McDonald's WAFL Round 22 PreviewFriday, August 21, 2015 - 8:57 PM - by Chris Pike

ALL eyes will be on Steel Blue Oval on Saturday as Swan Districts and Claremont battle over a WAFL finals position while the other three Round 22 matches feature teams secure in the finals taking on sides out of contention.

The winner of the Swan Districts clash with Claremont at Steel Blue Oval will finish the round in fifth position on the WAFL ladder and be in a strong position to remain there and earn a place in the finals.

The other matches see South Fremantle host West Perth at Fremantle Oval, Subiaco take on East Fremantle at Medibank Stadium and Perth face Peel Thunder at Lathlain Park.

SWAN DISTRICTS (9-10, 6th) v CLAREMONT (9-9, 5th) – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 720 ABC Perth

The finals for 2015 could be all decided on Saturday at Steel Blue Oval when Swan Districts hosts Claremont.

The two teams are fighting over the fifth and last spot in the finals and the winner will go a long way to locking in their place in September action.

The only way Swan Districts can now make the finals is by beating Claremont following last Saturday's loss to West Perth at HBF Arena.

With Swans having the bye in the final round, a win over the Tigers would see them return to fifth position and then have a nervous wait next weekend.

If Claremont beats Swan Districts, then it's all over and the Tigers will make the finals and Swans won't regardless of what happens in the final round.

If Swans win and the Tigers go on to beat West Perth in the final round, Claremont's percentage will likely see it still finish ahead of the black-and-whites unless Swan Districts is able to record a massive victory on Saturday.

Swan Districts and Claremont have met in some big games in recent years with the standout being the 2010 grand final where Swans won by a point, but they also played in the second semi-final of that year, and again in 2012.

Swan Districts is still yet to win a final since that grand final triumph of 2010 while Claremont won the premiership the next two years, but now it's virtually a final on Saturday at Steel Blue Oval with everything on the line for both teams.

Claremont has beaten Swan Districts in the first two clashes this season making the Tigers the only team the black-and-whites haven't recorded four points against in 2015.

The Tigers won the first clash back in Round 8 in Mt Barker by 11 points and then the second meeting was just three weeks ago with Claremont again winning a tight contest by 15 points at the Showground.

Swan Districts could have an important inclusion to its back-line with State defender Kirk Ugle set to return from injury and his reward would likely be a match up on Claremont's leading goal kicker Jack Bradshaw.

Rudy Riddoch put his name right back into calculations to return for Swan Districts as well with five goals last week in the reserves against West Perth particularly with the black-and-whites struggles to kick large scores in recent weeks.

Another potential forward target Joel Houghton could also return for Swans and he might be needed to help out Nathan Blakely in the ruck with Claremont's strength in that department with the likes of Mitch Andrews, Mark Seaby, Kepler Bradley and even Haydn Busher.

Claremont will swap one big man for another at selection with Kepler Bradley to return from a hamstring injury and Darcy Cameron the man to make room after a relatively quiet game against East Fremantle last Saturday despite kicking two goals.

Claremont will also swap one defender for another with Lachlan Davey out of the team and Tom Willett to get another chance after 28 possessions and 11 marks in the reserves last week.

Captain Jake Murphy will also be back after yet another injury setback for Claremont but he will now be looking to put a horror two years since taking over the captaincy behind him, and now leading the Tigers into the finals.

Declan Mountford will make his debut after strong colts form on the back of playing for Western Australia in the State 18s with Isaac Baum also in the mix to play for Claremont following 21 possessions in the reserves against the Sharks.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (8-10, 7th) v WEST PERTH (12-6, 2nd) – FREMANTLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – 91.3 SportFM 

South Fremantle and West Perth were looked at as two teams who missed finals last year who could be real contenders coming into 2015, but now only one of them is gearing up to be there in September ahead of the Round 22 clash at Fremantle Oval.

South Fremantle is now out of finals contention having lost its last three matches but Saturday will be the Bulldogs' final game for the season at Fremantle Oval and they will be looking to find some form, and to build some momentum into the pre-season and to build on in 2016.

West Perth, meanwhile, is now looking solid in second position having beaten East Fremantle and Swan Districts the last two weeks to be in pole position to remain in that second spot and to secure a home final at HBF Arena in the first week.

With one team looking to finish the season on a high and the other to keep its good form going ahead of the finals, and to more importantly not suffer any more injuries, it still should be a game well worth keeping an eye on.

The two teams first played each other this year way back in Round 1 to open the season on a Friday night at Fremantle Oval with South Fremantle starting the season in exciting fashion with a 14.6 (90) to 8.7 (55) victory.

West Perth hit back at HBF Arena in Round 13, though, with a win that would have been more than the 15 points had it not been for kicking 17 points from 26 shots on goal. But the Falcons had 26 shots to 16 and were in control for all of the second half.

South Fremantle has already lost defender Blayne Wilson for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, and now ruckman Brock Higgins and hard-working midfield Jacob Martinez will join him on the sidelines injured over the last two weeks of 2015.

Key defender Chris Luff and workhorse Shaun Bewick are two more players to go out of the South Fremantle side from the one that lost to Peel two weeks before the bye and that will take on West Perth on Saturday at Fremantle Oval.

Craig White has been named to return for South Fremantle after missing the loss to Peel and after announcing his retirement to the playing group on Tuesday night, it will be his last ever game at Fremantle Oval and second last of his tremendous career for the Bulldogs.

Dual Bernie Naylor Medallist Ben Saunders is also set to return for his first game since injuring his ankle in Round 7 against East Perth. He returned in the reserves in Round 11 but hurt a hamstring and now he played two reserves games back, and kicked five goals a fortnight ago against Peel.

South Fremantle's reserves have been in dominant form to have the minor premiership sewn up and understandably a host of players continue to be in terrific form to be pushing themselves up for a spot in the league side.

South Fremantle could unveil two brothers to make their debuts on the same day as well with Tim and Kade Stewart both in terrific reserves form. Tim, 20, had 25 possessions and eight tackles two weeks ago against Peel while 18-year-old Kade had 26 disposals and seven marks.

James Laurino has been outstanding for the reserves also and had another 26 possessions and six tackles against Peel to be edging closer to his first league game since the last round of 2013 with a knee reconstruction in between.

Mitch Carter's form has been building slowly all year and he could play his first league game of the season with his ability to be an elite kick allowing him to be a difference maker if he gets selected.

Versatile big man James Sellar is also likely to return after missing the game against Peel with him likely needed in defence in the absence of Luff and Wilson, and with Dylan Ross and still surprisingly in the reserves despite 32 possessions and 13 marks a fortnight ago.

West Perth now has two weeks to gear up for the finals and having already played six straight matches there might be plenty of sore bodies in the Falcons' line-up with them to not have a break before the finals begin either.

That has led to veteran premiership ruckman Chris Keunen being rested for the clash with South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval on Saturday after he was the best big man on the ground last week against Swan Districts.

That opens the door for Tim Sutherland to make his league debut for West Perth after doing a solid apprenticeship in the reserves for a couple of years now.

With Shayne Zanetti and Seva Martin having missed all of 2015 with injuries, Sutherland is the only genuine back up to Keunen in the Falcons' squad so he will look to take his chance and make it hard to leave him out when Keunen returns against Claremont in the final round at HBF Arena.

Hard-working midfielder Aidan Lynch also pulled up sore from last Saturday's win over Swan Districts so won't take on South Fremantle while dual fairest and best winner Shane Nelson remains in doubt due to a sore ankle as well.

Nick Rodda looks right to return from a shoulder injury after missing the last two games against East Fremantle and Swan Districts after hurting it in the dying stages against East Perth.

While Rodda returns, co-captain Luke Tedesco will have another week in the reserves as well as Laine Rasmussen and Kris Shannon missing at least another week with hamstring concerns.

Dean Munns has been putting together some strong form in the reserves now and had another 28 possessions and 14 tackles last week against Swan Districts, and if Lynch and possibly Nelson don't play on Saturday, then it might be the ideal time to give the midfielder a league debut.

Premiership veteran Marc Crisp has also found some form and fitness back in the reserves in recent weeks on return from injury to give himself a chance at his first game since Round 9 while Brayden Antonio had another 34 possessions and three goals last Saturday to be in contention for a recall.

SUBIACO (15-3, 1st) v EAST FREMANTLE (5-13, 8th) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Selected teams 
Broadcast – KIX Digital

The difference that 12 months makes could be fully on show at Medibank Stadium when the league-leading Subiaco takes on an East Fremantle team on an 11-game losing streak.

Subiaco and East Fremantle played off in last year's preliminary final with the Sharks having the better of the contest in almost every facet aside from the scoreboard with the Lions somehow finding a way to win thanks to the inaccuracy of their opponents. 

Subiaco then went on to win the premiership beating East Perth in the grand final and now the Lions have backed that up by dominating the WAFL this season to remain three games clear on top of the ladder and guaranteed of the minor premiership.

East Fremantle, meanwhile, started the season well enough winning five of seven games, but things have fallen apart at the Sharks with them having now lost their 11 matches and to remain without a win under caretaker coach Brad Dodd since he replaced Steve Malaxos.

Subiaco has had no trouble accounting for East Fremantle in the first two meetings between the two teams this season with the Lions winning by 47 points in Round 2 at ATOM Stadium, and then by 48 points at Medibank Stadium in Round 11.

Subiaco has the minor premiership sewn up and has had for a long time, but the Lions haven't had a great run with injuries and that appears to be on the right direction with two weeks before finals.

Darren Rumble, Wayde Twomey, Brett Robinson, Matt Boland, Lachlan Delahunty and Kyal Horsley are all premiership players who have come back from injury in recent weeks, and now the Lions welcome back another couple to take on East Fremantle on Saturday.

Defender Joel Latham and midfielder Brett Mahoney will both return and each of them were there for Subiaco's premiership last year and each had time in the reserves last week where Latham had 23 possessions, and Mahoney 19.

James Garcia is another who is on the fringe of selection for a spot in the team come finals time and three goals last week in the reserves has him in contention to face East Fremantle on Saturday.

Subiaco has again decided to go into the game without a recognised ruckman with Delahunty and Clancy Wheeler again to share those responsibilities.

East Fremantle loses midfielder Jake Schleicher to a broken nose and fractured cheekbone while Jack Perham returns to the reserves following an underwhelming display after being recalled for the league side against Claremont last week. Carl Green also has been dropped after making his debut.

Liam Anthony was a late withdrawal last week against Claremont but will be right to return against Subiaco with defender Danny Chartres also to come straight back in and to have a big job against one of the Lions' dangerous forwards.

Boston Williamson has been a big loss the last couple of weeks through injury and he'll come straight back into the side now that he's fit for East Fremantle with Jayden Schofield likely to earn a recall after 37 possessions and eight marks in the reserves against Claremont.

Matt Baseden is a chance to come in and make his debut for the Sharks with Andrew Stokes in the mix as well.

PERTH (2-16, 9th) v PEEL THUNDER (11-7, 4th) – LATHLAIN PARK, SATURDAY 2.15PM 
Selected teams 
 
Perth and Peel Thunder have been accustomed to meeting with the wooden spoon on the line at this time of a WAFL season and unfortunately that's again the case for the Demons, but the Thunder are gearing up for their first ever finals campaign.

Ever since Peel entered the WAFL in 1997, it has been the Thunder and Demons who have finished on the bottom of the ladder the most and often times the two have been battling over trying to avoid that fate.

Peel has now been able to turn things around this season largely on the back of two different four-game winning streaks to be guaranteed of playing finals, and they can still finish as high as second with wins the last two rounds against Perth and South Fremantle.

That means that Peel needs to beat Perth on Saturday to be any chance of earning a finals double chance, and potential home final, while a host of Thunder players will also be trying to earn a recall into the Fremantle AFL line-up ahead of the finals.

Perth is looking to finish its season at home on a high, though, with the Demons hosting their last match at Lathlain Park and looking to bounce back from a 93-point loss to Subiaco last Saturday.

The first clash between the two teams this season was back in Round 4 at Lathlain Park and it was Perth who was in control virtually all afternoon and appeared heading for its first win of 2015.

However, the Demons just couldn’t put the Thunder away and eventually Peel got on a roll late in the contest to come away with the five-point win.

It was far more convincing from Peel in Round 14 at Bendigo Bank Stadium with the Thunder beating the Demons 17.16 (118) to 8.8 (56).

Perth welcomes back one of its great success stories of 2015 Jared Bell with the small defending having had such an outstanding season that he's now all but assured of being picked up in the AFL later in the year, and could even go close to claiming the Demons' fairest and best award.

His reward for returning against Peel is a likely match up with Leroy Jetta. And if not Jetta, then it will be Gerald Ugle so it's going to be another big day at the office for Bell either way after missing last week's loss to Subiaco.

Marshall Jones is also back as another young star for Perth and he will give them another goal kicking option with Brent Edmonds potentially earning a recall with 30 possessions and a goal in the reserves this week while Kieran Hug is also in the mix after 29 disposals and three goals against Subiaco.

Sam Garstone is the only out of the Perth side at this stage from the one that was hammered by Subiaco to the one that will take on Peel on Saturday at Lathlain Park.

Peel's midfield looks set to swap the returning Connor Blakely for Ed Langdon with the former back after being an emergency for Fremantle in last Sunday's western derby while Langdon has now flown to be an emergency for the Dockers on Sunday against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

That might be the only change in terms of Dockers players in the Thunder line-up with the likes of Zac Clarke, Lachie Weller, Matt Taberner, Paul Duffield and Clancee Pearce remaining in Peel's team and desperate to impressive to force their way back in the Fremantle side in time for the AFL finals.

Peel's reserves have been struggling but several players have worked hard to put themselves in the mix to come into the league side on Saturday against Perth including Laine Wilkins (25 possessions last week), Corey Morris (19, one goal), Josh Mathers (25), Ben Hancock (15, eight tackles) and Kieran May (22).