WA Football

THREE games on Saturday afternoon make up Round 17 of the 2011 WAFL season and each encounter could have a big bearing on finals positions come September.

South Fremantle will look to retain hope of a top-two finish and go some way to securing a finals spot up against top-of-the-table West Perth at Arena Joondalup.

Reigning premier Swan Districts needs to beat Peel at Steel Blue Oval to stay in the hunt of a spot in the four while East Perth also hosts Perth at Leederville's Medibank Stadium.

Claremont takes on Port Adelaide in a semi-final of the Foxtel Cup on Saturday afternoon at Subiaco's Patersons Stadium while Subiaco and East Fremantle have the bye.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (8-6, 3rd) v WEST PERTH (12-2, 1st) - FREMANTLE OVAL
West Perth can go one step further to locking in the minor premiership on Saturday, but South Fremantle retains hopes of finishing in the top-two itself setting up a fascinating encounter.

While the two teams have met once before this season with West Perth running out 73-point winners, South Fremantle had its troubles that day with Jaymie Graham going out the week before, Kris Miller hurting his knee in the warm-up and then Toby McGrath, among others, getting hurt during the game.

West Perth did still play well to blow the Bulldogs away, but this week's clash at Fremantle Oval should be a much closer affair with plenty riding on the four points.

West Perth's win over Claremont last week saw it move two games clear on top of the ladder so another win this week will see that lead maintained with just five matches to go from there. It would be hard to see the Tigers making up the two games in just five games on the Falcons.

However, a win for South Fremantle could have doubly the pleasing results. It would bring them to being just one game behind second-placed Claremont and also most likely leave them needing one, possibly two, wins from its last five games to guarantee a finals appearance.

The Bulldogs are also bringing in some fresh blood in an attempt to take on the league-leading Falcons.

Damian Hayward will make his debut and carry the load in the ruck with some help from Leigh Kelly and Ryan Murphy (pictured), who will play his 100th game with South Fremantle.

The former Docker has kicked 284 goals with the Bulldogs over his first 99 games, played in the 2005 premiership and has been the club's leading goalkicker on four occasions.

This season has been his first as a full-time Bulldog and while he has kicked just 16 goals, he has done well further up the field playing in the ruck at times ever since captain Graham went down with his knee injury.

Former Claremont key position player Dylan Ross will also come back in to further strengthen South Fremantle's big men department while Anthony Collica comes in after 35 possessions last week in the reserves.

Nathan Phillips, Andrew Gaff and Jarrad Winter go out of the side that lost a thriller last week to Subiaco in Esperance.

West Perth loses key midfielders Ray Bartholomew and Matt Guadagnin from the side that won a nail-biter against Claremont last week at Arena Joondalup.

Anton Saylor, Cameron Branch, Shaun Bewick, Shayne Zanetti and Kody Manning are among those pushing for inclusion in the Falcons' line-up.

Selected teams

SWAN DISTRICTS (5-8, 6th) v PEEL THUNDER (4-9, 9th) – STEEL BLUE OVAL
Swan Districts and Peel Thunder meet at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval on Saturday with the black-and-whites having a number of reasons to win, but the boys from Mandurah are certainly proving themselves a team on the rise.

Swans had the bye last week following a strong win over Perth that ensured their season stayed alive sitting two games behind fourth-placed East Fremantle but with a game in hand.

That will mean, though, that the black-and-whites must win most, if not all, of their remaining seven games of 2011 to make the finals and give themselves a chance to defend last season's premiership.

As well as wanting to win in order to keep their finals hopes alive, the black-and-whites will be desperate to win to celebrate premiership defender Tallan Ames' 150th game with the club.

After a disappointing loss to Subiaco by 45 points back in Round 9 for captain Josh Roberts' 150th game, Swan Districts will be keen to not let another chance to honour one of its greats with a win.

Despite all that, though, Peel is in terrific form and has every reason to head to Bassendean fully confident of a victory.

While the Thunder remains on the bottom of the ladder percentage behind East Perth, the last six weeks have been as good as any other team in the competition.

Peel got its first win of the season against Subiaco in Round 10 and then after a narrow loss to South Fremantle under lights at Fremantle Oval, the Thunder beat Perth and West Perth. Then there was a tight loss to East Perth before an impressive 17-point win at home last Saturday over East Fremantle.

All that means that Peel is only 22 points away from having won six games in a row, and could very well be looking as good as a whole team than it has at any time in the club's history since entering the WAFL in 1997.

Ash Hansen has been named to play for Swans but remains in doubt with an ankle injury while Fremantle's Clancee Pearce and Clayton Hinkley, and youngsters Murray Newman and Dayle Garlet are in contention to come in.

Peel could recall defender Brad Triplett (pictured) for his first league game of the season after some good form in the reserves over the last fortnight. Lincoln Meyers and Rhys Senior could also come in for the Thunder.

Selected teams

EAST PERTH (4-9, 8th) v PERTH (5-8, 7th) - MEDIBANK STADIUM
Perth can remain in the hunt for a finals berth with a win up against East Perth on Saturday at Medibank Stadium, but the Royals will be determined themselves to win and avoid slipping to the bottom of the table.

The Demons will likely need to win at least six, if not all seven, of their remaining games in 2011 to make a finals appearance for the first time since 1997, but they have shown an ability to take it up to the best teams in the competition.

That included a win over Claremont in Round 14, but then the week after that it was a disappointing loss to Swan Districts. Perth has had an up and down season, but its best does suggest it is capable of playing finals football.

However, that is unlikely to happen unless a win over East Perth eventuates, but the Royals will not want to drop the four points and risk slipping to the bottom of the ladder if Peel happens to beat Swan Districts.

East Perth did get its first win in a month in its last WAFL appearance two weeks ago against Peel, but then last week was a 71-point Foxtel Cup defeat at the hands of an AFL-strengthened Williamstown at Etihad Stadium.

The Royals, though, have had the wood over Perth in recent times including massive wins in the last four meetings. That included a 69-point win back in Round 10 of this season, and then 67 and 117-point hammerings last year.

East Perth also beat Perth twice back in 2009 including one by 118 points at a stage when both sides were still fighting a finals berth so the Royals will certainly take some confidence out of that.

Perth's side is strengthened as well with the return of captain Steve Armstrong (pictured) and 100-gamer Jarrod Kayler-Thomson but in-form ruckman Andrew McDougall goes out from the team that lost to Swan Districts a fortnight ago.

East Perth welcomes back some much-needed experience in the form of captain Michael Swan, vice-captain Craig Wulff and prolific-ball-winning midfielder Pat Travers. Rob Macaulay, Shaquille McKenzie and Jake Derickx could also come back in.

Brendan Hancock, Chris Warrell and Luke Sampey go out of the East Perth side that went down to Williamstown last week.

Selected teams