Preliminary Final WAFL PreviewFriday, September 13, 2024 - 9:10 AM - by Chris Pike

SWAN Districts and Peel Thunder will be sick of the sight of one another by Sunday night, but one of them will have a WAFL Grand Final to prepare for as they do battle at Steel Blue Oval in the preliminary final.

Swan Districts and Peel will play one another for the third time in five weeks and after a win apiece already in the previous month, they now do battle on Sunday afternoon with the reward a place in the Grand Final the following Sunday against East Perth at Optus Stadium.

The two teams played one another back in Round 20 with Peel winning that game by 31 points but Swans hit back in the qualifying final winning by 17 points with both those matches played at Lane Group Stadium.

Now they head to Steel Blue Oval on Sunday with Swan Districts playing in a first preliminary final since 2012 and attempting to make a Grand Final for the first time since 2010 while Peel is looking for back-to-back Grand Final appearances after losing to East Fremantle in 2023.

Swan Districts run-with gun Jehb Donohue isn’t afraid to dare to dream of what a win on Sunday in front of what is sure to be a big crowd at Bassendean will mean.

"I definitely do think about how awesome it would be to play in a WAFL Grand Final, but in saying that you can't take anything for granted and can't look past everything we have to do this week to get that chance," O'Donohue said.

"It's a massive achievement just to get to a WAFL prelim so I'm grateful and very honoured to be able to play in this game and especially at home in front everyone which will be awesome.

"The cherry on top will be to get the job done and to head off to Optus and that will be an amazing point in my career, and all our careers to make it to a Grand Final and hopefully win it.

"You think about the lifelong memory and friendship that would create, but we know we have to focus on the job this week first."

Peel captain Ben Hancock is attempting to lead the Thunder to back-to-back Grand Final appearances with the club's games record holder confident in his team's ability after a last gasp first semi-final win over Claremont.

"We're really excited obviously after winning such a close game and we're just taking it week by week at the moment, and now we're looking forward to Swans," Hancock said.

"We just have belief in our game plan and process, and we know that our footy stands up with anyone in the comp, and we have that belief within the group that we are the best side in it. We'll take that belief into the prelim."

Preliminary final day gets underway at Steel Blue Oval with the colts match up between Subiaco and Swan Districts before the reserves contest featuring Subiaco and East Fremantle.

Claremont is awaiting the winner of both in next Sunday's Grand Final at Optus Stadium.

SWAN DISTRICTS v PEEL THUNDER – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SUNDAY 2.10PM

*Transperth trainline closures - The Midland and Airport lines will be disrupted from the evening of Friday 13 until last service on Sunday 15 September.

Replacement bus 901 running every 10 mins on Sunday.

More information on the Midland and Airport Train Lines Weekend Closure