WAFL 2024: Swan Districts star Tom Edwards’ sixth goal the match-winner in one-point thriller over East Perth

Swan Districts forward Tom Edwards held his nerve under immense pressure to deliver his side an incredible one-point win in a game full of drama at Steel Blue Oval. Edwards kicked six goals in a match-winning performance, but it was his last in the dying moments that mattered the most, giving the Swan an immense 12.7 (79) to 11.12 (78) win over the Royals. It came after an incredible final term when the Swans looked like they were well on their way to victory after a Luke Kelly goal, only for the Royals to respond with three goals in six minutes to reclaim the lead. Edwards, who had been a force all day up forward for the home side, was awarded a controversial free kick in the right forward picket with less than a minute in the game before slotting the, with the win pushing his side into fourth spot. It was an incredible match full of momentum swings and intrigue as both the Royals and Swans looked to give their supporters some success they’ve been starved of in recent years. In the ruck Swans veteran Nathan Blakely was conceding a lot of size and strength to his Royals counterpart Scott Jones, who dominated the hit-outs with 61. But Blakely played to his strength, working hard around the ground to finish with 23 disposals and six clearances to help his midfield brigade of Nik Rokahr (24 disposals and a goal) and Jye Chalcraft (30 disposals and six clearances). Swans speedster Aidan Clarke also did a great tagging job on former Fremantle midfielder Mitch Crowden who was held to only 17 disposals, while Sandover medallist Hamish Brayshaw also struggled with 14 and finished the game on the bench with a quad injury. Michael Randall (24 disposals and six clearances) tried to fill the gap, while Angus Schumacher (22 touches) worked hard to break free of the close attention from Jehb O’Donohue. The Royals didn’t take full advantage of a strong breeze in the first term, but they threatened to blow away the Swans with five unanswered goals either side of the first break to lead by 26 points. Edwards was electric in the opening quarter, but they were held goalless for nearly 40 minutes before Max Chipper broke the drought with an opportunistic snap. It kicked started the home side who were able to come out after half-time and take control of the game, breaking the lines and threatening the scoreboard. The breeze died down in the second half but the Swans’ pressure didn’t and they counterattacked off turnovers, kicking three goals in 13 minutes in the third quarter to lead for the first time since the opening term and bring the parochial crowd into the contest. It all came down to a dramatic final term where both sides traded blows before Edwards kicked the sealer to give the Swans their fifth win in six games. SCOREBOARD SWAN DISTRICTS 2.3, 4.4, 8.7, 12.7 (79) EAST PERTH 3.3, 6.6, 6.11, 11.12 (78) Goals – SWAN DISTRICTS: T Edwards 6 B Lynch 2 M Chipper L Kelly J McLachlan N Rokahr. EAST PERTH: C Ameduri 2 S Hille 2 L Tedesco 2 H Brayshaw T Graham S Jones T Medhat A Pearce. Best – SWAN DISTRICTS: T Edwards J Chalcraft N Blakely A Clarke N Rokahr J Cipro. EAST PERTH: A Schumacher M Randall S Wright J Sturrock A Pearce S Jones. Injuries – EAST PERTH: H Brayshaw (quad). Umpires: O Wharton C Snadden T McPhee. Crowd: TBC at Steel Blue Oval.