East Perth v Williamstown Foxtel Cup PreviewTuesday, July 1, 2014 - 9:15 AM - by Chris Pike

EAST Perth has the chance this Tuesday night to exact some revenge for its last Foxtel Cup appearance and to set up an-all WAFL grand final when it takes on the VFL's Williamstown at Patersons Stadium.

The game will take place on Tuesday night from 6.35pm with entry free into Patersons Stadium with the gates open from 6pm and the game being broadcast live on Fox Footy nationally.

With West Perth already having qualified for the Tuesday July 22 Foxtel Cup grand final by beating the Western Storm by 74 points last Tuesday night, East Perth can now join the Falcons in the decider by beating Williamstown this time around.

However, the Seagulls are sure to put up more of a fight for East Perth than the Western Storm did for West Perth last week.

Williamstown has already won the Foxtel Cup once back in 2011 when it also defeated East Perth by 71 points along the way at Etihad Stadium.

Williamstown is now a standalone VFL team without an alignment to an AFL club and is in the middle of a strong season currently sitting in fourth position and only percentage behind the second-placed Footscray Bulldogs.

The team Williamstown is bringing to Perth with a grand final berth at stake in the Foxtel Cup might not have currently-listed AFL players, but does have some familiar faces including ruckman Sean Tighe and goalkicking midfielder Mitch Banner.

Tighe and Banner both had outstanding WAFL seasons with South Fremantle with Tighe terrific carrying the ruck for the Bulldogs, and Banner ending up as the club's leading ball winner and goalkicker.

The Seagulls, however, haven’t had a smooth trip to Perth with their flight delayed 17 hours from Melbourne while also losing their luggage when having their original flight turned back.

East Perth has no such travel dilemmas and is also in terrific form in the WAFL having now won seven straight matches since losing to Subiaco way back on Good Friday.

That sees the Royals sit on top of the WAFL ladder with them looking to go one step better than last year's losing grand final effort.

That was against West Perth and now if East Perth gets past Williamstown, it will again face the Falcons in another grand final on July 22 with the Foxtel Cup trophy and $100,000 on the line. 

From East Perth's team that beat Claremont before the bye last weekend, Brett Dobson, Callum Hart, Julian Locantro, Malcolm Karpany, Jamie Cripps, Dylan Main, Mitch Howlett, Matt Gordon and Steven Wityk come into the team.

Going out of the side that beat Claremont for East Perth are Will Maginness, Josh Smith, Blayne Wilson, Freddie Clutterbuck, Callum Sinclair, Ashley Smith, Patrick McGinnity, Simon Tunbridge and Dom Sheed.

East Perth wingman Clutterbuck might be one player rested from the team to play off for the Foxtel Cup grand final, but is a large reason why the Royals are in such good form and is looking forward to seeing his teammates give their all for their victory.

"We played Williamstown three years ago in the Foxtel Cup and they beat us by 80 points so we owe them one. We have long memories down at East Perth so hopefully we can get them back," Clutterbuck said.

"We are taking it very seriously and it's a huge target for us. We want to be successful in both competitions so we will be fielding as strong a side as we can, but bearing in mind that we do have a game four days later against Peel and they are extremely dangerous at the moment."

He would then also look forward to the chance to play West Perth in a Foxtel Cup grand final just days before again playing them for four WAFL points.

"It would be great to know that we are going to play them an extra time this year. We also love playing West Perth and they are always fantastic, high intensity and quality games. Every time we play against them it's a fantastic feeling and I'm sure they feel the same," Clutterbuck said.

"The crowds come out and it's always a tough game of footy. It would be fantastic knowing that we play them on the Tuesday night for a Foxtel Cup and then following up by hopefully taking the four points off them four days later."

FOXTEL CUP SEMI-FINAL TEAMS
EAST PERTH
Backs: Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls (16), Kyle Anderson (6), Mitchell Fraser (3)
Half Backs: Brett Dobson (35), Callum Hart (12), Nathan Blee (10)
Centres: Steven Payne (2), Adam Carter (31), Julian Locantro (14)
Half Forwards: Malcolm Karpany (26), Joshua Hill (18), Jamie Cripps (4)
Forwards: Craig Wulff (13), Fraser McInnes (29),    Garry Moss (8)
Followers: Paul Johnson (29), Brant Colledge (28), Brendan Lee (7)
Interchange: Dylan Main (24), Mitchell Howlett (5), Matt Gordon (11), Steven Wityk (38) 
Emergencies: Jacob Payne (9), Beau Chatley (17), Thomas Shanahan (27)

WILLIAMSTOWN
Backs: Brad Mangan (45), Peter Faulks (8), Ben Casley (29)
Half Backs: Michael Gibbons (5), David Fahey (31), Ben Davies (3)
Centres: Jack Charleston (17), Jack Johnstone (26), Jack Dorgan (1)
Half Forwards: Shaun Wyatt (16), Sean Tighe (19), Sean Hetherington (20)
Forwards: Adam Marcon (9), Jake Owen (44), Nick Sing (7)
Followers: Nick Meese (49), Kane Lambert (23), Anthony Anastasio (21)
Interchange: Stephen McCallum (13), Anton Woods (6), Leigh Masters (10), Mitch Banner (15)
Emergencies: Sam Critchley (25), Brett Bewley (12), Jake McKenzie (40)