WAWFL Preliminary Finals showcase do or die matchesTuesday, August 19, 2014 - 9:37 AM

THE COASTAL Titans and Peel Thunderbirds will meet in a do or die clash this Sunday, August 24, with a spot in the 2014 Grand Final on the line for the winner and an off-season of what ifs for the loser.

After finishing the home and away season in top spot on the ladder the Coastal Titans suffered a shock 70-point loss to the reigning premiers Swan Districts last weekend to force them into a must win encounter against the WAWFL newcomers.

The loss was only their third for the season, but that could all be for nothing unless they can overcome Peel this weekend.

One of the newest sides in the competition, Peel caused an upset in the First Semi Final, defeating East Fremantle by 11-points to keep their dreams of a Division One flag alive.

Joining the WAWFL in 2010, the Thunderbirds have worked their way from Division Two Premiers in their inaugural year to be consistent performers in Division One.

Now, after a couple of years in the top division, the Thunderbirds win last weekend showed they are ready to take that next step and go from promising to potential premiers.

If they do manage to overcome the Titans this weekend the Thunderbirds would play off in their first Division One Grand Final in the clubs history.

In stark contrast the Coastal Titans have played in every Division One Grand Final since they joined the competition in 2004 – winning six of them.

A win this weekend would give them the opportunity to not only redeem last weeks’ uncharacteristic loss, but also get some retribution on Swan Districts who defeated them in last years’ Grand Final.

Before the newcomers take on the powerhouse in the Division One Preliminary Final, Joondalup Falcons will face Swan Districts in the Division Two Preliminary Final for the chance to play for Premiership glory.

After finishing the year in third place on the ladder Joondalup kept their Premiership dreams alive by easily accounting for East Fremantle last weekend.

The other Division Two Semi Final was a mirror of the Division One, with Coastal Titans again facing Swan Districts. This time, however, it was Coastal Titans who got the win and advanced to the Grand Final leaving the Swan Districts to earn their place the hard way.

While Swan Districts go into the match as slight favourites, Joondalup’s form has been impressive in the lead up to the finals, including beating Swan Districts by 11-points when the two sides met in Round 14.

Bouncedown for the Division 2 Preliminary Final is 12pm at Arena Joondalup and is immediately followed by Coastal Titans vs Peel at 2pm.