Last Home and Away Match to Decide Top FiveWednesday, August 31, 2022 - 1:24 PM - by Mark Readings

LIKE a good drama series, the script for the end of the WAFL home and away season has been written perfectly, with the final match of the round determining the top five. 

Peel Thunder and Swan Districts play a knock-out match at Lane Group Stadium on Father’s Day, with the winner advancing to the elimination final the following weekend. 

The black and whites gave themselves one last opportunity to qualify for the finals with a courageous 12-point win over league leaders West Perth last Saturday. 

Swan Districts coach Adam Pickering has mixed feelings about entering Sunday’s match with so much on the line. 

"We didn’t want to be in this position at the start of the year," Pickering said.

"We wanted to be secure and be able to plan for a finals assault, but you get what you earn during the year in this competition because it’s so tight. 

"If you don’t come away with some close wins you put yourself in a position where you’ve got to win the last game to advance." 

As the Thunder and Swans play to keep their season alive, the jostling for positions above them on the ladder is just as frantic. 

Only four points separate West Perth, East Fremantle, Claremont, and South Fremantle, with the minor premiership and the coveted double chance (a top three finish) all open to change as we enter Round 20. 

The exciting conclusion to the home and away season prompted top local statistician Ric Gauci from WAFL FootyFacts to examine the last time so many teams were vying for finals positions. 

"2011 might be the most recent example when all finals spots were up for grabs heading into the last round," Gauci explained.

"Claremont and West Perth were tied on top with 56 points. The Falcons had a bye in the last round and Claremont’s percentage was far superior, but behind them were three teams on 44 points, Subiaco, East Fremantle, and South Fremantle. 

"The Lions played bottom placed Peel and won by 68 points, while the Bulldogs beat the Sharks by 36 points in the derby to lock away a top four spot. Claremont went onto beat Subiaco in that year’s Grand Final. 

"At present, there’s a 2.5 game gap between first and sixth with one round to go and depending on results the gap will be either 3 or 3.5 games, which will be the smallest gap in the number of wins between first and sixth on the WAFL ladder since 1997." 

At the end of a remarkably even WAFL home and away season, one chapter is still to be written.