WAFL Round 7 ANZAC Day PreviewWednesday, April 24, 2013 - 4:00 PM - by Chris Pike

THE WAFL commemorates ANZAC Day with three big fixtures across Perth on Thursday afternoon.

The first clash bounces down at 2.10pm when Perth takes on East Perth at Lathlain's Brownes Stadium.

It's then onto Arena Joondalup where West Perth hosts Swan Districts with that game getting underway at 3.15pm.

And then at 4.15pm at Fremantle Oval it's the first Fremantle derby of the season when the winless South Fremantle takes on last year's grand finalist East Fremantle.

PERTH (3-1, 4th) v EAST PERTH (2-3, 7th) – BROWNES STADIUM, THURSDAY 2.10PM

Selected teams

Perth has made a tremendous start to the 2013 season and is perhaps unlucky to not be unbeaten heading into its ANZAC Day clash at home to East Perth, but the Royals' form is building and will present another big challenge for the Demons.

Much of the credit for the Demons strong opening four games must go to coach Damien McMahon.

McMahon replaced Andrew Jarman coming into the 2011 season and despite some talented playing squads, managed just 15 wins from 40 games and was coming under a fair degree of pressure.

However, the club's board showed faith in him but there was few outside the Demons that gave them chance of success in 2013 with the departures of Ross Young, Leon Davis, Llane Spaanderman, Aaron Elari, Matt Rogers, Tim Noakes, Jarrod Kayler-Thomson and Andrew McDougall.

What Perth has so far shown is that a well-coached team that is committed, disciplined and fit that there are things that a slightly less talented but more dedicated playing group can get the job done.

Perth has started the season with wins over Peel, Swan Districts and South Fremantle before an unlucky last second loss to East Fremantle.

McMahon, along with his coaching staff Adam Pickering, Trevor Williams and Michael Broadbridge, deserve much of the credit for getting the most out of the playing squad.

Clearly the Demons players are well-drilled and playing for the coach while he is getting the most out of players like Matthew Moody and Kane Ransted whose WAFL careers looked lost last year.

The forward-line made up of captain Paul Bevan, Kyle Reimers, Brennan Stack, Simon Donovan and big men Fraser McInnes and Daniel Murray is working well as they get strong supply from Brett Hodge, Julian Jacobs, Michael Florio, Dene White, Moody, Alistair Smith and Chance Bateman.

The back-line at Perth is also standing firm despite the lack of big bodies this year like Aaron Zucconi and Chris Billings. Nick Kane, Matt Tedesco, Jared Risol and Jackson Sketcher are among those back there getting the job done.

However, the next challenge for Perth is taking on East Perth on Anzac Day at Lathlain's Brownes Stadium with the Demons having won just nine of the last 31 clashes against the Royals with some of their biggest and most embarrassing losses coming against them.

East Perth is now coming off its best performance of the season as well beating East Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval last Saturday.

Paul Johnson and Scott Lycett were terrific in the ruck and switching up forward to help Josh Smith while the midfield of Brendan Lee, Freddie Clutterbuck, Craig Wulff, Garry Moss, Aaron Sweet and Ryan Maldenis was outstanding.

The Royals had West Coast's Lycett, Blayne Wilson, Cale Morton and Matt Rosa last week and will have those four again to face the Demons along with Collingwood premiership player Sharrod Wellingham. Dean Cadwallader and Lewis Wilson could also return for the Royals.

WEST PERTH (4-1, 2nd) v SWAN DISTRICTS (2-3, 5th) – ARENA JOONDALUP, THURSDAY 3.15PM

Selected teams

West Perth and Swan Districts have played off in some incredible battles in recent years and on the occasion of ANZAC Day, this week's first meeting of the 2013 season could very well produce something special as well at Arena Joondalup.

Swan Districts has the added obstacle of just a three-day break, though, after playing and losing in Mandurah to Peel Thunder on Sunday in wet and heavy conditions.

Greg Harding is sure to have given his side a light couple of nights on the training track with recovery the focus to ensure Swans aren’t too disadvantage by the horror fixturing.

Added to that, Swans did lose in disappointing fashion to Peel and will be desperate to bounce back against the 4-1 Falcons.

The Falcons started the season so impressively with four straight wins over East Perth, Subiaco, South Fremantle and Peel Thunder before going down narrowly by 19 points in last week's top-of-the-table clash against Claremont at Claremont Oval.

However, West Perth went into that game without captain Jason Salecic, experienced defender Dan Hunt, Fremantle's Josh Mellington and young forward Matt Johnson while losing Joe Morrow (ankle) and Laine Rasmussen (concussion) in the first half as well.

This week to take on Swan Districts, Salecic isn’t right to return after re-injuring his hamstring as the runner last week but Hunt, Mellington and Johnson are all back for the Falcons.

Midfielder James Embley is a chance to make his debut for West Perth against his former side after crossing to the Falcons from Swan Districts, where he played 17 games, over summer.

Shaun Marusic is also a chance to make his debut after some impressive form in the reserves for the Falcons.

Frank Stockley looks set to make his first appearance in the league side for the season to help out Chris Keunen in the ruck.

While Hunt returns to add further experience to the Falcons' defensive unit, another experienced player goes out in Michael Pettigrew while Morrow is out as well with his ankle injury.

West Coast's Murray Newman is named as out at this stage for Swan Districts with Alex Howard, Roderick Manton and Adam Faulkner all pressing to return to the line-up after impressive form in the reserves.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (0-5, 9th) v EAST FREMANTLE (3-2, 3rd) – FREMANTLE OVAL, THURSDAY 4.15PM

Selected teams

The first Fremantle derby of the season takes place at Fremantle Oval on ANZAC Day with both South Fremantle and East Fremantle looking to return to the winner's list.

South Fremantle has had a horror start to the season losing its first five games for the first time since 1965 and while East Fremantle has a decent 3-2 record to be in third position, the Sharks have dropped two home games to Swan Districts and East Perth that would have disappointed coach Steve Malaxos.

The Bulldogs might have lost their first five games of the season, but derbies in history have always been home to some of the great upset results and a win this ANZAC Day at Fremantle Oval would be just the tonic to get South Fremantle's 2013 season off and running.

South Fremantle loses former Shark and experienced swingman Andrew McCarrey to a knee injury with Adam McIntosh and Jacob Martinez pressing to return after strong showings in the reserves last week against Subiaco.

Premiership midfielder Reece Adams is also a chance to return after resting his aching body last week against the Lions while Tim Kelly is pressing for a debut and what better occasion for the youngster to get his opportunity.

East Fremantle has made five changes from the side that lost to East Perth last week with Fremantle's Cameron Sutcliffe and Josh Simpson returning along with West Coast's Brad Sheppard as well as Sean Henson and Matthew Jupp.

West Coast's Mitch Brown and Fremantle's Garrick Ibbotson go out along with Scott Hancock, Rhys Cooyou and Jayden Schofield.

The ANZAC Day derby will be the fifth straight year that the two clubs have met to commemorate the occasion and already the tradition has built quite the rich history.

The first meeting was perhaps the most memorable of all back in 2009 in front of 5484 people at Fremantle Oval when the Bulldogs stormed home to win by six points.

It was a controversial finish with East Fremantle's Rob Young penalised for a dubious deliberate out of bounds call deep in his defensive pocket with scores tied and only seconds left on the clock.

Toby Bairstow took the resultant free-kick, snapped the goal right through the middle and South Fremantle celebrated a thrilling victory on its way to the premiership of that year.

It was onto East Fremantle Oval in 2010 where the Sharks were impressive winning by 46 points in front of another healthy crowd of 3335.

It was back to Fremantle Oval in 2011 and 4225 people attended to see the Bulldogs impress with a 29-point win on the way to another finals appearance in John Dimmer's last season as coach.

Last year's ANZAC Day fixture was one to forget for the Bulldogs, though, with the Sharks running out 85-point winners at East Fremantle Oval with 2408 fans watching on.