Round 5 Optus WAFLW PreviewFriday, March 19, 2021 - 5:43 PM - by Chris Pike

IT'S Round 5 in the 2021 Optus WAFLW Premiership Season and the three games are spread over three days beginning with just the second ever derby of the competition on Friday night.

With a game on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, it shapes as a fascinating Round 5 of the WAFLW season and while not taking anything away from the other two match ups, Claremont's clash with Peel Thunder on Saturday looks especially enticing.

The Tigers and Thunder lock horns at Claremont's Revo Fitness Stadium from 10.30am on Saturday morning with that game to be shown live on stream thanks to The West Australian.

The round gets underway, though, on Friday night at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with the first derby between South Fremantle and East Fremantle since Round 1 last year. It bounces down at the port at 6.30pm.

The round's action will then conclude on Sunday afternoon with Swan Districts hosting Subiaco at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval.

OPTUS WAFLW ROUND 4 WRAP

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OPTUS WAFLW ROUND 1 WRAP

OPTUS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON PREVIEW

South Fremantle and East Fremantle do battle in the first WAFLW derby of 2021 when they lock horns at Fremantle Community Bank Oval to open Round 5 of the season.

The teams have met just once previously in a WAFLW derby and that was Round 1 last year. That wasn’t an occasion to remember with East Fremantle winning by 88 points and holding South Fremantle scoreless.

But the Bulldogs are a vastly improved team from that occasion in what was their first ever game in the WAFLW competition. And now on Friday night they could create history by recording their first win.

South Fremantle started the 2021 season going so close to getting that elusive first victory only falling three points short against Subiaco.

The Bulldogs then lost to Swan Districts by 53 points in Round 2, to Claremont by 51 points in Round 3 and to reigning premiers Peel Thunder by 41 points last Saturday night in Mandurah.

But even last week's performance saw South Fremantle show plenty of heart and encouraging signs to bring into the derby on Friday night with them.

East Fremantle was the inaugural WAFLW premiers back in 2019 before bowing out in the preliminary final against Peel Thunder last year.

The Sharks opened the 2021 season with another loss to Peel in Mandurah before a tight loss to Claremont, a 44-point win against Subiaco and then last week a 28-point defeat at the hands of Swan Districts.

So with South Fremantle coming into Friday night's game hunting that elusive first win and East Fremantle trying to get its second on the board in 2021, it shapes as a typically tantalising derby contest.

Meanwhile, Round 5 in the WAFLW Reserves will see South Fremantle play East Fremantle on Saturday morning with Swan Districts taking on Subiaco on Sunday and West Perth facing Peel Thunder at Joondalup's Provident Financial Oval also on Sunday.

And in Rogers Cup action, South Fremantle and East Fremantle do battle on Saturday morning with Swan Districts hosting Subiaco on Sunday. East Perth also takes on Claremont at Leederville Oval on Sunday with West Perth to host Peel Thunder as well.

OPTUS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON - ROUND 5

SOUTH FREMANTLE v EAST FREMANTLE – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, FRIDAY 6.30PM

CLAREMONT v PEEL THUNDER – REVO FITNESS STADIUM, SATURDAY 10.30AM
Livestream from The West Australian

SWAN DISTRICTS v SUBIACO – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SUNDAY 1.00PM
Livestream from Front Row Screens