McDonald's WAFL Round 11 PreviewFriday, June 5, 2015 - 3:08 PM - by Chris Pike

IT IS a full round of WAFL action on Saturday afternoon for Round 11 of the 2015 season as seven of the league's nine teams all continue to fight over the final four spots in the top-five.

The first match on Saturday afternoon bounces down at 1.40pm between Swan Districts and East Perth at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval with both teams looking to break into the top-five.

The other three matches then all take place at 2.15pm on Saturday with Subiaco playing East Fremantle at Leederville's Medibank Stadium with Peel Thunder hosting West Perth at Mandurah's Bendigo Bank Stadium and South Fremantle facing Perth at Fremantle Oval.

Claremont has the bye on the back of winning four straight matches since starting the season with five successive losses.

SWAN DISTRICTS (4-5, 6th) v EAST PERTH (4-5, 7th) – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SATURDAY 1.40PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 7mate

Swan Districts and East Perth both ended losing streaks last weekend to return to the winner's list and now the winner of Saturday's clash at Steel Blue Oval will end up inside the top-five by the end of the day's action.

Swans and the Royals improved to 4-5 records with their respective victories last weekend and now both hold better percentages than West Perth, East Fremantle, Peel and South Fremantle who all sit inside the top-five with 5-4 records.

That means that the winner between Swan Districts and East Perth on Saturday could end the round in third position on the ladder while the loser could fall two games out of a top-five spot, so there is plenty riding on the result.

East Perth does have some big inclusions for the clash as well with Swan Districts losing some key players to injury, but Swans do have the advantage of having a full seven days to have recovered from Saturday while the Royals have just five since playing on Monday.

Prior to beating Perth by seven points last Saturday, Swans had lost their last two games to Claremont and Subiaco but bounced back in solid fashion.

East Perth, meanwhile, had lost three straight heading into the WA Day Derby on Monday with West Perth but the Royals put in a tremendous performance to beat the Falcons by 48 points. 

Swan Districts and East Perth met back in Round 2 of the 2015 season and on that occasion it was the Royals who held on for a 13-point victory at Medibank Stadium despite the black-and-whites finishing full of running kicking seven goals to two in the last quarter.

There is mixed news for Swan Districts at selection with one veteran defender replacing another, and the potential of a former AFL small forward making an earlier than expected to return.

Captain Tallan Ames will return having been forced to miss the WAFL's State game win over South Australia and last week's victory over Perth with a hamstring injury.

His return will strengthen Swans' defence but the man who stood in for him as skipper last week, and played in the State game Justin Simpson goes out of the team with injured.

Another premiership player from 2010, Tim Geappen also hurt his hamstring in the third quarter during last Saturday's win over Perth and the veteran forward will be forced to miss this Saturday's clash with East Perth.

Former Brisbane Lions small forward Todd Banfield has returned to Swans this year but had a delayed start to the season with a broken leg.

However, he returned in the reserves last week and had 12 possessions and two goals, and could now make a quick comeback to the league side to face East Perth on Saturday to help give another small forward option for the black-and-whites alongside Matthew Jukes and Simon Donovan.

Ruckman Jake Nuich is also in the mix to return for Swans to give some support to Nathan Blakely with Jackson Slater, Roderick Manton, Albert Dean and Josh Kirkup the other players in the mix to come in after solid reserves forms for the black-and-whites.

East Perth bounced back to form in style on Monday and despite having a short break for Saturday's clash, the Royals' team looks to be further strengthened as well.

With Scott Lycett already in good form in the forward-line kicking four goals on Monday, he will now be joined by fellow Eagle Jack Darling as he plays his first game of 2015. He will be looking forward to impressing sufficiently to get a call up by the Eagles now in coming weeks.

Murray Newman will also provide East Perth with another goalkicking option also returning from injury while Corey Adamson could make his league debut with the former baseballer building some impressive form in the reserves so far in 2015.

Patrick McGinnity was one of East Perth's best in Monday's win over West Perth but he has been named as the only out at this stage for the clash with Swan Districts on Saturday.

SUBIACO (7-1, 1st) v EAST FREMANTLE (5-4, 3rd) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams
Broadcast – 720 ABC Perth

Last time Subiaco and East Fremantle met at Medibank Stadium was the 2014 preliminary final and the Sharks haven’t been allowed to forget that day since, and can go part of the way of making up for that this Saturday.

In that preliminary final, East Fremantle dominated the majority of the contest against Subiaco in every facet of the game aside from in front of goal with the Sharks ending up kicking 7.26 to lose.

And then just to rub it in further, Subiaco went on to beat East Perth in the grand final to win the 2014 premiership and East Fremantle was left to stew over what might have been.

Subiaco has now lost just once since then as well having won seven of eight games this season to be in ominous form two games and a massive percentage clear on top of the ladder from the rest of the competition.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have now lost their last two matches to West Perth and South Fremantle either side of the State game win for WA over South Australia. They still do sit on a 5-4 record in third position but it's going to be no easy task to get over Subiaco on Saturday.

Not only are the Lions clear on top of the ladder and on a five-game winning run since their only loss of the season against East Perth on Good Friday, but they are also as fresh as can be having not played since beating Swan Districts by 42 points back on Saturday May 16.

And just to make East Fremantle's job tougher, it comes into the game on Saturday on just a five-day break from Monday's WA Day Foundation Derby loss to South Fremantle up against a team fresh off not having played for three weeks.

Subiaco and East Fremantle met back in Round 2 at ATOM Stadium with both preliminary finalists from last year coming off strong Round 1 wins, but it was the Lions who proved far too strong on that occasion ending up winning by a commanding 47 points.

Subiaco will be fresh and raring to go having not played since beating Swan Districts way back on May 16, but the league-leading Lions to lose versatile key position player Brad Stevenson to a knee injury with midfielder Brett Mahoney also out of the line-up to face East Fremantle on Saturday.

There are some more than handy inclusions for the Lions, though, headlined by former Fremantle-listed utility Sam Menegola who looks set to come straight into the league side having so far been sidelined for all of 2015.

Menegola signed with Subiaco coming off Fremantle's list over summer and now looks capable of adding another strong presence to a Lions team that is proving to be the team to beat again in 2015.

While listed at Fremantle and playing with both East Fremantle and Peel, Menegola has shown an ability to play a variety of roles including as a hard-leading forward, a run-with player in the midfielder or off half-back, or a ball winner in his own right and he's proficient in all roles.

Another former Docker Michael Wood continues to press for a league recall at Subiaco with some solid reserves form while premiership defender Scott Worthington also looks set to come straight back in.

Declan Jackson and Luke Norriss are two more Subiaco players who have continued to play well so far in the reserves this year to keep putting their case forward for a call up into the league side.

Not only do East Fremantle have a five-day break to deal with up against a team fresh off having not played for three weeks, but the Sharks have some big outs to deal with as well.

Match-winning half-forward and wingman Bradd Dalziell was one of the Sharks' best on Monday kicking four goals but he announced his retirement following the match due to on-going knee injuries while State defender Andrew Stephen reinjured his hamstring in the loss to South Fremantle.

That means that Dalziell and Stephen are both significant losses for East Fremantle up against Subiaco on Saturday with key forward Brandon Ellis also out of the side after a quiet run of form.

There are some handy inclusions for the Sharks, though, led by forward Ryan Lester-Smith while emerging midfielder Jake Schleicher will return after playing in the reserves on Monday and racking up 29 possessions.

The versatile Boston Williamson also comes straight back into the side after missing Monday and is capable of helping to cover the roles of either Dalziell or Stephen depending on which end of the ground coach Steve Malaxos decides to use him at.

Josh Cuneo and Andrew Holmes have both continued to put in some solid reserves form for the Sharks to put themselves in contention to come into the league side to face Subiaco on Saturday as well.

PEEL THUNDER (5-4, 4th) v WEST PERTH (5-4, 2nd) – BENDIGO BANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – KIX Digital
 
Peel Thunder and West Perth have both had similar rollercoaster seasons so far in 2015, sit on the same record and have played out some thrillers in recent years with it all point to a hard fought and tight affair at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday.

Peel hosts West Perth in Mandurah on Saturday with the Thunder and Falcons both entering the contest inside the top-five on 5-4 records with the winner likely to finish the round in second position while the loser could end up out of the top-five altogether.

Both teams come in after disappointing losses last weekend as well with Peel going down to Claremont by 72 points at the Showground on Saturday while West Perth lost to East Perth by 48 points on Monday in the WA Day Derby.

Peel and West Perth have both shown some tremendous form at times this year recording some outstanding wins, but at other times they have played poor and that was highlighted with their showings last weekend.

The Thunder have looked good in wins against Claremont, East Fremantle, East Perth, Perth and South Fremantle, but in losses to the Tigers, Subiaco, Swan Districts and West Perth the signs have been far from good at times.

West Perth, meanwhile, has looked good in wins over East Fremantle, East Perth, Peel, Perth and Swan Districts but in losses to Claremont, the Royals, South Fremantle and Subiaco the signs haven’t been that good either.

Peel and West Perth have played off in some thrillers in recent times as well including a seven-point win for the Falcons at HBF Arena, and going back to last year West Perth stormed home with the now retired Anthony Tsalikis kicking the winning goal also at Joondalup.

West Perth has won its last three trips to Bendigo Bank Stadium winning by nine points last year, by 16 points in 2013 and 100 in 2012 but prior to that the Thunder beat the Falcons by 21 points in 2011 and 41 in 2010.

Peel Thunder and West Perth met back in Round 2 of the 2015 season and that was Peel's opening game of the year following the Round 1 bye.

West Perth was coming off a disappointing opening round loss to South Fremantle and was determined to bounce back, and did so holding on for a seven-point victory at HBF Arena.

Peel's hot and cold 2015 season took another downward trend last Saturday with the 72-point loss to Claremont but the Thunder will be looking to bounce back with the likely return of Tendai Mzungu potentially a big factor in them being to achieve that at home to West Perth.

Mzungu hasn’t played since a best on ground showing for the Thunder back in Round 9 against South Fremantle with the State game bye and then travelling with the Dockers as the emergency in Adelaide last week, but he now looks set to play again for Peel this Saturday.

And with the Dockers making no changes for their AFL clash on Friday night against Richmond at Domain Stadium, Mzungu's Fremantle teammates Jonathon Griffin, Jack Hannath and Hayden Crozier should again play with Peel.

However, defender Zac Dawson won't after suffering a broken thumb during last Saturday's loss to Claremont in what was his first game of the season at any level.

Following the disappointing showing against Claremont, though, Peel could look to make some changes to the team and there are some players in good form from the reserves that scored a three-point win over the Tigers at the Showground.

Laine Wilkins (15 possessions last week in the reserves), Ben Hancock (34), Dylan Winton (24, 10 marks), Nathan Fahey (three goals), Mitch Gill (24 disposals), Kieran May (14) and Josh Deluca (24) all played well and as a result come into calculations for a league call up against the Falcons.

West Perth had been in strong form prior to the State game break, but couldn’t keep that going on Monday with a disappointing loss to East Perth and now the Falcons head to Mandurah desperate to make amends for that and to consolidate their second position on the ladder heading into the bye.

With just the five-day break from Monday to taking on Peel on Saturday, premiership hard man Kody Manning won't be able to pull up in time and he goes out of the team for the Falcons to take on the Thunder.

There is one automatic inclusion for West Perth and that's the return of co-captain Jay van Berlo after he was a late withdrawal on Monday with a back complaint.

Tyler Keitel, Ray Bartholomew, Corey Chalmers and Trent Manzone are the other players in the mix to get called up for the West Perth league team on Saturday.

Keitel has now played five league games since being cleared to join West Perth from East Perth and his form and fitness to continue to build encouragingly with his league debut to come before too long, and potentially this Saturday.

Meanwhile, Bartholomew had 17 possessions in West Perth's reserves win on Monday with Chalmers finishing with 17 disposals and a goal and Manzone 25 touches as they continued to keep their chins up, and work hard despite not being in the league side at present.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (5-4, 5th) v PERTH (1-8, 9th) – FREMANTLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 91.3 SportFM 

Perth has been finishing off games strongly in recent weeks and the Demons will be looking to take advantage of having had an extra two days rest up against South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval on Saturday.

Perth might have won just the one game this season, but take out big losses to East Perth, Swan Districts and West Perth, and the Demons have put in some tremendously competitive performances and been unlucky to not record more than that one victory.

That included back in Round 2 against South Fremantle and in their last two games, the Demons have finished all over both East Fremantle and Swan Districts, but just been unable to completely overcome slow starts.

Perth now has every reason to have confidence heading to Fremantle Oval given it finished full of running against Swan Districts last Saturday, and now will have had a full seven days rest ahead of Saturday's clash with a South Fremantle team that won a gruelling battle with East Fremantle in the WA Day Foundation Derby on Monday.

While that was a tremendous win for the Bulldogs and saw them improve to a 5-4 record to maintain a position inside the top-five, there is sure to still be some sore bodies as a result of it heading into this Saturday's clash with Perth at Fremantle Oval.

Perth can also take some confidence out of having beaten South Fremantle on its last trip to Fremantle Oval, but that was way back in Round 2 last year in what was Kris Miller's 300th WAFL game.

That might be good memories for those Perth players who played, but at most there will be just six players from that team still in the line-up this Saturday.

South Fremantle and Perth met earlier this season back in Round 2 at Lathlain Park and on that occasion it was an old-fashioned game of two halves.

The Bulldogs were coming off a 35-point first round victory at home over West Perth and then opened up a 30-point half-time advantage over Perth in Round 2 keeping the Demons to one goal the entire first half.

South Fremantle were then 39 points in front early in the last quarter before Perth kicked five quick goals to get close with the Bulldogs just managing to hold on for a 10-point victory.

South Fremantle might still be without Ben Saunders and with Jacob Martinez set to spend another week on the sidelines, but the Bulldogs are set to regain at least one key player to take on Perth on Saturday.

Fresh off a strong performance in the WAFL's State game win over the SANFL the previous Saturday, star defender Blayne Wilson pulled up with a sore back ahead of Monday's clash with East Fremantle and was forced to miss his first game of the season.

However, he is straight back in now to take on the Demons this Saturday at the expense of the man he replaced him on Monday, Alistair Gillespie.

Star midfielder and reigning fairest and best winner Haiden Schloithe made his return from an ankle injury on Monday in the reserves and played just the first half, but was terrific with 18 possessions and he is a chance to now play his first league game since Good Friday against Perth on Saturday.

Then there is several in-form players in the reserves all with league experience looking to earn a recall for the Bulldogs.

Dual premiership-winning 182-game veteran Craig White heads that list following 25 possessions, 10 marks and a goal in Monday's reserves victory over the Sharks.

Toby Bairstow also racked up 33 disposals to put himself in the mix while Brendan Verrier had 34 touches and Matthew Gundry 24 to all be in good form if they do happy to earn a call up.

Another midfielder Tim Kelly is out of the team after copping a heavy hit that left him unconscious in the opening minutes of the WA Day Foundation Derby with Adam Carter also out of the side from the one that beat the Sharks on Monday.

Perth put in a strong showing last Saturday to get to within a point of Swan Districts in the last quarter, and now regains some important players to face South Fremantle with on Saturday.

Jarrad Irons, Kelvin Lawrence, Brennan Stack, Callum Collard, Michael Sinclair, Kane Ransted and Christian Eyres are all players at Perth that coach Earl Spalding would have been expecting to be key players in the league side this year, but through form and fitness all were in the reserves last week.

While Irons will spend another week there at least after an injury-interrupted start to the season and Lawrence, Stack, Collard and Ransted will also remain there trying to build both form and fitness, Sinclair and Eyres should be straight back into the league side.

Prior to going down injured in the third quarter against East Perth back in Round 6, Sinclair had been in tremendous form for the Demons both as a ball-winning midfielder but also capable of doing some impressive stopping job including on Brant Colledge.

He returned in the reserves last Saturday and after 35 possessions and 16 marks against Swan Districts, he is now straight back into the Demons league side to face South Fremantle on Saturday.

And ruckman Eyres will also return to cover for the loss of Ben Power to injury.

Todd Stevenson is a chance to make his debut for Perth after strong form in the reserves with Cody Leggett and Callum Walley also pressing for selection.

Scott Doncon joins Power as the only two players out of the Perth team at this stage.