THE penultimate round of the 2019 WAFL season sure did its job of setting up a fascinating final round with six teams still in the running to reach finals and only one position in the top five locked away.

The 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season now couldn’t be set up for a more thrilling finish following the happenings across Round 19 and that's all going to leave one team devastated come Saturday night come the end of the home and away campaign.

The action in Round 19 all got underway on Friday night at a cold and wet Leederville Oval but for the West Coast Eagles they got the result they needed to keep their season alive beating East Perth 4.11 (35) to 1.5 (11).

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The West Australian Football League’s Council of Presidents is deeply saddened by the passing of Hall of Fame Legend Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer.
 
WAFL Council of Presidents Chairman Ric Gloede said a statue would be a magnificent way to honour a legend of WA Football. 

"Graham Farmer’s contribution to East Perth Football Club, West Perth Football Club and the West Australian Football League, along with the overall impact he had on redefining the way the game has been played ever since, will leave a lasting legacy never to be forgotten," he said.
 
"He is one of the most important figures to ever grace a football field in Western Australia and the WAFL Council of Presidents strongly believes that Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer should be enshrined with a statue outside WA’s new home of football at Optus Stadium."
 
"A statue of Polly Farmer would be a magnificent tribute to his lasting legacy and a terrific way to recognise a key figure in the WAFL’s history at Optus Stadium."
 
"The WAFL Council of Presidents is committed to exploring opportunities to instate a Polly Farmer statue with the support of the WA Football Commission, and other key stakeholders including the AFL, State Government and Optus Stadium." 

WAFC Chairman Murray McHenry said the WA Football Commission supports the comments of the WAFL Council of Presidents. 

"The West Australian Football Commission wholeheartedly supports the proposal to enshrine Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer’s legacy with a statue at Optus Stadium," McHenry said.

"He is without doubt most deserving of this honour and we look forward to working with the WAFL Presidents, AFL, State Government and Optus Stadium to make it a reality."
 

Perth v East Fremantle: Mineral Resources Park: 2.15pm 

In Round 19 of the 2019 WAFL season, the Perth Football Club will host the East Fremantle Football Club at Mineral Resources Park.

FREE Kids Zone

This week in the Kids Zone we will have an infatable tug-of-war and giant footy goals.

Food & Beverage

Hungry Jack's will be open at the Round 19 match.

The "Pop-Up Bar on the Hill," Redlegs Bar and the can bar are open to the public.

The Modern Catering food truck and an ice cream truck will be at the game.

If you are consuming an alcoholic beverage at the game, the Perth Football Club and The Lucky Shag Waterfront Bar ask you to remember to consume responsibly.

Team Store & Game Day Enquiries

Make sure you head up to the Team Store to check out the TEAM STORE CLEARANCE!

The Perth Football Club office is not open on match days.

Game Day Times

Colts: 9am

Reserves: 11.30am

LEAGUE: 2.15pm

Game Day Entry

Tickets are available for purchase at the gates, EFTPOS facilities are available.

Entry before 11am is free, with gates officially opening at 11am.

Adults: $15

Concessions: $12

Kids under 16: FREE

THE penultimate round of the 2019 WAFL season begins on Friday night with the West Coast Eagles a chance to close in on a finals position before four more matches on Saturday highlighted by the battle for second between South Fremantle and Claremont.

While top position is secure for 2019 with Subiaco guaranteed of a fifth successive WAFL minor premiership, the other four positions in the top five are all still to be determined while there remains seven teams who can all play finals this season with two rounds remaining.

With all five matches in Round 19 of the 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season having some finals implications, it's sure going to be a fascinating weekend of action.

It all gets underway on Friday night at Leederville Oval with East Perth taking on the West Coast Eagles in a battle between the two sides who had been operating in partnership in recent years.

Under lights at Leederville Oval with the potential for the cold weather to be partnered with rain sure should make it an even more fascinating contest, but for the Eagles it's a must-win affair.

East Perth comes in the game out of finals contention in ninth position with a 5-11 record but the Royals have been playing better football at times in 2019 than that record suggests including a narrow loss to East Fremantle last Saturday.

The Royals would certainly like to win on home soil on Friday night to get some reward for effort while it's a crucial game for the Eagles. West Coast comes into the game in sixth position with a 7-9 record but they are just one game behind the fifth placed Perth with a superior percentage.

The Eagles will improve to fifth position on the ladder with a win on Friday night and could stay there unless the Demons beat East Fremantle on Saturday. 

To reach the finals, the Eagles need to win one more game than the Demons over the final two rounds with West Coast to play East Fremantle in the final round and Perth taking on Peel Thunder.

Saturday afternoon's action then begins with what should be a tremendous match up between Subiaco and West Perth also at Leederville Oval.

Subiaco is already guaranteed of claiming a fifth consecutive minor premiership on the back of playing in the past five Grand Finals for premierships in 2014, 2015 and 2018.

The Lions have lost just the one game throughout this season and they will want to ensure they maintain their momentum heading towards finals while there's the added motivation for players that it's going to be a difficult 22 to select for the coaching staff come finals time.

West Perth does come into the game in tremendous form though. The Falcons started the season losing their opening four matches under new coach Geoff Valentine but they have been building nicely ever since.

West Perth is coming off a convincing win against Claremont last Saturday at Claremont Oval and that saw the Falcons secure a finals appearance for 2019 while currently sitting in fourth position with a 9-7 record.

The Falcons are still an outside chance of a top three finish as well should they win their last two games starting on Saturday against Subiaco and then in the final round against South Fremantle.

Subiaco has beaten West Perth in the past nine meetings between the two teams by an average of 40.1 points, including last year's Grand Final at Optus Stadium which the Lions won by 81 points.

Also on Saturday afternoon, Swan Districts hosts Peel Thunder at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval in the last home game of the season for the black-and-whites.

Swans might appear anchored to the bottom of the ladder or 2019 but with two wins to close the season starting on Saturday against Peel and then in the final round against Claremont, they could still avoid the wooden spoon.

Saturday's game will also be the last for 2019 at Steel Blue Oval for Swans and while they will want to send their home fans off for the year on a winning note, it hasn’t been their happiest hunting ground in recent times.

Even though Swans did beat the West Coast Eagles back in Round 17 in their previous home match, they had lost three in-a-row prior to that and in the bigger picture had only won once in the last 13 games at Steel Blue Oval.

However against Peel, Swan Districts has won the last two games they've played at home against the Thunder while winning 21 of the 27 games at the Bassendean venue over the last 22 years.

It's a must-win game on Saturday for Peel, though, if the Thunder hope to stay any chance of playing finals still in 2019.

Peel is coming off losses to South Fremantle and Claremont the past two weeks, but if the Thunder win their last two matches starting against Swans and then Perth, then there is still a hope of them returning to finals action for 2019 after a year out of it in 2018 following the 2016 and 2017 premierships.

Perth's hopes of ending its finals drought dating back to 1997 then goes on the line with the Demons hosting East Fremantle at Lathlain's Mineral Resources Park on Saturday.

The Demons have been inside the top five all season long on the back of winning their opening five games of the season, but it has been a bit of a grind since with them losing eight of the last 11 matches.

Perth have struggled in recent weeks too including losing to the West Coast Eagles last Saturday night following a thrashing by Subiaco and narrow loss to Claremont.

So the Demons bring a three-game losing streak into their clash with Perth as they head into Round 19 sitting in fifth position still with an 8-8 record, but a percentage lower than all the teams around them.

Perth can guarantee of its finals appearance by winning its last two games starting Saturday against East Fremantle and then in the last round on the road to Peel. However, a loss in either game and they will need to hope the Eagles don't win both their remaining matches.

By the time the game starts on Saturday afternoon, Perth might even be outside the top five should West Coast beat East Perth on Friday night so it's a virtual must-win contest for the Demons if they want to play finals for the first time in 22 years.

East Fremantle might be out of finals contention but the Sharks are actually playing better football than their 5-11 record should suggest. They are coming off a win against East Perth last Saturday and now the Sharks would like to continue to try and finish 2019 with some momentum.

The final game on Saturday afternoon should be the game of the round with South Fremantle hosting Claremont at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The Bulldogs and Tigers are locked in a battle over second position on the WAFL ladder and that could very well end up being decided come Saturday afternoon with the reward for finishing second getting to play host to the qualifying final in two weeks' time.

South Fremantle comes into the game on Saturday afternoon at 2.35pm at Fremantle Community Bank Oval having won its past three matches and having taken over second spot from Claremont, but that is only with a gap of less than one per cent.

The Bulldogs and Tigers both hold 11-5 records coming into the game and look all but certain of finishing second and third no matter what happens over the last two rounds, it just now depends on which order.

While South Fremantle has won its past three games against Swan Districts, East Perth and Peel, Claremont lost last week to West Perth on the back of a narrow win against the Thunder and another tight victory against Perth.

With South Fremantle and Claremont likely to meet in the qualifying final in two weeks' time, Saturday's clash should provide a fascinating into what is to come and has the chance to provide the winner with some momentum to take into that contest.

The teams met at Claremont Oval back in Round 13 and on that occasion the overran the Bulldogs to win by 16 points.

But prior that loss, South Fremantle had beaten Claremont in five of the previous six meetings with that only interrupted with a shock six-point loss at home in Round 8 last year.
 

OPTUS WAFL ROUND 19

EAST PERTH (5-11, 9th) v WEST COAST EAGLES (7-9, 6th) – LEEDERVILLE OVAL, FRIDAY 7.10PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – Livestream

SUBIACO (15-1, 1st) v WEST PERTH (9-7, 4th) – LEEDERVILLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – KIX Digital

SWAN DISTRICTS (3-13, 10th) v PEEL THUNDER (6-10, 7th) – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats

PERTH (8-8, 5th) v EAST FREMANTLE (5-11, 8th) – MINERAL RESOURCES PARK, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – 91.3 SportFM

SOUTH FREMANTLE (11-5, 2nd) v CLAREMONT (11-5, 3rd) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 2.35PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – Channel 7
 

BOTH matches in Round 14 of the WAFL Women's competition take place on Saturday afternoon with Subiaco a chance to lock away the minor premiership while Claremont and Swan Districts both try to move into second position.

With the second placed East Fremantle having the bye in Round 14 of the 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season, that opens the door for Swan Districts and Claremont to move ahead of them on the ladder should they be victorious on Saturday in what is shaping up to be a thrilling end to the season.

Saturday's action begins at Mandurah's David Grays Arena from 2pm with the bottom placed Peel Thunder hosting Swan Districts. That game will be available via livestream on both the WAFL website and Facebook page.

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Western Australian football history will be made this weekend when Gabby Simmonds becomes the first female field umpire to officiate a WAFL league fixture.

But Simmonds won’t be alone at Leederville Oval on Friday night, with Chloe Wright set to join her, making her debut as a goal umpire.

The duo will become the first pair of women to umpire a league game, taking an important step forward for WA umpiring.

Wright’s journey to her debut has been a unique one, owing plenty to her sister Danielle for the opportunity to umpire in a local game. 

“I started goal umpiring because my sister decided to begin playing football and her team required a goal umpire,” Wright said. “I decided I’d just give it a go and surprisingly ended up enjoying it.”

“I owe a lot to her.”

Simmonds’ tale to umpiring began early in her career, taking up the profession as a way to stay within football.

“I got into umpiring as a way to keep involved in the game after playing Auskick when I was younger,” she said.

“There weren’t any junior girls’ teams in my area, so I decided to give umpiring a go.”

The girls will have their work cut out for the crunch clash between West Coast and East Perth, as they look to encourage more females to take up the rewarding experiencing that is WAFL umpiring.

“There is a strong pathway for females now in umpiring across all the disciplines,” Simmonds claimed.

“The opportunities that are available are constantly growing and growth of the female football has added to that. The group in the WAFL is very diverse and the number of females involved now shows there is definitely opportunity for females to reach their full potential.”

It comes as no surprise that both women look up to umpires within the AFL system, pinpointing a pair of leading ladies in green. 

“There are many umpires that I admire and respect for different parts of their umpiring. Dean Margetts for his genuine passion for umpiring, Jeff Dalgleish for his professionalism,” Simmonds said.

“But I also admire Sally Boud and Eleni Glouftsis for their determination and dedication to achieve what they have at the highest level.”

Sally Boud, for sure,” Wright added. Just the way she goes about umpiring, both on field and off field is so inspirational to me and to anyone who is an umpire. She's certainly someone I look up to.”

WAFL & Talent Pathway Umpire Specialist Dean Margetts couldn’t be prouder of the two ladies, claiming their dedication to umpiring is second to none. 
“They’re both extremely committed to their craft and go about their business with a minimum of fuss,” he said.

“Both ladies also embody the environment and standards we have at Umpiring WA, their character is of the highest order.”

EAST Fremantle, Peel Thunder, Claremont and Subiaco all scored victories in Round 18 of the WAFL Colts on Saturday and while the top five teams look set, positions ahead of the finals are becoming hotly contested over.

It does appear that the top five teams are locked away in the colts season for 2019 with the fifth placed West Perth holding a two-game and significant percentage advantage over the reigning premier Subiaco.

And while Peel Thunder is guaranteed of finishing on top and winning the minor premiership, the other four teams inside the top five are all only separated by one game so with two rounds to go they could all finish anywhere from second through fifth.

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ROUND 13 in the WAFL Women's competition saw victories for Claremont and Swan Districts to mean that there remains just one win separating the top four teams.

With the league-leading Subiaco having the bye in Round 13, East Fremantle had the chance to move into top spot but they couldn’t get past Swan Districts as Swans and Claremont scored wins to tighten up the competition significantly further.

Round 13 got underway at Mandurah's David Grays Arena on Saturday and that saw an improved showing by Peel Thunder but Claremont still prevailed 8.4 (52) to 5.3 (33).

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IT was the third last round of the WAFL season and things remain tight both in terms of teams trying to play finals at all in 2019 and then with the teams that are fighting positions inside the top five.

All five matches in Round 18 of the 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season took place on Saturday afternoon and in the top against bottom contest, Subiaco confirmed its minor premiership with a 15.16 (106) to 7.2 (44) victory against Swan Districts at Leederville Oval.

South Fremantle then moved back into second position by recording a third straight victory beating Peel Thunder 11.16 (82) to 6.6 (42) at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

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The West Australian Football community is deeply saddened by news today that Hall of Fame Legend Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer, has died aged 84, surrounded by his family at Perth’s Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Across 19 seasons with East Perth and West Perth in the WAFL and with Geelong in the VFL, Farmer was a central part of six premiership sides, won 10 club best and fairest awards in all, as well as being a dominant player at state level for both Western Australia and Victoria.

Selected as an All Australian from three separate carnivals in 1956, 1958, 1961, he also won the Sandover Medal three times in the WAFL and is recognised as the First Ruckman in each of the AFL’s Team of the Century, the Geelong Team of the Century, the West Perth and East Perth Teams of the Century and the Indigenous Team of the Century, where he was also named captain.

Farmer is credited for changing the way in which the ruck position was played, as his skills evolved the position.

Using an early leap in the ruck contest to either take possession or to highlight his tap work to his smaller men, such as his partnership with Geelong rover Billy Goggin, he was a strong mark, good at ground level and was among the first to pioneer the use of attacking handball.

Farmer was a proud member of the Noongar clan from south-west Western Australia and his total senior game tally of 393 matches, when combining games for his WAFL and VFL clubs and matches at state level, is only exceeded among indigenous players by fellow Hall of Fame Legend Barry Cable (403 games in total for Perth/North Melbourne/East Perth/WA/Victoria).

We send our condolences to Polly’s family, community and those who carry on his influence through the important and meaningful work of the Polly Farmer Foundation, Empowering Aboriginal Students to reach their aspirations through education.

WA Football Hall of Fame profile

Graham Farmer 

Australian Football Hall of Fame, Inaugural Legend of the Game (one of 12).

WA Football Hall of Fame Legend.

Played 176 games for East Perth 1953-61, kicking 157 goals.

Played 101 games for Geelong 1962-67, kicking 65 goals.

Played 79 games for West Perth 1968-71, kicking 55 goals.

Played 31 games for Western Australia, kicking 19 goals.

Played six games for Victoria, kicking six goals.

East Perth Best and Fairest 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961.

Geelong Best and Fairest 1963, 1964.

West Perth Best and Fairest 1969.

Sandover Medal 1956, 1957, 1960.

Simpson Medal 1959.

East Perth premiership 1956, 1958, 1959.

Geelong premiership 1963.

West Perth premiership 1969, 1971 (both as playing coach).

All Australian 1956, 1958, 1961.

AFL Team of the Century (First Ruck).

Indigenous Team of the Century (First Ruck, captain).

Geelong Team of the Century (First Ruck).

West Perth Team of the Century (First Ruck).

East Perth Post War Team of the Century (First Ruck).

West Perth coach 1968-71 for premierships in 1969 and 1971.

Geelong coach 1973-75.

East Perth coach 1976-77.

It's 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 ... but who's REALLY leading the race for finals?

What EVERY finals contender needs to do to make the top-five.

1.    Subiaco 
60 points (15 wins, 1 loss), 180.89 percentage 

Subiaco will enter the WAFL Finals Series in the perfect position to go back-to-back in season 2019. The Lions have already sewed up the Minor Premiership and will be rewarded with a week off to begin the finals. A scond semi-final victory over either South Fremantle or Claremont sends Subiaco to Optus Stadium for the big dance. West Perth and East Perth shouldn’t pose too many issues for the Premiers, seeing them finish with one loss for the season as a real possibility. 

The run home:

R19: West Perth @ Leederville Oval
R20: East Perth @ Leederville Oval

2.    South Fremantle 
44 points (11 wins, 5 loss), 128.58 percentage 

South Fremantle’s next fortnight will determine their chances of breaking a 10-year Premiership drought with a pair of bumper fixtures against top four teams. Victory over Claremont and West Perth will see the Bulldogs finish second and become the major threat to Subiaco. Lose one of these games, and their grip on second spot is significantly loosened. A mini-final awaits this weekend at Fremantle Community Bank Oval against the Tigers.

The run home:

R19: Claremont @ Fremantle Community Bank Oval
R20: West Perth @ Joondalup Arena 

3.    Claremont 
44 points (11 wins, 5 loss), 127.71 percentage 

Only 0.8 percent separates Claremont and second spot currently, meaning this weekend is a must-win for the Tigers. A victory over South Fremantle away from home would almost guarantee the Qualifying Final at Claremont Oval. The yellow and blue have a looked a likely contender all year and will back their chances over a struggling Swans outfit to close the season in Round 20. 

The run home:

R19: South Fremantle @ Fremantle Community Bank Oval
R20: Swan Districts @ Claremont Oval 

4.    West Perth
36 points (9 wins, 7 loss), 103.12 percentage 

A victory over the in-form Tigers has nearly gifted the Falcons another finals berth, however the next fortnight isn’t so straight forward. Games against top-two teams Subiaco and South Fremantle will provide a stern test, particularly with the Eagles still believing they can play a part in September. A win over either team guarantees finals, with two losses leaving it up to percentage for the 2018 runners-up.  

The run home:

R19: Subiaco @ Leederville Oval
R20: South Fremantle @ Joondalup Arena 

5.    Perth
32 points (8 wins, 8 loss), 89.84 percentage 

Could this finally be the week that Perth seals a finals berth for the first time in 22 years? One thing is for sure, this is going down to the wire. A loss against the Eagles has seen the Demons slip to fifth, but finals is still in their hands. Two wins against East Fremantle and Peel Thunder guarantees the side a top-five position, but a loss opens the door for the Eagles on percentage. If the Eagles win their final two fixtures, and Perth lose, they’re odds on to leapfrog Perth into fifth spot. A trip to David Grays Arena during the final round  of the season could be the difference. 

The run home:

R19: East Fremantle @ Mineral Resources Park
R20: Peel Thunder @ David Grays Arena 

 
6.    West Coast
28 points (7 wins, 9 loss), 95.72 percentage 

The new boys of the WAFL competition could yet have an impact in September, relying on Perth to drop more games if they are chance to clinch fifth spot. The Eagles are a game behind the Demons, but their percentage is well advanced on Perth. Two winnable games to close the season will heap pressure on teams above them, the season isn’t over yet for the Eagles. 

The run home:

R19: East Perth @ Leederville Oval
R20: East Fremantle @ Mineral Resources Park 

7.    Peel Thunder
24 points (6 wins, 10 loss), 97.31 percentage 

If we have learned anything over the past few years about Peel, it’s don’t rule them out. The Thunder sit two games outside the five, but like West Coast, percentage keeps them well in the conversation towards September. Win both games against Swan Districts and Perth, while hoping for a stumble from West Coast, and finals may not be out of the equation. Plenty of results need to go the way of the Thunder, but it is far from impossible with two rounds to go.  

The run home:

R19: Swan Districts @ Steel Blue Oval
R20: Perth @ David Grays Arena 

Over the weekend, Whitfords Junior Football Club hosted the West Perth Football District’s Auskick Gala Day. Among the 140 Auskick teams who came down, 4 Starkick teams were also playing.

The Starkick All Ability program is a WA initiative started in 2015, which has now grown to 5 clubs in the metropolitan area. Starkick provides children of all abilities an opportunity to play Auskick alongside their peers. 

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THE third last round of the 2019 WAFL season saw Subiaco guarantee top spot, South Fremantle and Claremont confirm their battle over second, West Perth lock in a finals place and the battle over fifth heating up between Perth, West Coast and Peel Thunder.

It turned out to be a fascinating Round 18 of WAFL action with all five matches taking place on Saturday afternoon and things are starting to take shape ahead of the finals, but there still remains seven teams in contention to take part in September action.

It was top against bottom at Leederville Oval and Subiaco put Swan Districts to the sword early and ended up cruising to the 15.16 (106) to 7.2 (44) victory to celebrate the 100th games of Aaron Heal and Lachlan Delahunty.

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IT is the third last round of the 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season and every game is taking on extra significance as a result and in Round 18 that's highlighted by three tussles all with finals implications.

Each five of the Round 18 WAFL matches all take place at 2.15pm on Saturday and it could prove season-defining for a number of teams.

It all gets underway at Claremont Oval with Claremont hosting West Perth in a crucial match up for two teams currently occupying positions inside the top four. 

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India DeSouza, from Western Australia’s Mount Hawthorn Cardinals Junior Football Club NAB AFL Auskick Centre, became the envy of all Auskickers when she was announced as the 19th weekly nominee for the 2019 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year competition.

The NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year competition calls for 2019 registered and truly awesome participants of the NAB AFL Auskick program to enter for the chance to become one of 22 weekly nominees.

Weekly nominees are announced during the Seven Network’s Friday night match broadcast, with India being announced during the Round 19 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season match between Collingwood and Richmond. 

India will have the seriously amazing once in a lifetime opportunity to present an AFL premiership player with their medal on Toyota AFL Grand Final Day.

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