Round 8 WAFLW PreviewFriday, April 8, 2022 - 12:52 PM - by Chris Pike

ROUND 8 in the 2022 WAFLW season marks the first time that teams are playing each other for a second time and there are three fascinating match ups to look forward to spread over the weekend.

The three Round 8 matches are all spread out starting on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon as the 2022 WAFLW season continues.

The action begins under lights at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Friday night with South Fremantle hosting Subiaco in a rematch of their clash at the same venue back in Round 3.

Next up on Saturday afternoon is a rematch of earlier in the season too when the reigning premiers Peel Thunder host the league-leading undefeated East Fremantle at Mandurah's Lane Group Stadium.

Last up for Round 8 is Claremont and Swan Districts doing battle at Revo Fitness Stadium. The Tigers have won five of their six matches this season while Swans have won their last four setting up a tantalising battle to close Round 8 of the season.

WAFLW TEAM OF THE WEEK – ROUND 7

ROUND 7 WAFL WRAP

Meanwhile the two matches for Round 8 in the WAFLW Reserves competition sees Peel Thunder take on East Fremantle on Saturday at Lane Group Stadium. Claremont then plays Swan Districts on Sunday morning at Revo Fitness Stadium.

There are also just the two matches in Round 8 of the Youth Girls Rogers Cup this weekend beginning at Leederville Oval on Friday evening with East Perth taking on Subiaco in a battle of the co-tenants.

Then on Saturday at Mandurah's Lane Group Stadium, it's Peel Thunder up against West Perth.

SOUTH FREMANTLE v SUBIACO

South Fremantle and Subiaco have played out some highly entertaining affairs already in the WAFLW competition and Friday night at Fremantle Community Bank Oval should be no different to open Round 8.

The Bulldogs and Lions open up Round 8 under lights down at the port on Friday night with South Fremantle hunting a second win of the season and Subiaco a third.

The Bulldogs put in another competitive showing last week despite losing to Swan Districts while the Lions will be determined to bounce back from a goalless showing against East Fremantle to maintain pace with the top four.

The two teams last met back in Round 3 this season and that was a Saturday evening battle also at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with Subiaco scoring the 5.6 (36) to 2.5 (17) win over South Fremantle.

In that victory, Tarnica Golisano was outstanding for Subiaco with 23 possessions while Liana Burchell had 19 and Madison Dodd 18.

Tahlia Holtze was tremendous for South Fremantle with 18 possessions and seven tackles with Lauren Wakfer delivering 15 disposals, 20 hit outs, five marks and five tackles.

South Fremantle will have good reason for going into Friday night's clash thinking their second ever WAFLW victory is a genuine chance against Subiaco following a competitive showing last week against Swan Districts.

From that Bulldogs team that lost to Swans last week, Leila Fotu, Stephanie Mostert, Zarlee Tovey and Mia Whitelaw come into the side to take on the Lions at home on Friday night.

Tahlia Dawson-Gibbs, Shanay Del Borrello, Ella Higgins, Jess Howley and Rebecca Torpy are the players to go out of the line.

Subiaco will be determined to bounce back from a goalless showing last week against East Fremantle and avoid a first ever loss to South Fremantle in the WAFLW competition.

From that team that lost to the Sharks, Cheney Armstrong, Madison Dodd, Amy Hunt, Ilah Lennon and Selina Spiers come into the Subiaco side to face South Fremantle.

Nyra Anderson, Tylor McIntosh, Jess Ritchie, Jamie Rust and Helen Taylor go out for Subiaco.
 

PEEL THUNDER v EAST FREMANTLE

Saturday's lone WAFLW clash looms as a beauty between the reigning premiers Peel Thunder and league-leading East Fremantle at Mandurah's Lane Group Stadium.

Peel has come into the 2022 WAFLW season having won the past two premierships but it's been a rocky road so far. The Thunder won their first two matches this season before losing their next three and then bouncing back last week against West Perth.

East Fremantle surprisingly missed finals last year but they are motivated to bounce back and the Sharks couldn’t have started out this new season any better winning all six matches so far to be sitting clear on top of the WAFLW ladder.

The two teams played out an entertaining affair back in Round 4 in Mandurah with East Fremantle beating Peel 9.6 (60) to 7.5 (47).

In that win for the Sharks, Madeline Ross and Larissa Versaci kicked two goals each with Mylee Leitch collecting 16 possessions, Georgie Cleaver 15 and Versaci 14.

Kate Bartlett kicked three goals and Kira Phillips two while Chloe Wrigley collected 21 disposals, Kaitlyn Srhoj 21 and Ebony Dowson 15.

Peel is fresh off a hammering of West Perth last week to snap their losing run and from that team, they have added Megan Bain, Whitney Benson, Chloe Colledge, Makinley Minchin, Cierra O'Donnell and Kira Phillips to the squad to take on East Fremantle on Saturday.

Anke Grove and Lauren Quaife go out of the team that beat West Perth last week.

East Fremantle puts its undefeated streak on the line against the reigning premiers and from the Sharks team that won big and held Subiaco scoreless last week, Beth Beckett, Georgia Bett, Natasha Entwistle, Leanne Gubbins and Paisley Prentice have been added to the squad.

Jae Flynn is the only out for East Fremantle at this stage.
 

CLAREMONT v SWAN DISTRICTS

Sunday will see Round 8 in the WAFLW competition wrap up with a tantalising match up between Claremont and Swan Districts and Revo Fitness Stadium.

Claremont has been outstanding so far this season winning five of their six matches, but the Tigers had the bye last week and that saw them drop from top spot on the ladder for the first time in 2022 as a result.

Swan Districts, meanwhile, started this season slowly with two losses including one first up to Claremont, but the Grand Finalists of 2021 have responded strongly to now be on a four-match winning run upon Sunday's clash with the Tigers.

The two teams opened up the 2022 season by facing off also at Revo Fitness Stadium back in Round 1 with Claremont impressive with the 8.12 (60) to 1.2 (8) victory.

In that win, Sasha Goranova and Tessa Doumanis kicked two goals each for Claremont while Ella Smith racked up 23 possessions and Kate Orme 21.

Swan Districts managed just the one goal courtesy of Bianca Webb while Lauren Osborne had 14 possessions and Sarah Wielstra 25 hit outs.

Claremont had the bye last week and from their team that beat Peel two weeks ago, Ella Smith, Adele Arnup, Julia Uhe and Eva Campo are three high quality inclusions.

However, the Tigers do lose Mikayla Western, Kate Orme, Brooke Whyte and Mackenzie Webb for the Sunday clash with Swans on their home turf.

Swan Districts had to work hard to beat South Fremantle last week and from that team Bethany Bond, Emily Bourne, Sophie Proudfoot and Chloe Spence come into the team for Swans to take on Claremont on Sunday.

Naomi Baker, captain Jess Cox, 200-game veteran Lauren Osborne and Lani Pigram are the players to go out of the team in some big losses for the clash with the Tigers.