Round 5 WAFLW PreviewFriday, March 18, 2022 - 1:03 PM - by Chris Pike

ROUND 5 of the WAFLW competition features three fascinating matches all for different reasons and each of them takes place on Sunday throughout the day.

The Sunday match ups are all going to be tantalising to follow with big challenges for South Fremantle and West Perth opposed to the league's top two teams before the day is capped off with a mouth-watering Grand Final rematch.

It all gets underway on Sunday at 11am at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle hosting the league-leading Claremont.

Next up at midday on Sunday is East Fremantle back home to New Choice Homes Park and putting their undefeated record on the line up against the competition's newest team, West Perth.

Last up is the Grand Final rematch from last year with Swan Districts hosting Peel Thunder at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval.

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Meanwhile in the WAFLW Reserves competition, Subiaco will be at home to Peel Thunder on Sunday from 10am at Leederville Oval. At the same time, Swan Districts will play East Fremantle at Steel Blue Oval.

And in the Youth Girls Rogers Cup, all four matches take place on Sunday starting at 9am with South Fremantle at home to Claremont at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Next up at 10am is East Fremantle playing West Perth at New Choice Homes Park before at midday, Swan Districts plays Peel Thunder at Steel Blue Oval and East Perth takes on Subiaco at Leederville Oval.

SOUTH FREMANTLE v CLAREMONT

South Fremantle and Claremont open up Round 5 in the WAFLW competition at Fremantle Community Bank Oval at 11am on Sunday.

The Bulldogs had the bye in Round 4 and now return to action against a Tigers team who come into Round 5 still holding top spot on the WAFLW ladder.

South Fremantle made history to open the 2022 season with a win against West Perth to win its first ever WAFLW game. While they lost their next two matches to Peel Thunder and Subiaco, they have proven significantly more competitive in their third WAFLW season.

Claremont has been in dominant form so far this season even though they suffered a narrow defeat to East Fremantle back in Round 3. The Tigers have had three thumping wins against Swan Districts, Subiaco and West Perth either side of that.

The Tigers have a remarkable percentage of 493.2 after four games on the back of those big wins where they have scored a total of 217 points and conceded only 44 – an average of just 11 per game.

Last time the two teams met was in Round 13 of last season when Claremont beat South Fremantle by 29 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle had the bye last weekend and from the team that lost to Subiaco two weeks ago, Zoe Wakfer, Ebony Clarkson, Aaliyah Ugle, Rosie Anderson, Molly O'Hehir, Kristen Rudler, Liusaidh Gilchrist, Hunter Cronin, Stephanie Mostert and Mia Whitelaw all added to the squad.

Meanwhile, Tahlia Holtze, Lauren Gauci, Sheridan Kowald, Emily Boothman and Darcy Clements go out for the Bulldogs.

Claremont is fresh off a thumping win over West Perth and from that team, Mhicca Carter, Madeleine Scanlon and Mackenzie Webb all come back into the line-up to face South Fremantle.

Tess Blackburn, Ella Smith and Jacinta Valentini are the players to go out for the Tigers. 
 

EAST FREMANTLE v WEST PERTH

It's the battle of the only undefeated team against the only team yet to win in the WAFLW competition on Sunday at 12pm when East Fremantle hosts West Perth.

The task is ahead of the Falcons as they head to New Choice Homes Park to take on the undefeated Sharks.

East Fremantle remains the only team yet to taste defeat this WAFLW season as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2021 season where they missed out on making finals altogether.

The Sharks had the bye in the opening round but have hit the ground running since with wins against Swan Districts, Claremont and Peel Thunder.

It has been a rough initiation to the WAFLW competition for West Perth this year. The Falcons have suffered big losses to date against South Fremantle, Swan Districts and Claremont. 

They have conceded 250 points in the three games while scoring just nine themselves which all came against Swans in Round 3.

The job now doesn’t get any easier for West Perth taking on the undefeated East Fremantle at Shark Park.

East Fremantle is attempting to remain the only undefeated team in the WAFLW competition. From their team that beat Peel last week, Abbey Amaranti, Georgia Bett, Laura Catherine, Alli Nokes, Elle Sanders and Jasmine Schorsch come into the squad.

Taya Chambers and Zipporah Fish are the two players so far named as outs for the Sharks for the clash against the Falcons.

West Perth is still searching for its first ever win in the WAFLW competition. From their team that lost at home to Claremont last week, Isobel Boyce and Keely Byrne come into the line-up to take on East Fremantle at the expense of Teal Bennett and Kaitlyn Roper.
 

SWAN DISTRICTS v PEEL THUNDER

It's a Grand Final rematch for the first time in 2022 when Swan Districts and Peel Thunder lock horns at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday at 2pm.

Swan Districts only lost three games in 2021 but each of those came at the expense of Peel. 

The Thunder handed Swans their only loss in the home and away season in Round 14 before also winning their battles in the second semi-final and the Grand Final as they secured a second straight WAFLW premiership.

There will certainly be no love lost between the two teams now when they meet for the first time of 2022 at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday afternoon to close Round 5.

Swans come into the game having won their past two matches against West Perth and Subiaco as well having opened the new season with defeats at the hands of Claremont and East Fremantle.

Peel is coming off its first loss of the season last week also against the Sharks following first up wins in Mandurah against South Fremantle and Subiaco.

Swan Districts has received a blow for the Grand Final rematch against Peel Thunder at home on Sunday with Tara Stribley going out of the team after her outstanding performance last week against Subiaco with 26 possessions, six marks and a goal.

Erin Brown, Melisha Hardy, Shannan Rene and Amber Ugle-Hayward have all been added to the squad for the black-and-whites.

Peel is looking to keep its winning form from late last year going against Swan Districts, but they've got plenty of changes from the team that lost to East Fremantle last week.

Their quest to bounce back won't be helped with the loss of Jaide Britton, Trinity Brown, Gracie Fenton and Jorja Haines.

However, Megan Bain, Whitney Benson, Greta McKinley, Makinley Minchin, Arianne Norris, Angel Rowley, Dakota Sexton and Jordain Thompson all come into the squad for the Thunder.