Round 13 WAFLW PreviewFriday, June 2, 2023 - 9:03 AM - by Chris Pike

THERE are just two games in Round 13 of the WAFLW this weekend and they are two huge match ups starting with the Perth Derby on Sunday at Joondalup and then the Fremantle Derby at the WACA Ground on WA Day.

The WAFLW competition is now starting to build its own traditions over the WA Day weekend with West Perth and East Perth opening up proceedings on Sunday for the long weekend, and then East Fremantle and South Fremantle locking horns on the public holiday Monday.

The first game of the WA Day WAFLW action this weekend takes place on Sunday afternoon at Joondalup's Pentanet Stadium with the league's two newest teams locking horns.

West Perth will play host to East Perth with the game getting underway at 1pm

Next up is on WA Day itself at the WACA Ground in a massive Fremantle Derby which sees East Fremantle play host to South Fremantle. 

The Sharks come into the game in fourth position looking to consolidate that spot while the Bulldogs are second and can all but lock in a top two place heading into the finals with a victory. The game begins at 4.45pm following the men's clash at the venue.

With just the two games in Round 13 of the WAFLW this weekend, that means Claremont, Peel Thunder, Subiaco, Swan Districts and West Perth all have the bye.

WAFLW TEAM OF THE WEEK – ROUND 12

ROUND 12 WAFLW WRAP

There are three games in Round 12 of the Rogers Cup this weekend as well starting on Friday night at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle playing host to East Fremantle from 6pm.

Next up on Saturday is Perth playing host to Peel Thunder from 5.10pm at Lathlain's Mineral Resources Park before the round wraps up on Sunday at Joondalup's Pentanet Stadium. That will see West Perth take on East Perth from 11am.

WEST PERTH v EAST PERTH – SUNDAY 1.00PM

The second ever Perth Derby in the WAFLW competition takes place at Joondalup's Pentanet Stadium between West Perth and East Perth on Sunday afternoon.

The Falcons and Royals are the two newest teams in the WAFLW competition with West Perth joining in 2022, and East Perth is currently in its first season as they prepare to battle for the second time on Sunday.

West Perth comes into the game after a 38-point loss to East Fremantle also at home last Sunday to leave the Falcons in sixth position with a 4-7 record and needing to go on a winning streak to remain any chance of still playing finals in 2023.

It's been rough going for East Perth so far in the WAFLW with the Royals having lost their opening 11 matches by an average of 63.5 points including going down to Swan Districts by 52 points last Sunday at Steel Blue Oval.

East Perth played its first ever game in the WAFLW against West Perth to open the 2023 season at Leederville Oval but it was the Falcons who dominated with the 48-point victory.

That doubled as West Perth's first ever WAFLW win too with Tia Bergin kicked three goals for the Falcons, and two each to Grace Betti and Katherine Bennett.

Emily Bennett also racked up 22 possessions for West Perth, Betti 19, Jess Roper 18, Bianca Webb 18, Brooke Hongell 14 and Taylor Ferguson 13.

East Perth's first two goals in the WAFLW in that game were kicked by Tristin Ogonoski with Jess Valvasori gathering 13 disposals, Matilda Bennett 13 (16 hit outs), Sarah Madden 13 and Lillian Ninyett 12.

West Perth is attempting to hit back from last Sunday's defeat at the hands of East Fremantle with Georgia Cowman, Jeevna Heer and Keeley Oakes the three players to come into the line-up to take on East Perth on Sunday.

Going out from the Falcons team that lost to the Sharks last week are Brooke Hongell, Harriet Jones and Natasha Spurr.

East Perth is coming off a 52-point loss last Sunday to Swan Districts and from that team, S De Bari, Holly Gill, Bianca Glanville and captain Jess Valvasori come into the squad to face West Perth in this Sunday's derby.

Going out of the Royals side from the team that took on Swan Districts last week are Gabrielle Canicosa, Jessica Davidson, Kelsey Lang and Sarah Madden.

EAST FREMANTLE v SOUTH FREMANTLE – MONDAY 4.45PM

The biggest Fremantle Derby ever in the WAFLW competition will take place on WA Day at the WACA Ground on Monday.

The clash will take place from 4.45pm following the WAFL contest at the same venue on WA Day with the Sharks and Bulldogs locking horns with both coming into the clash in impressive form.

While East Fremantle won the first six derbies in the WAFLW, South Fremantle won the most recent match up earlier this season and come into Monday's match in second position on the ladder.

The lone losses for the Bulldogs this season have come at the expense of Claremont with them sitting clear in second spot with eight wins, two losses and a draw.

The Sharks, meanwhile, have now won consecutive matches against East Perth and West Perth to improve to six wins, four losses and a draw to now be sitting in fourth position coming into the WA Day Derby.

The first derby meeting between the two teams this season saw South Fremantle break through for a first ever win against East Fremantle with the five-point victory on the ANZAC Day weekend at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

On that Saturday evening at the port, South Fremantle trailed by 11 points at half-time but then kicked four goals to one in the second half to secure the 5.4 (34) to 4.5 (29) victory.

The goals from the Bulldogs were kicked by Makaela Tuhakaraina, Luci Gilchrist, Ella Ward, Zoe Huggett and Kiara Templeman.

Ariana Hetherington was a dominant presence in the ruck with 19 possessions and 24 hit outs while Bethany Bond collected 17 disposals, Gilchrist 14, Kloe Bassett 14, Charli Wicksteed 14 and captain Lauren Vecchio 13 to go with seven tackles.

Chloe Reilly kicked two goals for East Fremantle with singles to Ashlee Atkins and Lauren O'Connor.

Beth Beckett picked up 20 possessions for the Sharks, Sharon Wong 20, Hayley O'Donnell 15, Larissa Versaci 15 and Fremantle Dockers AFLW draftee Jae Flynn 14.

Prior to that, the Sharks won the first six derbies by an average of 53 points after South Fremantle joined the WAFLW competition back in 2020.

In the first six derby contests in the WAFLW, East Fremantle not only won all six but did so with an average winning margin of 53 points.

The Sharks won the first ever WAFLW derby by 88 points in Round 1, 2020 while holding the Bulldogs scoreless before also winning by 46 points in Round 5, 2021 and then that 24-point win in Round 11 of that same season.

There was another two clashes in 2022 with the Bulldogs more competitive but the Sharks still proving too strong on their way to going through the home and away season undefeated.

East Fremantle won by 38 points in Round 6 at East Fremantle Oval in Round 6 before also prevailing by 52 points in the last round at Fremantle Community Bank Oval to secure their undefeated home and away campaign.

All up over the first six derbies in the WAFLW competition, East Fremantle outscored South Fremantle 59.49 (403) to 12.13 (85) with the average winning margin of 53 points, but the Bulldogs have grown significantly in 2023 and turned it around with that Round 7 win.