Round 14 Optus WAFLW PreviewFriday, June 4, 2021 - 3:11 PM - by Chris Pike

THE penultimate round of the WAFLW season sees all three matches taking place on Saturday afternoon and there is plenty at stake in each of them as the end of the home and away campaign draws near.

With just two rounds now of the 2021 Optus WAFLW Premiership Season remaining, every game takes on greater importance for any number of reasons and this Saturday's jam packed afternoon is no different.

It all gets underway at Mandurah's David Grays Arena from 12pm with the two teams locking horns with Peel Thunder hosting Swan Districts.

Peel are the reigning premiers and are just about secure of second position on the ladder this season barring two huge losses in their finals two matches.

That appears unlikely meaning that this clash appears to be a preview of the second semi-final that will take place in two weeks' time with a spot in the 2021 WAFLW Grand Final on the line.

Swan Districts is guarantee already of top spot and the minor premiership having won all 13 of their matches so far in 2021, including a big win against East Fremantle last week.

Swans hold a perfect 13-0 record with by far the best percentage in the competition and that has them four games ahead of Peel who sit second at 9-4.

However, with both teams looking to get an edge over the other heading into that second semi-final, this game will be hotly contested even if Swans and the Thunder appear set to stay in first and second position respectively no matter the result.

The two teams first met this year back in Round 3 with Swan Districts making the trip down to Mandurah and coming away with the 28-point victory. 

The more recent contest was in Round 11 at Steel Blue Oval and it was a much tighter affair with Swans winning that one over the Thunder by a solitary point. 

From the Thunder team that lost to Subiaco last Saturday night, Emily Gunton, Sarah Verrier and Aisha Wright come into the team while Katie Jayne Grieve, Makinley Minchin and Courtney Rowley go out.

At Swan Districts, Imahra Cameron, Bella Edgley, Jaime Henry and Sarah Lakay come into the team to take on Peel while Nyra Anderson, Fiona Boucher, Tara Stribley and Hope Ugle-Hayward go out.

Next up on Saturday afternoon in Round 14 of the WAFLW competition is the Fremantle Derby between East Fremantle and South Fremantle at New Choice Homes Park from 2pm.

It's a big weekend of rivalry football across the WA Day long weekend for the Fremantle clubs and it all gets underway when the Sharks host the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.

The two teams might be occupying the bottom two places on the WAFLW ladder with two rounds remaining, but East Fremantle remains an outside chance of reaching finals while South Fremantle is still searching for that history-making win.

East Fremantle is coming off a loss to Swan Districts to remain outside the top four with a 4-9 record. 

It remains decidedly unlikely that the Sharks can still reach the finals for a third straight WAFLW season, but there is a slight hope should they win their last two games by massive margins and if Subiaco lose both theirs by significant deficits as well.

South Fremantle will also see this as a golden opportunity to not only end East Fremantle's finals hopes once and for all but to also record their first ever win in their second season as part of the WAFLW competition.

The two teams have already met twice this WAFLW season so far with East Fremantle winning by 46 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval back in Round 5 while the Sharks also prevailed over the Bulldogs in Round 11 by 24 points.

East Fremantle has made several changes from the team that lost to Swan Districts last week with Lea Caccamo, Cadian Lodge, Skye Prentice, Roxy Roux and Elle Sanders into the team to face South Fremantle.

Georgia Bett, Nadya Browne, Julie-Anne Norrish, Paisley Prentice and Anjelique Raison are players out for East Fremantle.

At South Fremantle following their loss last week to Claremont, Tahlia Holtze, Reanne Pickett and Chae Salbie come in for the Bulldogs at the expense of Gabrielle Canicosa, Kiara Templeman Kara Turley

The third match of the round takes place at Claremont's Revo Fitness Stadium as the battle for third position ramps up with Claremont hosting Subiaco.

Claremont returned to the winner's list in the WAFLW last Sunday with a win against South Fremantle which steadied the Tigers in third position on the ladder with a 7-6 record.

However, that snapped a four-game losing streak for Claremont while Subiaco has now won four of its last five matches and that lone loss was only by a goal to the undefeated Swan Districts.

But Subiaco sits a game behind Claremont on the ladder with a 6-7 record meaning plenty is on the line during Saturday's game.

A win for Claremont will guarantee them third position and home ground advantage for that first semi-final which looks like it'll be against Subiaco. However, a win for the Lions and they are a real chance of snatching third from the Tigers and that home ground advantage.

The two teams first met this season back in Round 4 with Claremont beating Subiaco by 20 points at Leederville Oval but the Lions turned the tide to beat the Tigers by 11 points in Round 11 at Revo Fitness Stadium.

From the Claremont team that beat South Fremantle a week ago, Emily Elkington, Sarah Garstone, Jacinta Valentini, Mackenzie Webb and Mikayla Western come in for the Tigers.

Adele Arnup, Matilda Dyke, Kelsey Lang, Sophie McDonald and Kate Orme are out.

And for Subiaco, Kia Buckley and Tiah Toth come back in for Aimee Schmidt and Ange Stannett.

Meanwhile, Round 14 of the WAFLW Reserves competition sees East Fremantle South Fremantle meeting in a derby on Saturday at New Choice Homes Park.

The other two matches take place on Sunday with Swan Districts playing Peel Thunder at Steel Blue Oval, and Claremont taking on Subiaco at Revo Fitness Stadium.

And then in the Youth Girls Rogers Cup Round 14 action, East Fremantle and South Fremantle also take on one another on Saturday with East Perth and West Perth also facing off at Leederville Oval.

The other two match ups take place on Sunday with Swan Districts playing Peel Thunder at Steel Blue Oval, and Claremont and Subiaco battling at Revo Fitness Stadium.

OPTUS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 14

PEEL THUNDER v SWAN DISTRICTS – DAVID GRAYS ARENA, SATURDAY 12.00PM

EAST FREMANTLE v SOUTH FREMANTLE – NEW CHOICE HOMES PARK, SATURDAY 2.00PM

CLAREMONT v SUBIACO – REVO FITNESS STADIUM, SATURDAY 3.10PM