Optus WAFLW Round 6 WrapMonday, August 24, 2020 - 8:19 AM - by Chris Pike

THE penultimate round in the 2020 Optus WAFL Women's Premiership Season saw the battle for a finals position heat up even further if that was possible with wins for Swan Districts, Claremont and East Fremantle.

The only thing guaranteed coming into Round 6 of the 2020 WAFLW season was that Subiaco was guaranteed of a second straight minor premiership and new team on the block South Fremantle wouldn’t be able to find away to avoid the wooden spoon.

The other four teams were in a battle over the remaining three positions in the top four with two rounds to go but to stay alive in the hunt, reigning premiers East Fremantle had to hand Subiaco its first loss of the season, and the Sharks managed to achieve that goal.

That means that with one round of the season remaining, one of Swan Districts, Claremont, East Fremantle and Peel Thunder will miss out on playing finals in 2020 despite the fact that precious little separates all four of them coming into the final round.

The Round 6 action got underway at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval on Saturday afternoon with Swan Districts winning a tight one against Peel Thunder, 8.6 (54) to 7.5 (47).

The other two matches then took place on Sunday afternoon with Claremont defeating South Fremantle 9.10 (64) to 1.2 (8) and East Fremantle beating Subiaco 3.8 (26) to 2.6 (18).

That means that with one round to go, Subiaco (5-1) is still locked away in top spot thanks to its percentage with South Fremantle (0-6) also anchored to bottom spot.

But between that is where things get really interesting. Swan Districts (4-2) is second a game ahead but with the worst percentage of the teams battling over the finals positions.

Then it's Claremont (3-3) and East Fremantle (3-3) rounding out the top four with Peel Thunder (3-3) just outside.

The final round of the 2020 WAFLW season sees Peel Thunder take on Claremont on Saturday before East Fremantle battles Swan Districts on Sunday, and Subiaco faces South Fremantle.

It couldn’t be set up better with the four teams all in the finals hunt playing one another. The equation is simple too with the two winners to guarantee themselves of playing finals.

One of the losers will still make it but who that is depends on so many different scenarios that we might drive you nuts trying to explain here. Simply put, win in the final round and you are in. Lose and you have to hope for the best.

OPTUS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 6

SWAN DISTRICTS 8.6 (54) defeated PEEL THUNDER 7.5 (47)

Swan Districts went a step towards booking in another finals appearance in the WAFL Women's competition with a narrow seven-point win which makes the job of Peel Thunder all the more challenging.

Peel made the trip to Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval on Saturday to take on Swan Districts with the Thunder looking to bounce back from losing another close game to Subiaco the previous week.

And the Thunder started encouragingly kicking two goals to one from Swans in the opening term at Bassendean. But the black-and-whites responded with the only goal of the second quarter and that saw the home team head into the half-time break with a two-point advantage.

The game then opened up significantly more in an exciting second half with plenty on the line for both teams.

Peel managed to kick three goals to two in the third quarter and that was enough to see the Thunder go into the three quarter-time break up by seven points.

Then in the last term, Swan Districts delivered some of its best football so far of 2020 to kick four goals to two from Peel and claim the critical 8.6 (54) to 7.5 (47) victory.

The win moves Swans up into second position on the WAFLW ladder with a game to go this weekend against East Fremantle while the Thunder slip to fifth and now must beat Claremont to reach the finals.

Shanae Davidson was brilliant for Swan Districts kicking three goals while Mikayla Morrison kicked two. Olivia Cripps, Bianca Webb and Nyra Anderson were the other goal scorers on the day for 
Swans.

Along with Davidson's best on ground performance for Swans, Aimee Ralph, Lauren Osborne, Morrison and Sarah Wielstra were among their better players.

Courtney Rowley, Greg McKinley and Kira Phillips all kicked two goals apiece for Peel.

Among Peel's standout performers were Ella Roberts, Jade Briggs, Shannon Whale, Courtney Rowley and Lauren Quaife.
 

CLAREMONT 9.10 (64) defeated SOUTH FREMANTLE 1.2 (8)

Claremont couldn’t afford any slip up in its chase for a finals berth this WAFL Women's season and the Tigers didn’t have one against South Fremantle on Sunday.

Claremont needed to win the game against the winless South Fremantle to maintain its place in the top four with one round of the home and away WAFLW season to remaining.

The Tigers were made to fight hard early to put a score on the board with the home team only managing the one goal in the first quarter with the Bulldogs scoring a behind.

South Fremantle wasn’t able to add to its score in the second quarter but Claremont started to get rolling by kicking three goals and then heading into the half-time interval with a 29-point advantage.

South Fremantle did better in the third quarter by kicking its only goal of the match but also defensively the Bulldogs did well to limit the Tigers to just the one goal as their lead only gradually extended to 31 points by three quarter-time.

Claremont then finished off strongly with four goals to just one behind from South Fremantle in the final quarter to end up beating the Bulldogs 9.10 (64) to 1.2 (8).

Claremont will now have to beat Peel Thunder this Saturday in Mandurah to ensure itself of a finals position in 2020.

South Fremantle has the daunting task in the final game of its inaugural WAFLW season by coming up against the minor premiers Subiaco who have lost just the one game so far in 2020.

Brooke Whyte kicked three goals for Claremont as did Amy Franklin while Mhicca Carter added another two goals and Sasha Goranova one.

Among the best players on the day for Claremont were Franklin, Sarah Garstone, Whyte, Marley Simmons and Goranova.

South Fremantle's lone goal for the game was kicked by young star Poppy Stockwell who has been one of the standout performers for the Bulldogs in 2020 both when playing in the Youth Girls team and in the WAFL Women's side.

The best players against the Tigers on Sunday afternoon included Mia Strom, Tahlia Holtze, Lauren Vecchio, Casey Byrne, Tara Garlett and Cali Hunt.
 

SUBIACO 2.6 (18) lost to EAST FREMANTLE 3.8 (26)

East Fremantle was able to hold the WAFLW league-leaders Subiaco goalless in the first half of their Round 6 match on Sunday before going on to record the eight-point win.

East Fremantle had to win the game to stay in the finals race coming off winning the inaugural WAFLW premiership in 2019 but it was always going to be a tough ask against Subiaco even at New Choice Homes Park on Sunday.

There was just the one goal kicked between both the teams in the opening half and that went the way of the Sharks as they went into half-time leading the Lions by eight points.

Subiaco did get a goal on the board in the third quarter and with East Fremantle adding another, the Sharks were able to maintain their eight-point lead by three quarter-time.

It was another goal apiece in the final quarter but that meant that East Fremantle held on for the important 3.8 (26) to 2.6 (18) victory.

Subiaco is guaranteed of finishing as minor premiers for the second straight WAFLW season no matter the result of its game against South Fremantle at Leederville Oval on Sunday to close the home and away season.

East Fremantle, meanwhile, will know what it needs to do by Sunday to reach the finals. 

If Peel had beaten Claremont on Saturday, then East Fremantle has to beat Swan Districts on Sunday but if the Tigers had won, the Sharks will play finals no matter the result of the Grand Final rematch from last year against Swans.

Gabby O'Sullivan has decided to focus on her football and stopped playing basketball with the Perry Lakes Hawks in 2020 where she is an SBL championship winner, and the Fremantle Dockers AFLW star is delivering for East Fremantle. 

She kicked another two goals for the Sharks in the win on Sunday over Subiaco.

Katelyn Catalano was the other goal scorer on the day for East Fremantle.

East Fremantle's best performers included Marni Alston, Catalano, Alex Williams, O'Sullivan and Sharon Wong.

Jacqueline Toth and Danika Pisconeri kicked Subiaco's goals on the day.

Hayley Miller, Tiah Haynes, Tayla Thorogood, Janelle Cuthbertson and Holly Hyder were among Subiaco's best players.