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2018 Season PreviewWednesday, March 28, 2018 - 8:20 AM - by Chris Pike
THE 2018 WAFL season begins with a bang this Good Friday with Peel Thunder chasing a third straight premiership but Subiaco and South Fremantle are looking to make up for being so close the last two years while the rest of the competition want to be in the hunt too.
It is shaping as a fascinating WAFL season with an influx of top-class talent right across the board.
Peel Thunder has won the past two WAFL premierships and there's no reason to suggest they won't be around the make in the chase of a third straight flag in 2018.
Subiaco has lost the past two WAFL Grand Finals and had won the previous two premierships so the Lions are trying to reach a fifth consecutive decider with the arrivals of Zac Clarke, Josh Deluca and Ben Newton to help their cause.
South Fremantle has reached the past two preliminary finals and aside from losing Tim Kelly and Jarrod Garlett to the AFL, the Bulldogs have a similar group back in 2018 topped up by Nick Suban to try to go at least one step better.
Swan Districts showed strong improvement in 2017 going from the wooden spoon in 2016 to reach the finals, win a final and build something for new coach Adam Pickering to pick up with. The signing of Rhys Palmer will be significant too for the black-and-whites.
West Perth again reached finals in 2017 and it will be a youthful and relatively new-look Falcons line-up in 2018 under first-year captain Aaron Black.
East Perth narrowly missed out on reaching the finals in 2017 but with Sharrod Wellingham, Jackson Ramsay and Tom Gorter back on deck full-time after their stints in the AFL, the Royals will want to be a force once more.
Claremont wasn’t too far away in 2017 in Darren Harris' first season in charge but they will be looking to make the most of their chances this year. The Tigers also welcome back Sandover Medallist Kane Mitchell while also signing Tom Curren from St Kilda.
East Fremantle had a 2017 to forget but the Sharks have moved quickly to turn it around signing Blaine Boekhorst, Jarrad Jansen, Nick Kommer, Cameron Loersch, Jordan Snadden and new captain Jonathon Griffin.
Perth claimed another wooden spoon in 2017 but the Demons will look to rise up the ladder this season helped particularly with the signings of Ben Giobbi, Mitch Lague, Matthew Taylor and Corey Yeo.
Coach: Darren Harris
Captain: Ian Richardson
2017 finish: 8-12, 7th
Fairest and Best winner: Bailey Banfield
Leading goalkicker: Beau Maister (32)
In's: Kane Mitchell, Tom Curren, Isaac Wallace, Alec Waterman, Jordan Law, Brenden Abbott, Nick Yarran
Out's: Ryan Neates, Jack Bradshaw, Anthony Morabito, Matt Davies, Mitch Andrews, Matt Guelfi, Bailey Banfield, Zac Langdon
FINALLY a pre-season in their new Claremont Oval facility, the signings of Kane Mitchell and Tom Curren and some tough lessons learned from 2017 all have Claremont coach Darren Harris confident the Tigers can overcome the loss of some key players and thrive in 2018.
It was a rollercoaster ride for Harris in his first season coaching Claremont in 2017 and his first year back at the helm of a WAFL club since his final season with West Perth back in 2005, where he was a premiership coach in 2003 on the back of his outstanding playing career with the Falcons.
Things started well for the Tigers with three wins but then injuries began to mount and they lost the next six games. Throughout the second half of the season they did build some momentum and find some impressive form winning despite only winning five of the last 11 games.
Coach: Rob Wiley
Captain: Jonathon Griffin
2017 finish: 3-17, 8th
Fairest and Best winner: Jayden Schofield
Leading goalkicker: Matthew Watson (30)
In's: Blaine Boekhorst, Jonathon Griffin, Jarrad Jansen, Nick Kommer, Cameron Loersch, Jordan Snadden, James Bristow, Sean Fletcher
Out's: Jesse Adamini, Tom Bennett, Jesse Crichton, Peter Delaney, Miles Franklin, Andrew Stephen, Cameron Symonds, Matthew Watson
IT'S fair to say 2017 went anything but to plan for East Fremantle but coach Rob Wiley is buoyant over the debutants they blooded and after identifying that they need some experience while improving their skill and fitness levels, he's confident of a vastly improved 2018.
The Sharks did at least avoid the wooden spoon last season with a 61-point victory in the final round against the finals bound Swan Districts, but that was a rare glimmer of joy in a year that only included the three victories.
Things were especially tough in the first half of the season culminating in the WA Day Foundation Derby loss to South Fremantle by the tune of 145 points. That meant East Fremantle's first nine losses came at an average of 57.1 points a game which saw them only average a score of 64.7 points while conceding 123.8.
Coach: Luke Webster
Co-Captains: Kyle Anderson, Patrick McGinnity
2017 finish: 9-11, 6th
Fairest and Best winners: Nathan Blee, Julian Ameduri, Fraser McInnes
Leading goalkicker: Tom Lamb (21)
In's: Sharrod Wellingham, Jackson Ramsay, Tom Gorter, Jamie Rudrum, Reginald Jones, Braydn Furmark
Out's: Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Mitch Lague, Steven Payne, Tom Hodgson
EAST Perth missed finals for the first time in six years in 2017 but coach Luke Webster is keen on turning that around in 2018 a couple of players back from the AFL along with emerging colts and players from within the Royals' zone is giving him plenty of confidence.
Following five straight years of playing finals, which included Grand Final appearances in 2013 and 2014, East Perth was in the mix to be back in the hunt again in 2017 until losing the last two games of the season to Perth and Subiaco to end up finishing sixth with a 9-11 record.
As an East Perth premiership player and former captain himself, Webster certainly is passionate about ensuring the Royals are back to being a force in the WAFL in 2018 while also acknowledging they need to keep doing the right thing in terms of helping develop the West Coast AFL-listed players.
Coach: Cam Shepherd
Captain: Gerald Ugle
2017 finish: 12-8, Premiers
Fairest and Best winner: Sam Collins
Leading goalkicker: Matt Taberner (33)
In's: Ben Howlett, Andrew Haydon, Joel O'Driscoll, Kaine Ah Chee, Jarlath Duke, Jacob Pickett, Keegan Power, Kalani Scarrott, Leyton Ugle
Out's: Rory O'Brien, Damon Cramer, Aaron Naughton
TWO premierships the past two WAFL seasons have Peel Thunder well and truly the hunted coming into 2018, but for coach Cam Shepherd it also has them a club people want to be part of and he has no reason to think they can't give a hat-trick a real crack.
It's remarkable to think that four years ago Peel Thunder had never played in a WAFL final since entering the competition in 1997.
They first qualified for finals in 2015 and ended up playing in two finals, but lost to West Perth at HBF Arena and then to East Perth at Bendigo Bank Stadium to bow out in straight sets.
Coach: Earl Spalding
Captain: Clint Jones
2017 finish: 3-17, Wooden Spoon
Fairest and Best winner: Clint Jones
Leading goalkicker: Cody Ninyette (28)
In's: Ben Giobbi, Mitch Lague, Matthew Taylor, Corey Yeo, Jonah Symonds, Fraser Barns, Richard Bourne, Callum Collard, Sheldon Cooper, Mitchell Cox, Brodey Eades, Joe Iaria
Out's: Nelson Ansey, Josh Burke, Tom Gooch, Jarrad Irons, Julian Jacobs, Brent Latch, Liam McKenna, Gordon Narrier, Zareth Roe, Brennan Stack, Matt Thompson, Aidan Tropiano, Callum Walley
THIS time last year Perth had a horror injury list entering the 2017 WAFL season and things never quite improved, but it's a healthier looking Demons 12 months later and coach Earl Spalding hopes that some improvements in their game plan too can lead to a vastly improved season.
Perth's hopes of starting 2017 at full strength were dashed with pre-season injuries to the likes Jared Bell, Cody Leggett, Lachlan Dennis, Kristian Cary and Jarrad Irons while Angus Graham left them short in the ruck when he upped and left not too long before the season-opener.
Things never really improved for the Demons throughout the season with Michael Sinclair, Devin McFarlane, Brant Colledge, Liam McKenna, Brent Edmonds, Laine Wilkins, Sam Garstone and Spencer White going on to miss at least four games, and in many case more than half the season.
Coach: Todd Curley
Captain: Dylan Main
2017 finish: 16-4, Lost in Preliminary Final
Fairest and Best winner: Haiden Schloithe
Leading goalkicker: Blaine Johnson (59)
In's: Nick Suban, Zac Dent, Blair Della Franca, Sam Giblett, Trent Reed
Out's: Tim Kelly, Jarrod Garlett, Josh Pullman, Matthew Gundry
ADDING some AFL Grand Final and WAFL premiership experience in Nick Suban is a boost for South Fremantle but really coach Todd Curley is looking for the Bulldogs to be better against the league's best teams when it matters after reaching the past two preliminary finals.
Having not played finals between 2012 and 2015, South Fremantle became a top team again by 2016 in Curley's second season at the helm as coach.
They finished both the 2016 and 2017 seasons in second position at the end of the home and away campaigns. In 2016, they went on to thrash West Perth in the qualifying final before losing to Subiaco in the second semi-final and then Peel Thunder in the preliminary final.
Coach: Jarrod Schofield
Captain: Kyal Horsley
2017 finish: 19-1, Lost Grand Final
Fairest and Best winner: Leigh Kitchin
Leading goalkicker: Liam Ryan (73)
In's: Ben Newton, Zac Clarke, Josh Deluca, Drew Rohde, Rhys Waters, Sean Bradley, Jack Fletcher, David Ehlers, Matthew Ehlers, Kaiden Fullgrabe, Trent Bradshaw
Out's: Liam Ryan, Liam Baker, Wayde Twomey, Declan Jackson, Matt Bogensperger, James Garcia, Adam Creeper, Chris Bryan, Dylan Clarke, Simon Parry, Brayden Ainsworth
BEING too successful during the home and away season is something that Subiaco coach Jarrod Schofield felt might have ultimately hurt the Lions in the past two WAFL Grand Finals so some added flexibility with player positions and game style will be a focus coming into 2018.
Subiaco has played in the last four WAFL premierships including finishing on top of the ladder the past three years accumulating a 52-8 win-loss record throughout the home and away season.
It started off by winning a second straight premiership in 2015 but despite their home and away season dominance over the past two seasons, they have lost both Grand Finals to Peel Thunder and that has been increasingly difficult for Schofield and his playing group to stomach.
Coach: Adam Pickering
Co-Captains: David Ellard, Tony Notte
2017 finish: 10-10, Lost First Semi-Final
Fairest and Best winner: Corey Gault
Leading goalkicker: Ricky Cary (42)
In's: Rhys Palmer, Steven Payne, Nathan Blakely, Murray Newman
Out's: Tallan Ames, Ryan Crowley, Jamie Bennell, Ricky Cary, Xavier Ellis, Sam Taylor, Jake Nuich
NEW Swan Districts coach Adam Pickering was excited by the group he inherited and saw coming through when appointed to take over for the 2018 WAFL season and beyond and his buoyancy has only grown since arriving at Steel Blue Oval.
Pickering has been appointed as the new coach of Swan Districts for 2018 after Greg Harding decided to step aside having been at the helm since he replaced Brian Dawson following the 2010 premiership triumph.
Swans returned to finals action in 2017 and beat West Perth in the elimination final before falling short in the first semi-final against South Fremantle.
Coach: Bill Monaghan
Captain: Aaron Black
2017 finish: 10-10, Lost Elimination Final
Fairest and Best winner: Shane Nelson
Leading goalkicker: Tyler Keitel (46)
In's: Mitch Dzelebdzic, Matt Johnson, Liam Tedesco, Fraser Foley
Out's: Nick Rodda, Scott Simpson, Oscar Allen, Joe Morrow
THEY might have lost some quality and experience from their tall brigade, but West Perth coach Bill Monaghan is confident some youth and returning to a stronger defensive mindset will continue to have the Falcons around the mark in 2018.
West Perth again reached finals in 2017 but that was only on the back of a stirring last round victory over Claremont before an unceremonious exit the next week at the hands of Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval.
In some ways, it was the end of an era for a West Perth team that had won a premiership in 2013, made a grand final in 2015 and then also reached finals the previous two seasons – but really that is only on the surface.
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