WA Football

SUBIACO'S Allistair Pickett thrives off the motto that you are only as old as you feel and if his 2010 form is anything to go by he must still feel as though he is in his early 20’s.

After contemplating retirement at the end of 2009, Pickett, who will turn 37 later this year, is the oldest player in the WAFL competition.  This will be Pickett’s 174th WAFL game, having also played three with West Perth and 22 with Peel Thunder.

WEST Perth midfielder Matt Guadagnin has consolidated himself as one of the toughest and best kicking on-ballers in the competition and will reach his 100-game milestone in the Perth derby on Foundation Day at Arena Joondalup.

Guadagnin came through the ranks of West Perth from Southern Cross, played colts and made his league debut in 2002 so it has been a long road to the 100 games that he reaches on Monday, but he has overcome plenty and is one of the toughest and most respected players in the competition.

IN the year 2000, the Subiaco Football Club’s 100^th year in the State league competition, it was decided to recognize 100 persons who had significantly contributed to the welfare and perpetuity of the club over that period of time.

These esteemed people were to be known as “Diehards”, the name used by Dr Ken Spillman as the title to the book which depicts the Club's rich history – “The Story of the Subiaco Football Club” (Vols 1 and 2).  It was this title that Dr Spillman thought best reflected the diehard character of the people who made Subiaco a great club.

EAST Perth's Adam Pickering is tremendously proud to reach his 100th game with the Royals this Monday in the Foundation Day Perth derby, but it's a premiership that is driving him on.

Pickering spent time with Carlton and Richmond, including playing seven games with the Blues in 2001-02, but it has been at East Perth where he has made his mark and the 28-year-old racks up his 100th game this Foundation Day with the Royals.

After a tough first three years physically at East Perth, Pickering's last three and-a-half seasons have been tremendously consistent, largely across half-back where he reads the play well and sets it up beautifully coming out of defence with his good skills.

ROUND 10 of the WAFL season was highlighted by the remarkable scoreline that saw Claremont thump Peel Thunder, while East Fremantle, Swan Districts and South Fremantle also recorded commanding victories on Saturday.

Claremont's 38.13 (241) to 7.4 (46) victory at home over Peel became the talking point of the round, but Swan Districts also beat West Perth 20.14 (134) to 13.7 (85), East Fremantle defeated Perth 17.11 (113) to 9.2 (56) and South Fremantle downed East Perth 24.11 (155) to 13.7 (85).

Those results leave Claremont (8-1) on top of the ladder just ahead of Swan Districts (7-2), Subiaco (6-2) and East Fremantle (6-3). West Perth (5-4) slipped outside of the four and reigning premiers South Fremantle (4-5) won its way back into contention.