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Black Swans have much to crow about

WA celebrate their win. Pic: Michael Wilson/WA News

Veteran half-forward Ryan Davis was the architect when WA beat South Australia by 45 points to regain the Haydn Bunton Cup at Lathlain Park today.

Davis, so often a match winner for Swan Districts in recent years, proved the difference with five goals in the Black Swans’ 18.13 (121) to 11.10 (76) victory.

It edged WA ahead 47-46 in the head-to-head rivalry against SA over the past 111 years.

Davis played the lead role for the Black Swans but there were valuable cameos from midfielders Aaron Black and Chris Phelan, classy forward Shane Yarran and defenders Wayde Twomey, Kirk Ugle, Andrew Strijk and Justin Simpson.

Twomey, winner of the Simpson Medal in WA’s drought-breaking win over Victoria two years ago, helped restrict the influence of former Adelaide forward Jason Porplyzia.

Defenders Tom Keough and Paul Thomas and midfielders James Boyd, Chrisa Schmidt and Steven Summerton did best for the Croweaters.

The Black Swans were quick out of the blocks, returning North Melbourne midfielder Liam Anthony kicking the first goal of the match.

Accurate finishes from Shane Yarran and former Essendon goalsneak Cory Dell’Olio gave WA an 18-point lead at the 16-minute mark of the first quarter.

The Croweaters had plenty of the ball early in the match but weren’t rewarded on the scoreboard.

South Australia hit back with consecutive goals to James Boyd, Lachlan McGregor and Brett Eddy levelling the scores at the first change.

The visitors’ dominance through the middle of the ground was reflected in their 14-8 advantage in inside 50s in the first stanza.

McGregors’ second for the match and Ian Callinan’s first gave South Australia a 12-point advantage at the four-minute mark of the second term.

WA, with Davis leading the way and a resolute back six, responded with five of the remaining six goals for the quarter to lead by 14 points at half time.

It was more of the same in the third quarter, the Black Swans breaking the game open with five of the first six goals to lead by 24 points at the last change.

A Brett Eddy goal closed the gap to 18 points in the first minute of the last term, Black halting the Croweaters charge with consecutive goals in the middle of the last quarter.

Western Australia held on to beat a wayward South Australia in the curtain raiser under-18s clash.

Claremont’s Sam Petrevski-Seton was one of the host state’es best players in their 11.7 (73) to 9.18 (72) victory.

Petrevski-Seton is too young to be drafted this year but the classy 17-year-old is already being touted as a top-three pick in 2016.

SCOREBOARD

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 3.3 8.6 13.9 18.13 (121)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.3.3 6.4 9.9 11.10 (76)

GOALS – WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Davis 5; Dell’Olio, Yarran 3; Black 2; Neates, Hams, Anthony, Phelan, Cook. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Ryswyk 3; McGregor, Callinan, Eddy 2; Kirkwood, Boyd

BEST – WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Davis, Twomey, Strijk, Phelan, Yarran, Ugle, Black. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Keough, Boyd, Summerton, Schmidt, Kirkwood, Thomas

SIMPSON MEDAL (best WA player): Ryan Davis

FOS WILLIAMS MEDAL (best SA player): Tom Keough

UMPIRES: S McPhee, S Parry, C Fleer

CROWD: 2500 (approx) at Lathlain Park