Round 20 Optus WAFL PreviewFriday, August 23, 2019 - 4:40 PM - by Chris Pike

THE final round of the 2019 WAFL season is here and it's all on the line with there only being room for two of West Perth, Perth and the West Coast Eagles to end up taking part in the finals.

It has been a tremendously competitive and enthralling 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season and that's now highlighted with the fact that six teams remain in contention to take part in finals action coming into the final round. 

The equation for West Perth and Perth is simple coming into the last round. The Falcons and Demons just have to win their matches and they will be guaranteed of playing finals in 2019.

However, should either of them lose their matches on Saturday afternoon, then the door is opened for West Coast to take their place in the top five when they play on Sunday. The Eagles will finish above either the Falcons or Demons with a win on Sunday should either of them lose.

That all sets the stage for what should be a tremendous final round of action in the WAFL and it all gets underway at 1.45pm at Joondalup's HBF Arena with a rematch of last year's preliminary final when West Perth hosts South Fremantle.

The Bulldogs will likely finish second no matter the result, but they can guarantee it for sure with a win while the Falcons need the win to book in their finals appearance in 2019.

Then the other three matches on Saturday all take place from 2.15pm starting at Mandurah's David Grays Arena with Peel Thunder hosting Perth.

The Thunder can no longer reach the finals no matter the result but the Demons will be guaranteed of playing finals for the first time since 1997 should they win in Mandurah.

Claremont looks set to finish in third position no matter its result on Saturday but the Tigers will want to take winning form into the finals when they host Swan Districts at the newly renamed Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday.

Swan Districts has won two of its past three matches to see them still a chance to avoid the wooden spoon for 2019 with a victory and if either East Fremantle or East Perth lose their matches. 

In fact if Swans win and both the Sharks and Royals lose, they will end up climbing to eighth position to close the season.

It's then the battle of the Leederville Oval co-tenants with East Perth finishing its season up against the minor premier Subiaco with the Lions having the added incentive of celebrating the 200th game of four-time premiership champion and three-time fairest and best winner Kyal Horsley.

The round will then conclude on Sunday afternoon at Lathlain's Mineral Resources Park with the West Coast Eagles taking on East Fremantle.

Just how much this match means will be determined on Saturday. If either West Perth or Perth loses on Saturday, then West Coast just has to win this game and they will be playing finals in their inaugural season as a standalone club in the WAFL.

However, if both the Falcons and Demons win their matches on Saturday, there is no way for West Coast to break into the top five.

And for East Fremantle, depending on the Saturday results they might need to win this game against the Eagles to avoid the wooden spoon for 2019. That would only be case should Swan Districts and East Perth both win on Saturday.
 

OPTUS WAFL ROUND 20

WEST PERTH (9-8, 4th) v SOUTH FREMANTLE (12-5, 2nd) – HBF ARENA, SATURDAY 1.45PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – 91.3 SportFM

PEEL THUNDER (6-11, 7th) v PERTH (9-8, 5th) – DAVID GRAYS ARENA, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats

CLAREMONT (11-6, 3rd) v SWAN DISTRICTS (4-13, 10th) – REVO FITNESS STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats

EAST PERTH (5-12, 9th) v SUBIACO (16-1, 1st) – LEEDERVILLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – KIX Digital 

EAST FREMANTLE (5-12, 8th) v WEST COAST EAGLES (8-9, 6th) – MINERAL RESOURCES PARK, SUNDAY 2.15PM
Live scores, stats
Broadcast – Livestream