Country Championships: Avon’s title defence remains untarnished, race for grand final wide open after day one

Defending champions Avon started their Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships title defence in glorious fashion in a wide open race for division one supremacy after day one. Avon are the only undefeated team through the opening two matches in Perth on Friday after handing Upper Great Southern and Goldfields defeats, while three teams are locked together with an equal record. Peel, South West and Goldfields have each notched one win and one loss while Upper Great Southern’s chance of a finals berth is hanging by a thread as the only winless team. Avon made light work of Upper Great Southern in their opening game at Sullivan Logistics Stadium in Leederville with a 21-point win, before clutching a six-point triumph over Peel later in the day. The title holders booted four first-half goals while keeping Upper Great Southern scoreless, before fending off a spirited fightback to emerge 5.11 (41) to 3.2 (20) victors. After dropping their first game of the day to Peel in a one-point thriller, South West responded accordingly with a crushing 73-point demolition of Upper Great Southern to sit second with a division-high 284.62 percentage. South West controlled the game from start to finish with 12 unanswered majors before Upper Great Southern’s Byron Blevin put through a consolation goal on the final siren. Richard Bourne starred for South West with a game-high three goals in their in their near-faultless 12.8 (80) to 1.1 (7) win. South West looked destined for victory in their opening clash with Peel before a match defining goal from the boot of Riese Wilkey in the final minute of the match handed Peel a terrific 5.2 (32) to 5.1 (31) win. Third-placed Goldfields opened their account in the first match of the day with a 20-point win over Peel, holding their opponents goalless in the process. Peel’s only win of the championships thus far came in a one-point thriller over South West. The remaining division one games resume on Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval starting at 1pm.