Sandover Medallist Ready For Emotional Return

South Fremantle club great Haiden Schloithe is poised to make a stunning return to football this weekend just months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Schloithe is set to play for the Bulldogs Reserves team against East Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday.

The 31-year-old hasn’t played this year after being diagnosed with cancer in January but is now in remission after surgery and several bouts of chemotherapy.

“One Friday night I woke up in the middle of the night and felt some pain in the groin area and mentioned it to the family and they said you should get it checked out and get an MRI the next day and an ultrasound and unfortunately found out the bad news,” Schloithe told 7News.

After months of gruelling treatment, the 235 game WAFL veteran received news at Easter that he’s now cancer free.

“Don’t be afraid to get checked out because you just never know, so please if you have any doubt just go and get checked out.”

A five-time WJ Hughes Medal Fairest and Best winner at South Fremantle, Schloithe is one the club’s most decorated players having claimed the 2017 Sandover Medal.

After retiring from the WAFL at the end of 2022, Schloithe played for North Fremantle and Katanning the following year before returning to South Fremantle last season when he played 16 games and was again one of the competition’s most damaging midfielders.

Having been medically cleared to return, the 2020 premiership player is building his fitness in anticipation of his eagerly awaited return.

“I’ve been training and running for the last couple of months so hopefully I can put myself in the frame for senior selection shortly, “he said.

Schloithe’s availability only strengthens a South Fremantle side which resumes from the bye this weekend as the team to beat for this year’s flag, having only lost one match for the season and coming off a 54-point thumping of arch rivals East Fremantle on WA Day.