WAFL Qualifying Finals PreviewFriday, September 2, 2016 - 2:35 PM - by Chris Pike

THE 2016 AHG WAFL Finals Series begins on Saturday afternoon with a big qualifying final day at Fremantle Community Bank Oval as South Fremantle takes on West Perth.

The league qualifying final on Saturday sees South Fremantle take on West Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with minor premier Subiaco awaiting the winner.

Meanwhile, Claremont and South Fremantle will both do battle in the qualifying finals in the reserves and colts.

On Sunday at Bendigo Bank Stadium, Peel Thunder plays East Perth in the league elimination final.

LEAGUE QUALIFYING FINAL
SOUTH FREMANTLE (15-5, 2nd) v WEST PERTH (13-7, 3rd) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 2.10PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 7mate, 720 ABC Perth, KIX Digital

The WAFL finals begin at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday with the second placed South Fremantle hosting the third placed West Perth with Subiaco awaiting the winner.

The winner of Saturday's qualifying final will advance to next Sunday's second semi-final against Subiaco at Medibank Stadium with a grand final berth at stake.

The loser will host a first semi-final against the winner of Sunday's elimination final between Peel Thunder and East Perth at Bendigo Bank Stadium. The winner of that will then face the loser of the second semi-final in the preliminary final.

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South Fremantle has not made a WAFL finals series since 2011 when it lost a first semi-final to Subiaco and hasn’t won a final of any type at league level since the 2009 grand final.

But the Bulldogs have had a terrific 2016 season ending up with a 15-5 record in second position to earn the right to host the qualifying final. South Fremantle enters the finals on the back of a five-game winning streak.

West Perth made a slow start to 2016 coming off last year's grand final appearance losing four of its first five matches.

But some injured players began to return and once Shane Nelson and Dean Munns came into the midfield, things turned around and the Falcons ended up winning 12 of their last 15 matches to finish with a 13-7 record to finish in third position.

There is a significant difference in finals experience among the two teams. Of West Perth's 25 squad members, only Corey Chalmers, Dean Munns, Jordan Mills, Luke Meadows, Joel Leeson, Mark Hamilton, Blake Wilhelm and Ben King haven’t played in a WAFL final.

Meanwhile at South Fremantle, only Ashton Hams, Ryan Cook, Blayne Wilson, Shaun Bewick, Dylan Main and Tom Vandeleur and Josh Pullman have played in at least one WAFL final previously.

But only Hams and Cook have done so with South Fremantle. Bewick did at West Perth, Main and Wilson with East Perth, Vandeleur at Peel Thunder and Pullman with Swan Districts.

South Fremantle and West Perth have met just twice this season and the Bulldogs won both encounters by 35 points – in Round 1 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval and in Round 14 at HBF Arena.

South Fremantle has four key players to welcome back who didn’t play in the final round victory over Perth at Lathlain Park.

State midfielder Tim Kelly hasn’t played since injuring a hamstring in Round 20 in Carnarvon against Perth, but he looks right to return on Saturday to further strengthen a midfield that has been performing strongly.

Josh Pullman, Brock Higgins and Shane Hockey also didn’t play in the last round against the Demons but are automatic inclusions now to face West Perth on Saturday.

Pullman comes straight back into the back-line and will likely match up on West Perth forward Michael Lourey while Higgins will take over the ruck duties up against Chris Keunen and Hockey is back into the midfield to add some further grunt for the Bulldogs.

The only out at this stage for South Fremantle is last week's debutant ruckman Tim English but three other players from last week will need to make way for the other players locked in to return.

West Perth has four key players ready to return for the qualifying final on Saturday against South Fremantle giving coach Bill Monaghan and his coaching staff plenty to think about given the 22 who played in the final round against Swan Districts performed solidly.

Shane Nelson is ready to return from the broken nose and fractured cheekbone he suffered during the last quarter back in Round 20 against Subiaco at Kingsway Reserve. He has averaged over 35 possessions a game in 2016 and will add further bit to the Falcons' midfield.

Tyler Keitel is another West Perth player who had a tremendous season before hurting an ankle back in Round 21. He missed last week's game against Swans but will be right to return on Saturday as the Falcons try to keep in check Mason Shaw and Ben Saunders forward for South Fremantle.

Steve Potente has battled some niggling injuries throughout the latter part of the season but when on the field he has just about been in career-best form so he should be another to return if 100 per cent healthy for West Perth

Then there's tagger Dean Munns who missed last week through illness but has done some remarkable stopping jobs this season and will look to do another on Saturday likely to be either on Ashton Hams or Tim Kelly.

At this stage, Drew Rohde is the only out for West Perth from the team that beat Swan Districts last week but three other players are likely still needed to make room for those returning.

RESERVES QUALIFYING FINAL
CLAREMONT (15-5, 2nd) v SOUTH FREMANTLE (12-7-1, 3rd) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 11.25AM
Selected teams 

Claremont's reserves finished the 2016 season with plenty of momentum but despite earning a home final it will be South Fremantle hosting Saturday's qualifying final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

With South Fremantle's league side also hosting West Perth in a qualifying final on Saturday, the Bulldogs reserves who finished in third position will take on the second placed Claremont in the reserves qualifying final as well.

The winner will move on to next Sunday's second semi-final against the minor premier East Perth at Medibank Stadium with a grand final berth on the line.

The loser will then take on either East Fremantle or Subiaco in a first semi-final as well next Sunday either at Fremantle Community Bank Oval or HBF Arena depending on what happens in Saturday's league clash between South Fremantle and West Perth.

It is a strong looking Claremont reserves side with Morgan Davies, Zac Langdon, Alexander Manuel, Matthew Palfrey, Cameron Palmer, Jack Richardson, Tom Shanahan, Justin Speed, Francis Watson, Gerrick Weedon and John Williams all having shown they are capable of playing good league football.

Defender Dylan Ross will also line-up for Claremont against his former team and having played in South Fremantle's reserves premiership last year.

South Fremantle's team will be boosted by the return from a hamstring injury of Adam Guglielmana who looks to prove his form and fitness in an attempt for a league recall next week.

Steven Edwards, Jake Florenca, James Laurino, Bailey Matera, Brad McPhail and Tim Stewart are among the other Bulldogs players who have done well at league level this year and wouldn’t have given up hope of breaking into the side at some point again during September.

Likely high draft pick Tim English also drops back to play in the reserves and carry the ruck rather than play in the colts. He made his league debut last week against Perth and did well against the AFL experienced Angus Graham and now will be the No. 1 ruckman in the reserves on Saturday.

REDiMED COLTS QUALIFYING FINAL
CLAREMONT (15-5, 2nd) v SOUTH FREMANTLE (15-5, 3rd) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 8.55AM
Selected teams 

Claremont and South Fremantle's colts were separated only by percentage at the end of the 2016 home and away season and now as a result do battle in Saturday's qualifying final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

While Claremont finished with the higher percentage to claim second position with both teams ending up with 15 wins and five losses, it is South Fremantle who gets to host the qualifying final to join the Bulldogs' reserves and league sides playing home qualifying finals.

The winner between the Tigers and Bulldogs clash on Saturday morning will advance to a second semi-final next Sunday against the minor premier Perth with a grand final spot up for grabs in that contest.

The loser between Claremont and South Fremantle will earn a second chance and play a first semi-final also next Sunday against the winner of this Sunday's elimination final between Swan Districts and East Perth.

Claremont's colts won the premiership last year and are looking to try and go back-to-back in 2016 with a strong line-up that includes several players who were given a taste of league football late in the season.

Bailey Banfield, Matt Guelfi and Jake Waterman all played league football impressively late in the season for the Tigers and now will be looking to put their stamp on the colts competition again during the finals.

South Fremantle's colts have returned to play finals in 2016 with Mark Foster having taken over as coach for the first time.

The Bulldogs ended up finishing in third position following last Saturday's loss to Perth who in turn earned top position and a break this week.

While South Fremantle won't be led by Tim English in the ruck who will be playing in the reserves, Jacob Warne will look to do his best against Claremont's Jeremy Goddard in the ruck.

Not only was Foster named WAFL Colts Coach of the Year during the week for 2016 but South Fremantle players Jimmy Miller, Daniel Burke, Dylan Brown, Shai Bolton and Chad Pearson were all named in the Team of the Year.

They will be part of the Bulldogs' colts line-up on Saturday who take on the Tigers and try to earn a spot in the second semi-final against Perth next Saturday