WA Day Round 9 match previewsThursday, May 31, 2018 - 11:55 AM - by Chris Pike

THE WA Day long weekend is regularly the biggest home and away round on the WAFL calendar and 2018 will be no different with two matches beginning proceedings on Saturday afternoon before the two traditional derbies on Monday.

WA Day, previously Foundation Day, has long provided for some of the most remarkable contests and biggest crowds through history particularly with the Fremantle and Perth Derbies, and that tradition continues in 2018.

The round gets underway starting on Saturday afternoon at Claremont Oval with Claremont playing host to Peel Thunder. 

Both teams come into the contest on 2-5 records and needing a win to stay in touch with the top five with the Tigers entering after a tight win against South Fremantle last Saturday while the two-time defending champion Thunder have lost five of their last six matches.

The other Saturday contest takes place at Steel Blue Oval with Swan Districts taking on Perth. The game begins at 2.50pm and will be live on 7mate.

Swans enter the game in fourth position at 4-3 following a win against East Perth last Saturday at Leederville Oval while Perth is eighth at 2-5 but the Demons have been more competitive than that suggests including during last week's 40-point loss to Subiaco.

Attention then turns to the two traditional derbies on WA Day starting at Joondalup Arena with West Perth taking on East Perth.

The game starts at 1.10pm and will be broadcast live on Channel 7.

The Falcons come into the contest off the bye following an 88-point win against East Fremantle following the State game break where they pushed Subiaco before losing by 22 points.

East Perth had been on a four-game winning run entering the State game but have lost since to South Fremantle and Swan Districts setting the stage for a terrific Perth Derby on Monday with both teams on 4-3 records coming into the contest.

The round then concludes with the most traditional of all WA football battles with South Fremantle hosting East Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Despite the Bulldogs sitting second at 5-2 and the Sharks last at 2-6, it's South Fremantle coming off a loss to Claremont last Saturday while East Fremantle broke through to beat Peel at East Fremantle Oval.

South Fremantle has won the past five derbies by an average of 71 points including the last three at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The undefeated league-leading Subiaco has the Round 9 bye.

TABtouch Team Lists


Click the graphics below for specific match previews.

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