WAFL Round 17 PreviewFriday, July 12, 2013 - 10:26 AM - by Chris Pike

THERE are just two matches in Round 17 of the WAFL this weekend but they are crucial clashes with Subiaco looking to keep winning, Swan Districts to stay fourth, Perth to get its spot back and Subiaco to remain alive in the finals hunt.

Both matches are on Saturday afternoon with bounce down at 2.05 with Claremont hosting Swan Districts at Claremont Oval and Perth taking on Subiaco at Lathlain's Brownes Stadium.

East Fremantle, East Perth, Peel Thunder, South Fremantle and West Perth all have the bye.

CLAREMONT (13-1, 1st) v SWAN DISTRICTS (7-6, 4th) – CLAREMONT OVAL, SATURDAY 2.05PM
Selected teams

League-leaders Claremont have still been winning but only just in recent weeks while Swan Districts have been in outstanding form of late and need to keep winning to remain inside the top-four.

Claremont remains well and truly safe in first position with a 13-1 record to be three games clear of second-placed West Perth with just six matches of the season remaining, but the last two weeks the Tigers have only just escaped with the four points.

There was a three-point win over East Fremantle in Kununurra and then last week's four-point victory over South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval but Claremont has still only lost once this year coming off winning the last two WAFL premierships and just keeps finding ways to win.

Swan Districts put in its most dominant performance of the year last Saturday to thrash Perth by 89 points at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval and that was enough to see Swans replace the Demons in fourth position on the ladder.

Swans have now won four of their last five matches after a tough run of form in the mid part of the season where they lost home matches consecutively to Subiaco and East Perth, but they are now up and running and will be hard to shake for a finals position.

Ever since both teams emerged as premiership contenders in 2010, they have had quite the rivalry and that is sure to continue with plenty on the line this Saturday.

Back in 2010, Swans handed the Tigers their first loss of the season by 33 points in Round 7 before the two teams played out a draw in Round 18, and then Claremont scored big wins both in Round 21 and the second semi-final.

However, Swan Districts responded to win the grand final by a point in one of the most amazing premiership deciders in WAFL history.

Swan Districts struggled in 2011 overall and Claremont won all three meetings comfortably by 39, 20 and 54 points.

Swans were able to knock off Claremont in Round2 6 and 23 last year while the Tigers beat them in Round 16 and the second semi-final.

Earlier this year, Claremont won comfortably by 61 points at Steel Blue Oval but Swans are playing much better football now than they were then.

Claremont is starting to get some of its stars back with Luke Blackwell and Andrew Foster set to return to take on Swan Districts with Richard Cronin and Hugo Breakey pressing their claims to break into the Tigers' line-up.

Blackwell is a Sandover and Simpson Medal winner and has been one of the WAFL's very best midfielders since returning from the AFL in 2009.

He hurt his knee in Round 5 and has not played a league game since, but has played the last two in the reserves including 20 possessions and five tackles last week against South Fremantle to get himself ready for a league recall.

Once he went down, Andrew Foster stepped up to play a key role in the midfield and was in just about career-best form before suffering a fractured cheekbone in Round 13, but he is right to return now for the Tigers as well.

Blake Anderson is the only out at this stage for the Tigers with Ryan Neates not earning a call up despite returning in the reserves last week against South Fremantle with 19 possessions.

Lachie Neale has been added to Fremantle's extended squad for Sunday's Western Derby against West Coast after his 34 possessions and two goals for Swan Districts last week against Perth, but he is probably more likely to stay with Swans than go up for the Dockers.

Charlie Cameron could come straight back in for the black-and-whites after his duties with the Western Australia State 18s side with Jarrad Blight, Blaine Boekhorst and Nathan Blakely all pressing to come in for Swans as well.

PERTH (7-6, 5th) v SUBIACO (5-8, 7th) – BROWNES STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.05PM
Selected teams

If Subiaco wants to keep its fading finals hope alive then a loss on Saturday can't eventuate but Perth also needs to bounce back after slipping out of the top-four for the first time this season.

Subiaco looked to be building some good momentum with three straight wins over Swan Districts, Claremont and South Fremantle betweens Round 10 and 12, but since the Lions have lost to Swans, West Perth and East Fremantle.

That has seen the Lions slip to just a 5-8 record to be two games and massive percentage out of fourth spot and they can't really afford another slip-up this season in order to be any chance of returning to finals action in 2013.

Perth, on the other hand, had such a terrific start to the season winning its first three games, and five of the first seven with the two losses in that time being by a combine seven points, but things haven’t gone quite as well since for the Demons.

Perth has now lost four of its last six games with the two wins coming over bottom sides Peel Thunder and South Fremantle, and then last week's 89-point hammering at the hands of Swan Districts saw the Demons slip outside of the four for the first time this season.

However, a win on Saturday will see Perth return to fourth position if Swan Districts loses to Claremont.

Midfielder Alistair Smith is again out for Perth after returning against Swan Districts following missing the previous week against South Fremantle.

Dangerous forward Kyle Reimers is also out for the Demons but there are some handy inclusions.

Former Hawthorn and Claremont smooth mover Jarryd Morton has now played two games in the reserves since signing with Perth just before the June 30 deadline. He had 28 possessions and a goal last week against Swan Districts and looks set to make his league debut for the Demons.

Recruit Jarrad Irons is set to make his debut also after some solid form in the reserves with Callum Collard likely to return to cover the loss up forward of Reimers.

Kieran Hug and Cameron Manuel are both a chance to come in and play for Perth as well.

Subiaco had a disappointing day last Saturday at home to East Fremantle meaning that this week's clash is one where its season goes on the line.

The Lions will have some experience and youth returning as well to help try and get back on the winner's list.

Former Fremantle defender Antoni Grover will be right to return after missing last week's loss to East Fremantle while premiership full-back Darren Rumble will also be back after spending a week in the reserves mostly because of the Sharks' small forward-line which didn’t give him a natural match-up.

Former Peel key forward Ryan Herring could also come in to offer a target in attack with Dylan Clarke, Will Fetherstonehaugh, Simon Moore and Joel Ashman all in the mix to play and take on the Demons as well.

Experienced big man Andrew McDougall is out and will miss the clash against his former team while Rhett Kerr, Joey Daye and Michael Bogensperger are all out for Subiaco also.