Royals in from the cold

by LES EVERETT

EAST PERTH supporters who ventured to Lathlain Park last Saturday were treated to performances from both their teams.

In the first half it was the slow and listless Royals who were lucky to be only four goals behind Perth.

In the second half the dynamic and purposeful Royals powered on to victory. Luckily Royals fans who turned up to the game didn't know what had gone on behind the scenes in the lead up to the game.

If they had known the full story they would have stayed home in front of the heater. The flu hit and players were dropping like flies. The reserves couldn't field a team and new football manager Jarrod Chipperfield pulled on the boots.

We can't confirm this but we hear Alex "Marbles" Wilson, Tom Percy QC, Joe Barbaro and Dean Schulze were all told to strip and be ready for action.

Frank Agostino started the league game but didn't make it to half time and coach Warren Mahoney was so flattened by the bug that he couldn't talk.

The East Perth midfield began to function during the third quarter and by the last break the margin was down to 14 points.

Assistant coach Shane Cable addressed the players at the last huddle and the message was clear - keep running, go long and direct in search of Andrew Merrington and stop kicking the ball to Dion Woods. The plan to counter the influence of Woods was for his man to play very close to goal and it paid an unexpected early last quarter dividend when Adam Pickering snapped a brilliant goal.

With help from ruckman Tim Lyster, midfielders Brent Cowell, Michael Swan and Luke Webster (who missed most of Cable's address because he was having his knee strapped) proved irresistible and Merrington made the most of his opportunities.

Perth answered the challenge more than once but in the end it was all too much.

This Saturday it's the Leederville Oval derby with East Perth taking on Subiaco. Bring your boots.

From Voice News.

Andrew Merrington kicked five goals for the Royals at Lathlain Park last Saturday. Photo by Les Everett.

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