WAFL Round 23 PreviewFriday, August 29, 2014 - 5:20 PM - by Chris Pike

THE final round of the 2014 WAFL season takes place this weekend with the finals bound teams looking to take some winning form with them, those out of contention out to finish on a high and several clubs also trying to send off some champion players on winning notes as well.

There are three matches on Saturday with East Perth taking on Claremont at Leederville's Medibank Stadium, South Fremantle hosting Peel Thunder at Fremantle Oval and Perth facing West Perth at Lathlain Park.

Then on Sunday, Subiaco battles East Fremantle at Medibank Stadium with Swan Districts having the bye ahead of a first semi-final clash with East Fremantle next week.

EAST PERTH (16-3, 1st) v CLAREMONT (10-9, 5th) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.05PM
Selected teams

East Perth and Claremont have lost once respectively since Round 14 so both are in outstanding form heading into their final round clash on Saturday at Medibank Stadium.

East Perth might be guaranteed of the minor premiership while Claremont can no longer make the finals heading into the clash, but that doesn’t mean that both teams won't be desperate to win.

The Royals hold a 16-3 record heading into the clash to be three games clear on top of the ladder and to be guaranteed of the minor premiership to mean they will surely have one away on their second semi-final clash with Subiaco next weekend.

East Perth lost two games in a row in Rounds 4 and 5, but then went on a 10-game winning streak to sew up the minor premiership and have now again won three matches since a Round 19 loss to Subiaco.

Claremont, meanwhile, is currently on a five-game winning streak and has won seven of its last eight matches to have put together an outstanding finish to the season after a start that saw the Tigers lose six of eight matches to mean they left themselves with just too much to do in order to make the finals.

The Tigers and Royals have already met twice this season with East Perth winning by 80 points back in Round 8 and then by just 16 points in Round 13.

While the East Perth players have next weekend to look forward to, the same can't be said for four star Claremont players who will be playing the last games of their WAFL careers – Luke Blackwell, Trinity Handley, Andrew Foster and Matt Orzel.

Blackwell will finish his career as an all-time great of the Claremont Football Club and still in outstanding form with him likely to win another fairest and best award in 2014, and a real chance at claiming a second Sandover Medal.

After beginning his WAFL career with Swan Districts and then spending four years with Carlton, Blackwell joined Claremont in 2009 and has now played 116 matches for the Tigers, captained a premiership, played in two flags, won three fairest and best awards, the 2011 Sandover Medal and he has represented WA on four occasions while winning the Simpson Medal in 2010.

Handley is the last surviving player who was there for Claremont's losing grand finals of 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2010, and then for the premiership successes of 2011 and 2012.

Along the way, he has amassed 188 matches and been a tremendous servant for the Tigers as somebody capable of playing absolutely any position on the field and doing it well – whether it be forward, back, on the ball, on the wing or even in the ruck.

The 30-year-old will now play the last game of his remarkable career this Saturday.

Foster arrived at Claremont for the 2010 season after playing 49 WAFL matches with East Fremantle and nine games in the AFL with Fremantle, but the only thing stopping him from furthering his appearances at the top level were his injury troubles.

He always had the ability to be an outstanding player and he has shown that in spades ever since arriving at Claremont.

While playing mostly as a half-forward but still with the ability to go into the middle, Foster has now played 92 matches with Claremont including the 2011 and 2012 premiership, a Foxtel Cup premiership and along the way he has played State football.

The 28-year-old has decided to call time on a career that he deserves to be proud of.

Orzel was one casualty of the power of Claremont between 2010 and 2012 when he went down to Peel to spend the last two seasons, but the left-footer returned to the Tigers this season  and was able to bring up 100 games with the club in the process.

He will now finish his WAFL career this Saturday with 156 matches after having made his league debut with Claremont back in 2004.

Despite his outstanding form since coming into the league side, Mitch Howlett goes out of the East Perth line-up from the one that thrashed Peel last week in Mandurah.

Ashley Smith has been named as an out at this stage, but is just an emergency for the Eagles team that will take on the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday.

Jacob Brennan and Dom Sheed are also both emergencies for West Coast but both could end up lining up for the Royals against the Tigers as well on Saturday.

Jacob Payne, Jackson Slater, Steven Wityk, Matt Gordon and Lewis Wilson are all in the mix to come into the East Perth team as well and have one last chance to try and impress ahead of the finals.

Matthew Goyder goes out of the Claremont team from the side that beat West Perth by a goal last week.

Orzel comes back into the Tigers team from the reserves for the final league game of his career with Sam Fong, Timm House and Jack Richardson the other Claremont players pushing for selection.

PERTH (3-16, 9th) v WEST PERTH (8-11, 6th) – LATHLAIN PARK, SATURDAY 2.05PM
Selected teams

Perth will be desperate to find a way to avoid finishing the 2014 season with a 14-match losing streak but in the way is the reigning premier West Perth looking to end its year on a high while also farewelling Anthony Tsalikis and Dan Hunt, and celebrating the 150th game of ruckman Chris Keunen.

Perth had the bye last weekend and prior to that had lost 13 straight matches to be guaranteed of claiming the wooden spoon for 2014 and that is after the 2014 season began so well with two straight victories over Claremont and South Fremantle.

However, things have unravelled with a long injury list for Perth since and along the way coach Damien McMahon departed with Trevor Williams taking over for the rest of the season and the Demons still searching for their new coach going forward.

Perth now has one more chance to avoid finishing the season with a horror 14-game losing streak.

However, West Perth's best football this season has still been outstanding with the reigning premiers just unable to deliver the consistency that took them to the ultimate success last year.

Perth and West Perth have met just the once this season and that was way back in Round 3 at HBF Arena with the Falcons winning that contest by 18 points.

West Perth has plenty of reasons to win on Saturday at Lathlain Park as well most notably with Dan Hunt and Anthony Tsalikis playing their final games, and Chris Keunen celebrating his 150th appearance with the Falcons.

Hunt joined West Perth in 2005 after spending the previous three years with the Sydney Swans and ever since he has been the elite key defenders in the competition.

He has now played 168 matches for the Falcons, represented WA, is a life member of the club and a key member of their premiership team last year.

Tsalikis made his debut with West Perth back in 2004 and has now gone on to play 189 matches, kick 332 goals, represented WA and be a five-time leading goalkicker at the Falcons and he is likely to make that six this year.

Keunen, meanwhile, will be continuing his career in 2015 and has cemented himself as one of the best ruckmen in the competition in recent years.

He was a huge part of West Perth's premiership this year and now the athletic big man becomes a life member of the West Perth Football Club by playing his 150th game this Saturday against Perth at Lathlain Park.

From Perth's team that was thumped by East Perth a fortnight ago, Brent Edmonds, Matthew Welburn, Cody Leggett, Ben Power, Matthew Moody and Daniel Arangio come into the line-up.

Meanwhile, Joel Houghton, Mark Deaves and Joel Kalajzic are the players named as outs at this stage for the Demons to face the Falcons at home on Saturday to close out the season.

Corey Chalmers goes out of the West Perth team after copping a one-week suspension during last week's narrow loss to Claremont.

Hunt comes back into the West Perth line-up for the final league game of his career while Joe Morrow and Jack Thrum have staked their claims to be picked after good reserves form, and Steve Potente is back in the mix after missing last week's clash with the Tigers.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (8-11, 7th) v PEEL THUNDER (4-15, 8th) – FREMANTLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.05PM
Selected teams

South Fremantle and Peel Thunder's 2014 seasons will come to an end on Saturday at Fremantle Oval with the Bulldogs looking to continue winning and the Thunder to taste that winning feeling one more time.

South Fremantle's hopes of playing finals for the first time since 2011 might have ended with the Bulldogs losing 10 of the first 13 matches, but they have now finished the season in strong form.

The Bulldogs have now beaten East Fremantle, Peel, Swan Districts and Subiaco over the past month to now be on a four-game winning streak heading into the last match of the season this Saturday against the Thunder at Fremantle Oval.

Peel, meanwhile, has lost three straight matches since a dominant 65-point win over Perth back in Round 19 and now the Thunder will be desperate to finish the season with a win and to make up for what happened last time they visited Fremantle Oval.

Peel was in control of the contest all afternoon back in Round 20 before South Fremantle stole the victory when teenager Jarrod Pickett kicked the winning goal on the siren.

The Thunder also won the first meeting this season between the two teams recording a 24-point win at Bendigo Bank Stadium back in Round 9.

South Fremantle is in outstanding form having won four straight matches but does lose key defender Dylan Ross for the clash Peel on Saturday and that isn’t ideal timing given the Thunder will likely have Michael Apeness, Tanner Smith, Jack Hannath and Kepler Bradley up forward who he could have matched up on.

The match will be the first that Ross hasn’t played for South Fremantle's league side since Round 14, 2012 – a run of 47 straight matches.

Teenager Jarrod Garlett is also out of the South Fremantle side to take on Peel while Shaun Bewick, Mitch Carter, Marlon Pickett are vying to return, and Simon Panizza is a chance to make his league debut.

Peel has now lost three straight matches since its last win of the season and the Thunder will want to finish the season on a high, and they have some handy inclusions in their hopes of achieving that.

While midfielder Sam Menegola goes out injured and is a big loss, Peel has some more than handy players coming into the line-up.

Fremantle ruckman Jack Hannath as well as his Dockers teammates Matt de Boer, Garrick Ibbotson and Tom Sheridan are all likely to line-up against South Fremantle on Saturday at Fremantle Oval.

Tanner Smith will also return from a shoulder injury he suffered in the encounter at the same venue against the same opponent three weeks ago while Kieran May is a chance to play his second league match.

SUBIACO (13-6, 2nd) v EAST FREMANTLE (12-7, 3rd) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SUNDAY 2.05PM
Selected teams
 
Subiaco and East Fremantle are both locked into their positions in the top four heading into Sunday's clash and ahead of next week's semi-final matches, but the Lions and Sharks will both be determined to enter the finals in winning form and full of confidence.

Subiaco is guaranteed of finishing in second position no matter the result on Sunday so the Lions will be gearing up to take on East Perth in a second semi-final next week also at Medibank Stadium.

However, the Lions will be looking to find some winning form again on Sunday after two straight defeats to Claremont and South Fremantle following a five-game winning streak that also including them beating East Perth for a second time this season.

East Fremantle is now primed to finish in third position and to host the first semi-final against Swan Districts next weekend. The only thing to stop the Sharks doing that will be a thumping defeat to Subiaco on Sunday.

East Fremantle and Subiaco have already met twice this season with the Lions scoring a thumping 56-point win in Geraldton in Round 2 and then the Sharks hitting back winning by nine points at Medibank Stadium in Round 13. 

Subiaco has made plenty of changes from its team that lost to South Fremantle last Friday night and with at least three of the players going out certain to come back in for the finals, those inclusions will be desperate to make the most of their opportunities.

Half-forward George Hampson, versatile big man Andrew McDougall and utility Chris Phelan all won't play East Fremantle on Sunday but will be back next week to face East Perth in the second semi-final.

Small forward Dylan Clarke, defender Aaron Heal and midfielder Simon Moore are the other players to go out of the Lions side that lost to the Bulldogs last Friday night.

Exciting forward Shane Yarran has missed the last three weeks after kicking 31 goals in his first 16 games of the season, and he now returns just in time for the finals for Subiaco.

Lachlan Delahunty is another welcome return with the versatile big man now also back from injury just in time for the finals. The 23-year-old recruit played the first 10 games of the season before going off injured against Swan Districts in Round 11.

He then lasted only a few minutes on return in Round 16 and now a week before the finals he returns to give the Lions further depth in their big men department.

However, the first time that Delahunty, Matt Boland, Andrew McDougall and Frank Stockley will all play together will now be next week's second semi-final against East Perth.

Wayde Twomey is also back after missing last Friday night's game while Alliston 'Buddy' Pickett, Abe Davey, Craig Hoskins, Luke Norriss, Tom Smith and Brad Stevenson are the other inclusions for the Lions and with their last chance to impress ahead of the finals.

East Fremantle got its strongest group together last week following the return of Bradd Dalziell and the result was the thumping win over Swan Districts that all but secured a home first semi-final.

As a result there is little need for changes by coach Steve Malaxos this Sunday to take on Subiaco with James Bayliss the only omission following his only appearance of the 2014 season.

Experienced defender Danny Chartres, out of form but lively forward Ryan Lester-Smith, the hard-running Mitch Boyle, young backman Jordan Dorotich and the emerging Jake Schleicher are the players looking to force their way into the East Fremantle league side.