Perth out rolls Swan Districts to win 2022 WA Wheelchair Football League grand final at WAWFL Stadium, Mt Claremont

For all of 2022 it appeared the WAWFL premiership was Perth’s to lose.

However, Swan Districts have almost pulled off a stunning grand final victory leading by 4 points at ¾ time at WAWFL Stadium in Mt Claremont.

Perth was heavy favourites to win the grand final and have been all season with the combination of a strong core group of players, but Swan’s had other ideas.

Perth was both able to handle the stage of the grand final better and played the final ¼ much better with their tough, in-and-under midfielders outstanding while Swan’s five-star tall Ben Moncrieff tried to lift his team with outstanding effect.

The result was Swan’s threatening to open a big lead before half-time, but then doing so in the third quarter, however, a final quarter Demon onslaught saw them overcome a shaky start to roll out victors.

Tough midfielder Rob Petersen was best afield with Perth, whilst the ever-dangerous Ebony Stevenson created many chances but couldn’t put pressure on the scoreboard. At one stage such was the dominance of big man Ben Moncrieff for Swan’s, he even swung back to curtail the impending Perth fightback.

It is a devastating loss for Swan Districts after the Swans were one of the premiership favourites ever since they lost last year’s grand final to East Perth.

Perth was on top of the ladder for most of the season and finished four games clear as minor premiers and advanced straight into the grand final with a strong Qualifying-final win over Swan Districts, and today was the day for the Demons.

The Demons set about their inaugural season with a mixture of accomplished wheelchair basketballers and senior league players from their WAFL side, this mixture proved a masterstroke and by mid-season had the makings of a successful team.

Despite only two of their players having played WAWFL before Perth was both better equipped to handle the occasion of Super Sunday Finals and a grand final in a warm WAWFL Stadium.

As well as the efforts of Petersen, Zilioli and Bird were tremendous for Perth with plenty of clearances and a couple of important goals to put the game beyond Swans in the final ¼.

Moncrieff who had overcome a season-long elbow injury put his stamp on the game to end up with early crucial goals and while Mark McNair, Jason Burton, Elyse Hudson, and David Cook supported valiantly Perth has the answers when it mattered.

The match-winning advantage occurred in the final term when Bird went forward with Petersen holding strong in the midfield. This gave Perth a match-winning lead and the game was won.