penalty was downgraded to a $200 fine for an early guilty plea.

Eardley has been in terrific form, providing connection between halfback and the midfield.

Last weekend, all three of East Fremantle’s big forwards, Jono Marsh, Cody Leggett and Dillon O’Reilly hit the scoreboard.

Marsh booting 4.3 and now has 24 goals from nine games this season.

THUNDER LOOK VULNERABLE

Peel Thunder is losing its hold on top spot, which it has held for the past five weeks, and for nine of the season’s 15 rounds so far.

But Saturday’s loss to the Sharks was the Thunder’s third in six outings.

The result showed how important Patrick Voss, Liam Reidy and Will Brodie are, who weren’t available for selection.

They also lost Neil Erasmus to concussion after a head knock at opening bounce.

East Fremantle was the home side, despite it being played at Peel’s home ground, Rushton Park.

But the Sharks became the first team to outscore Peel after halftime on their home deck.

They were in front by 12 points at the main break and won by 23.

Taking four important AFL-listed players from a side will have that impact.

READY TO STEP UP

Experienced West Coast players Sheed and Darling took being left out of playing Schofield’s first game in charge well.

Sheed had 31 touches, and Darling booted two goals and took seven marks.

Culley also looked good, with 21 possessions, nine marks and he also kicked a couple of goals.

Fremantle’s Karl Worner was Peel’s highest possession winner, with just 22 touches.

Matt Taberner finished with three goals, but wasn’t a threat all game.