McDonald's WAFL Round 12 PreviewFriday, June 3, 2016 - 2:45 PM - by Chris Pike

WA Day Round of the WAFL is always a highlight of any season and this long weekend is set to be no different with two teams in the top four spots doing battle on Saturday, and then three huge contests on Monday.

The round gets underway on Saturday afternoon with the reigning premiers Subiaco taking on an in-form Peel Thunder at Medibank Stadium.

There are then the two traditional WA Day derbies on the Monday with West Perth hosting East Perth at HBF Arena, and South Fremantle taking on East Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The other Monday contest pits Swan Districts against Perth at Steel Blue Oval with both trying to avoid the wooden spoon in 2016.

SUBIACO (8-2, 2nd) v PEEL THUNDER (6-4, 4th) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 107.3 HFM, KIX Digital

Subiaco emphatically returned to winning form last week and Peel Thunder has now won two on the trot setting up a tremendous contest on Saturday at Medibank Stadium.

Both the Lions and Thunder made finals last year and are well on track to do so again in 2016 with Saturday's game presenting a chance for Subiaco to further consolidate a top two position or for Peel to close in on that second spot.

Coming into last week's clash with East Perth, Subiaco had lost two of its last three matches but the Lions responded in remarkable fashion.

Despite missing a bevy of key players from the premiership teams of the past two years, Subiaco handed East Perth a 99-point defeat to see the Lions improve to an 8-2 record on the season to be two games clear in second position and only percentage off top spot.

Peel, meanwhile, had lost two games in-a-row back in rounds 8 and 9 to West Perth and South Fremantle respectively but have since done well to record victories over East Perth and East Fremantle to improve to a 6-4 record in fourth position.

That leaves plenty at stake when the two teams do battle on Saturday with Subiaco to be on top of the ladder by Saturday night with a win and they could stay there with a South Fremantle loss on Monday.

Meanwhile, a loss would see the Lions remain second but their lead over the chasing pack would be down to one game while Peel would be in third position and will stay there unless East Fremantle wins on Monday. But a loss and the Thunder could end the weekend in fifth spot and just one-game clear of sixth depending on other results.

Peel will have to turnaround a poor recent record against Subiaco with the Lions having won the last six meetings between the two teams. The Thunder's last win came in Round 8, 2013 and their last win over Subiaco at Leederville was Round 17, 2012.

Making Subiaco's dominant win last week all the more impressive was the fact that it happened without Lachlan Delahunty, Brett Robinson, Wayde Twomey, Hayden Kennedy, Jordan Lockyer and Kyle Halligan all of whom will still be sidelined on Saturday for the Lions.

Plenty of players stepped up in their place, though, including debutant Hayden Yarran, fourth-gamer Liam Ryan and nine-gamer Dylan Clarke.

They will all stay in the side for Saturday against Peel. Nobody is out of the Subiaco team at this stage with Ben Sokol, Sean Bradley and James Garcia added to the squad.

Sokol was dropped to the reserves last week for the first time this season and had 21 possessions and seven marks but kicked just two goals. Bradley had 15 disposals in the reserves last Saturday with Garcia finishing with 13 touches.

There are plenty of changes again at Peel coinciding with another three changes to Fremantle's AFL team ahead of the Dockers' clash with Essendon at Domain Stadium on Saturday night.

Michael Apeness does go out of the Thunder line-up following three solid games after being out injured the first part of the year. Darcy Tucker has also earned a call up for the Dockers following 29 possessions in last Saturday's win over East Fremantle.

Impressive small defender Ryan Nyhuis is also out for the Thunder and his absence could be felt given he was a likely match up for either of Subiaco's dangerous small forwards Yarran and Ryan.

Peel should also regain dumped Fremantle pair Matt de Boer and Ed Langdon. However, one of de Boer, Langdon and Tendai Mzungu will be held over as an emergency by the Dockers.

The Thunder will also be further boosted by the return of big man Jack Hannath to replace Apeness to play the dual role as a tall forward target and helping out Zac Clarke in the ruck.

Brady Grey will also be back for Peel after missing last week's game against the Sharks with Josh Bootsma back to add some poise and kicking ability to the Thunder's back-line.

Alexander Bray, Mitch Gill, Josh McMahon and Kieran May are all in the mix to play for Peel as well on Saturday against Subiaco at Medibank Stadium.

WEST PERTH (6-4, 5th) v EAST PERTH (4-6, 6th) – HBF ARENA, MONDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 91.3 SportFM 

West Perth and East Perth enter the WA Day Derby at HBF Arena in vastly contrasting form but history shows form counts for little in traditional derby clashes and the Royals will be hoping to prove that true once more.

The Falcons had a slow start to the 2016 season winning one of their first five games but they have now got some key players back from injury and the wins have come as a result.

West Perth enters Monday's WA Day Derby on a five-game winning streak following victories against Swan Districts, Claremont, Peel Thunder, Subiaco and Perth.

East Perth, meanwhile, has lost its last two games to Peel Thunder and Subiaco where the Royals kicked just three goals to lose to the Thunder and nine in a 99-point loss at the hands of the Lions last Saturday at Medibank Stadium.

Those run of recent result has seen West Perth replace East Perth in the top five with the Falcons sitting on a 6-4 record and the Royals slipping to 4-6.

That makes the result of Monday's derby massive with the Falcons capable of opening a three-game gap with a win while the Royals will close to one game of getting back into the top five with a victory.

Not that a WA Day Derby needs any extra spice but the fact that West Perth can close in on top two spot with a win and consolidate themselves in the five or be in danger of falling out of a finals spot altogether, and that East Perth needs a win to remain in touch certainly adds plenty of extra motivation.

There has already been one derby in 2016 and on that occasion East Perth beat West Perth by 60 points in Round 5 at Medibank Stadium. But the Falcons have not lost a game since then while the Royals beat Perth the next week and got over Swan districts in Round 9, but have lost their other three matches since.

West Perth is on a five-game winning streak and things have dramatically improved for the Falcons on the injury front in recent weeks making spots in the league side all the harder to come by.

Premiership hard Kody Manning was a late withdrawal for last week's game against Perth and he is an automatic inclusion now that he is fit to take on East Perth in the WA Day Derby on Monday at HBF Arena.

His selection becomes automatic with the absence of captain Jay van Berlo with his withdrawal for the Falcons all but ruling him out of next Saturday's state game against Tasmania at Steel Blue Oval as well.

There are plenty of other players pressing their claims to break into West Perth's team as well with Luke Tedesco, Kris Shannon, Corey Chalmers and Nathan Alexandre all added to the squad to take on East Perth on WA Day.

Last week in the reserves against Perth at Lathlain Park, all four players did their chances at selection no harm with Tedesco finishing with 21 possessions, Shannon 26 disposals, Chalmers 26 touches and five goals, and Alexandre 10 possessions and a goal.

Two big losses to Peel and Subiaco has East Perth desperate to bounce back against West Perth on Monday and there will be plenty of changes in the Royals team from the one that went down to the Lions by 99 points last Saturday.

East Perth's job of bouncing back to maintain touch with the top five could be made harder if midfielder Kane Lucas travels to Melbourne with West Coast ahead of the clash with the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Lucas had another 29 possessions despite the big loss last week and is averaging almost 26 disposals a game in 2016 for the Royals.

Xavier Ellis will likely travel with the Eagles meaning he likely won't play with East Perth after being in the side for three of the last four games.

Hard-running wingman Steven Payne is also out for East Perth following just 22 possessions combined the past two weeks with Callum Hart and Jordan Snadden also out of the side to take on West Perth.

Patrick McGinnity will be an important inclusion for East Perth having averaged over 20 possessions and kicking nine goals in his eight games so far this season.

Will Maginness, David Roche, Simon Tunbridge, Malcolm Karpany, Tom Gorter, Mitch Lague, Kurt Mutimer and Tom Omodei are all in the mix at the selection table for the Royals as coach Jaymie Graham searches for a winning formula.

If Maginness is picked it will be his first league game since 2014 and he has built up some solid reserves form including 22 possessions, eight marks and a goal last week against Subiaco.

Roche played five league games earlier in the season and is a chance to return following 24 disposals, 11 marks and two goals last week.

Tunbridge could also play his first league game of the year following 18 touches and two marks last Saturday in the reserves while Karpany had 23 disposals, Gorter 24 possessions, Lague 27 touches, and Mutimer 28 disposals and a goal.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (8-1, 1st) v EAST FREMANTLE (6-4, 3rd) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, MONDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 720 ABC Perth

It is first against third and just six weeks after a classic in the Anzac Day clash, South Fremantle and East Fremantle do battle in the Foundation Derby for 2016 on WA Day at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in what promises to be an exciting and pivotal contest.

Both clubs might have finished the 2015 season in horror fashion with the Bulldogs losing their last five games and the Sharks 12 of their last 13, but the opening half of 2016 has been dramatically better for both leading to what should be an exciting Foundation Derby in the most traditional WAFL fixture.

South Fremantle comes into the derby on top of the WAFL ladder with an 8-1 record and the best percentage in the league.

The Bulldogs suffered their only loss back in Round 7 at the hands of Subiaco and have since beaten Claremont, Peel Thunder and Swan Districts prior to last week's bye to secure top position.

East Fremantle was in outstanding form up until last week's loss to Peel. Prior to that the Sharks were the form team of the WAFL beating East Perth, Subiaco, Perth and Claremont in impressive fashion.

That came following the first derby of 2016 in the Anzac Day clash at ATOM Stadium. That day, East Fremantle appeared heading for victory before late goals for South Fremantle to Haiden Schloithe and Ryan Cook saw the Bulldogs continue their unbeaten opening to the season.

That game also continued the remarkable streak of the visiting teams winning Fremantle derbies. The visitors have now won 12 straight Fremantle derbies with East Fremantle having won its last five trips to Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle's last home derby win over East Fremantle came in Round 24, 2011. That game just happened to secure the Bulldogs a place in the finals that year at the expense of the Sharks and that was also the last time South Fremantle has made a finals appearance as a result.

South Fremantle can remain on top of the ladder with a win and could stay there with a loss if Subiaco loses to Peel Thunder on Saturday.

East Fremantle needs to win to maintain pace for a top two spot while a defeat could see the Sharks end the round in fifth position ahead of a clash with Subiaco following the state game next Saturday.

Both teams have been strong starting sides over the course of the season with South Fremantle outscoring its opponents by 64 points in the first quarters and 52 points in second terms. East Fremantle is also outscoring its opposition by 63 points and 22 in the first two quarters of the season.

Both have been good in third quarters with the Bulldogs plus 48 on their opponents and the Sharks 54 points to the positive. But the difference comes in last quarters with the Bulldogs kicking 22 more goals than the teams they are playing against while the Sharks are just 46 points to the good.

South Fremantle is fresh off the bye and with just about a full and healthy squad to pick from for the Foundation Derby on Monday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, there is plenty of pressure on for spots in the Bulldogs' league side.

Steven Edwards had a strong first eight games of the season for South Fremantle kicking eight goals and averaging 14 possessions as a small forward. He missed the last up win over Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval prior to the bye with a slight injury but should come straight back in to take on the Sharks this week.

Jason Maskos, Tom Vandeleur, Shaun Bewick and Jacob Martinez are all in the mix at the selection table for the Bulldogs as well.

Maskos played the opening seven games of the season before spending the past two weeks in the reserves and he was particularly impressive against Swan Districts two weeks ago with 30 possessions and seven marks.

Vandeleur is yet to play a league game back with South Fremantle this year following three years with Fremantle. He had 18 possessions and seven marks in the reserves a fortnight ago and if he plays in the derby on Monday it will be his first league appearance with the Bulldogs since Round 1, 2013.

Bewick has spent the past two weeks back in the reserves as well and had 41 possessions and nine marks last up against Swans to ensure he remains in the mix.

Martinez began the season in the league side for the Bulldogs before going out after Round 2 and he is a chance to play for the first time since then following 33 disposals, eight marks and six tackles a fortnight ago.

Brendan Verrier should also return in the reserves on Monday for South Fremantle after missing the past four games while Zephaniah Skinner will make his second appearance and first at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

East Fremantle had a day to forget last Saturday against Peel following a tremendous run of form and it certainly wasn’t helped by the absence of Jamie McNamara, Sam Read, Cameron Eardley and George Hampson.

Hampson was without question the biggest absence felt hard after he had been a match-winner over the previous four weeks averaging 28 possessions and kicking 11 goals.

He won't be back for the Foundation Derby on Monday either because of injury ruling him out also of a big role he no doubt would have played WA's state side against Tasmania next Saturday at Steel Blue Oval.

Captain McNamara and defender Read are right to return for the Sharks on WA Day, however, with Jesse Adamini, Brandon Ellis, Miles Franklin, Tom Hooker and Jake Solomon all in the selection mix as well.

Last week in a thumping reserves win over Peel, Adamini had 33 possessions for the Sharks, Ellis kicking five goals, Franklin finished with 18 disposals, Hooker 25 touches and Solomon 13 possessions and 16 hit outs.

SWAN DISTRICTS (1-9, 9th) v PERTH (2-7, 8th) – STEEL BLUE OVAL, MONDAY 2.10PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – Channel 7

Swan Districts and Perth are meeting on the WA Day holiday for just the fifth time in history, and first time since 1991, when they do battle at Steel Blue Oval on Monday.

Swans and the Demons might be the least traditional of Monday's three games and a finals position might not be on the line, but respect is well and truly on the line when the league's bottom two teams clash.

Swan Districts only narrowly missed playing finals in 2015 but things have turned disastrous so far in 2016. Swans have not been able to field anything close to their best 22 they had banked on at the start of the year and the result has been one win and nine losses by an average of over 52 points.

Perth, meanwhile, has shown some signs of being more competitive so far this season particularly in the midfield led by ruckman Angus Graham and on-ballers Clint Jones, Julian Jacobs, Aidan Tropiano and Liam McKenna.

However, it has only led to two victories at this stage and one of those was a 41-point win against Swan Districts back in Round 8 at Lathlain Park.

Swan Districts and Perth has only played on WA Day (formerly Foundation Day) four times previously. The first was in 1965 with Swans winning by four points, then a year later Perth won by 58 and in 1967 the black-and-whites prevailed by 34. The last time was in 1991 with Swans winning by 64 points.

Another win on Monday and Perth will move two games clear of bottom position to be one step closer to avoiding a third successive wooden spoon. Meanwhile, a percentage boosting win and Swan Districts could climb off the bottom of the ladder.

Most statistics across the course of the season aren’t flatting for either Swan Districts or Perth.

Swans are the lowest scoring team in the WAFL this season at just 53.6 points a game while conceding the most points at 100.2. The Demons are second worst in both areas scoring just 60.9 points and giving up 96.1.

Swans are the worst first quarter team in the league, the second worst second quarter, worst third quarter and by far the worst last quarter side. Swans have been outscored by a mammoth 155 points in last terms over the season, and 272 points in second halves.

Perth aren’t much better as the second worst team in first quarters, equal second worst in second terms, second worst in third quarters and second worst in last stanzas.

Swan Districts coach Greg Harding has vowed to keep changing around his team in search of a more competitive line-up and it's ruckman Troy Yukich and Lindsay Murray who have found themselves out of the team this week from the side that lost to Claremont by 80 points on Sunday.

Swans are still dearly missing Kirk Ugle, Jake Nuich, Nathan Blakely and Jarrad Blight to injury and Murray Newman and Aaron Elari who have left the club but a big part of the plans coming into 2016.

There is some good news potentially on that front, though, with 238-game veteran Tallan Ames a chance to return from a hamstring injury on Monday. The captain would be a welcome return to help ensure that Ricky Cary and Tony Notte can remain playing as key targets in attack.

Brandon Erceg, Laurence Grescos, Tyson Hodge, Jacob Coniglio and Warrick Wilson are all in the mix to line-up for the black-and-whites on Monday against the Demons as well.

Last week in the reserves against Claremont at the Showground, Erceg put himself in contention with 18 possessions while Grescos had 14 disposals and seven marks, Hodge 11 touches and two goals and Wilson 18 possessions and 14 tackles.

Perth went down to West Perth by 26 points last Saturday and during that game key defender Brent Latch went down with an injury.

If he doesn’t get up to play on Monday and joins Spencer White and David Johnston as key position players out injured, the Demons will need to look for a replacement with Todd Stevenson the most likely replacement to come in and play down back for his first league game of 2016.

Matt Thompson is also a chance to play to provide Perth with an option in attack following 12 possessions and five marks in the reserves last Saturday against the Falcons.

Rowan Brookes continues to bang the door down playing as a hard-leading centre half-forward in the reserves and he had another 30 possessions, 11 marks and seven tackles last week to put himself in the mix for what would be his second league appearance of 2016.

Kodie Fleay is a chance to come in and make his first league appearance of the year following 11 possessions last week in the reserves.