Optus WAFL Preliminary Final PreviewSaturday, September 26, 2020 - 7:10 PM - by Chris Pike

CLAREMONT'S opponent in the 2020 Optus WAFL Grand Final will be determined on Sunday afternoon when South Fremantle and West Perth do battle in the preliminary final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Claremont booked its spot in the Grand Final for 2020 with an impressive 47-point win against South Fremantle but now the Bulldogs and Falcons are desperate to join them to fight for the 2020 premiership.

West Perth advanced to the preliminary final with a come from behind win against Perth in the first semi-final at Provident Financial Oval last Sunday while South Fremantle earned the right to host the game by finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the home and away season.

The two teams are no strangers to playing one another in finals and they did most recently meet in the 2018 preliminary final so with all on the line, everything is pointing to a tremendous contest at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday afternoon.

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South Fremantle put together an outstanding season in 2020 winning its opening seven matches to guarantee itself winning a first minor premiership since their flag winning year of 2009.

The Bulldogs did lose in the final round to Perth and then in the second semi-final last Sunday at home to Claremont, but they have played in the past four preliminary finals so they know what it takes to play on the day.

They did lose in 2016, 2017 and 2018 but broke that hoodoo last year to reach the Grand Final even if that didn’t end up going to plan against Subiaco at Optus Stadium.

West Perth only fell 0.24 per cent short of a top two finish at the end of the season with a 6-2 record but the Falcons won their way through to the preliminary final with the win at home against Perth last Sunday.

The Falcons last played in a preliminary final back in 2018 which also just happened to be against South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval where they delivered a stunning upset against the hot favourite Bulldogs.

That loss was a third straight on preliminary final day for South Fremantle and it proved to be the end of an era with it being the last WAFL appearances of the likes of Ashton Hams, Ryan Cook, Cory Dell'Olio and Shane Hockey.

The Bulldogs players that did play in that game will be determined to not let the Falcons make them feel like that again. 

On the other hand, those West Perth players who took part in that shock result will have fond memories of it and head down to the port on Sunday knowing they have won a preliminary final at that ground against the same opponents previously.

The two teams met during the 2020 season back in Round 2 up at Joondalup and that was a tight affair with South Fremantle coming away with the narrow eight-point victory.

There are plenty of stars on either side too and from the WAFL Team of the Year announced this week, Haiden Schloithe, Jake Florenca, Chad Pearson and Bernie Naylor Medallist Mason Shaw were all there from South Fremantle.

West Perth stalwarts Aaron Black and Shane Nelson were again named to the Team of the Year as well as was attacking defender Blake Wilhelm and spearhead Tyler Keitel.

The way the game unfolds will be fascinating to follow too with West Perth ranked the No. 2 first quarter team over the course of the season while South Fremantle is only fifth to start off matches.

By second quarters. West Perth is the top performing team while South Fremantle is third. Then in third terms, South Fremantle picks it up as the No. 2 ranked team while West Perth slips to sixth.

And in fourth quarters, South Fremantle is far and away the No. 1 ranked team over the eight rounds of the season while West Perth is ranked fourth.

From the South Fremantle team that lost to Claremont last Sunday in the second semi-final, Zac Dent, Jake Florenca, Cody Ninyette and Kade Stewart have all been added to the squad.

Dent, Florenca and Stewart would all be important additions and were sorely missed last week while it would be a stunning way to debut for his new club for former Demons leading goalscorer Ninyette.

And at West Perth, they have decided to stick with the same side that beat the Demons last Sunday at Provident Financial Oval.

Meanwhile earlier in the day at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, the colts preliminary final will feature Subiaco taking on East Fremantle with the winner to place Claremont in the Grand Final. That game begins at 10.25am.

And in the reserves, it will be Subiaco playing Claremont for the right to face East Perth in the Grand Final. 

It's a chance for the Tigers to have all three grades through to the Grand Finals for 2020.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – PRELIMINARY FINAL

SOUTH FREMANTLE v WEST PERTH – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SUNDAY 3.35PM
Live scores, stats  

Broadcast – Channel 7, 720 ABC Perth, 91.3 SportFM