Malaxos has Sharks hunting to go all the wayThursday, September 4, 2014 - 11:40 PM - by Chris Pike

EAST Fremantle is now hosting its third first semi-final in the last five years this Sunday against Swan Districts with coach Steve Malaxos seeing no reason why the Sharks can't end up going all the way for the first time since 1998 – the same year he retired as a player.

After making the finals in 2002 and losing the first semi-final to West Perth, East Fremantle suffered its worst ever run without a finals appearance until 2010 which saw the Sharks host their first ever home final and now this Sunday it will be their third in five years at the newly named ATOM Stadium.

In 2010, East Fremantle narrowly lost to East Perth in front of almost 7000 fans and then in 2012 the opponent was the Royals again with over 3500 fans watching the Sharks win their first final since 2000 on their way to a grand final appearance against Claremont.

Now the Sharks are back in the finals again in 2014 and it's yet another third-place finish that leads to them hosting the fourth-placed Swan Districts at ATOM Stadium on Sunday.

In the end, the Sharks only won the right to host the home final courtesy of 0.72 of a per cent following last Sunday's 25-point loss to Subiaco but what mattered was making the finals.

East Fremantle has pushed East Perth this season and beaten both Subiaco and Swan Districts so Malaxos is confident that the Sharks can give the 2014 premiership a real shake.

"So far this year there has been a bit of a gap between East Perth and Subi, and then us and Swans I guess with how the ladder finished up. At various stages Swans were right up there, but we think we've got a chance," Malaxos said.

"You obviously are better off being in the second semi than a first semi, but I think we've got a chance of going all the way. We are in the first semi, though, and we know we can't afford one bad game or even one bad quarter."

While East Fremantle was desperate to earn a home final and is glad to do so, Malaxos can't see where the game is being played actually ending up having an impact on the final result and on whether or not the Sharks or Swans advance to the preliminary final.

"We were keen for the home final and that's more for a financial perspective for the club. That was important for the club and you'd like to think you can win anywhere, but it was important for the club that we got to host a final," he said.

"I'm not a believer in that psychological advantage. In some respects Swans might have that advantage because people love being underdogs.

"I don’t know if they are underdogs or not, but perhaps they are. I don’t put much score in that win two weeks ago other than we played well on that day and we needed to, it's as simple as that."

Not only did less than one per cent only separate East Fremantle and Swan Districts during the season, but both recorded emphatic wins over the other during 2014.

Swans hammered the Sharks by 60 points at Steel Blue Oval in Round 8 and then just two weeks ago, East Fremantle beat Swan Districts by 62 points at ATOM Stadium.

Malaxos isn’t taking too much out of the fact that the Sharks won so convincingly in Round 22 and he is fully aware of the danger that the black-and-whites present this Sunday.

"Over the season we both have been really even. We have won the same amount of games and there's only about two goals the difference between us. We've played 20 games between us, 80 quarters and there's only two goals the difference over the course of the season. That suggests that we are pretty even," he said.

"They have had a terrific season. Sitting here six months ago and they were supposed to finish bottom, and West Perth and Billy Monaghan was supposed to be sitting here in the finals so that's how things have changed. Swans have had a terrific year even though they have lost games of late but they have known they were going to be in the finals so that can be difficult to manage."

East Fremantle is in reasonably good shape health-wise as well heading into the finals unlike its opponent Swan Districts with only State midfielder Jamie McNamara in doubt after getting hurt late in last Sunday's loss to Subiaco.

"Our ruckman James Bristow missed last week and he should be right for this week but he's the only one who missed last week that might come back in," Malaxos said.

"Jamie McNamara was pretty bad when he went down, but it doesn’t like as bad as first anticipated. It was a bit of nerve damage and that was a key part of the pain he was feeling. He might not miss as many weeks as I initially thought when it happened."