GRAND FINAL PREVIEW | COLTS v CLAREMONT

South Fremantle’s colts have been a remarkable story in 2025 shaking off everything that happened in 2024 to now be the standout team of this season ahead of playing Claremont in Sunday’s grand final at Optus Stadium.

It has been a terrific response in 2025 from the South Fremantle colts following the heartbreaking events of 2024 that derailed a promising season in so many ways, and now they are one win away from what would be an emotional premiership triumph.

The Bulldogs finished the home and away season in the colts in top spot on the ladder before then beating East Fremantle in a derby second semi-final to book in a spot in this Sunday’s grand final.

The grand final will take place at Optus Stadium and bounce down is set for 12:10pm when South Fremantle takes on perennial colts powerhouse Claremont.

South Fremantle will be attempting to win a 10th colts premiership and a first since going back-to-back in 2011 and 2012 when the grand finals were held at Subiaco Oval.

Claremont, meanwhile, are no strangers to success in the colts and are the reigning premiers having won last year’s grand final also at Optus Stadium against Swan Districts.

The Tigers have now won 19 colts premierships since breaking through for a first in 1976 including the last two, and six in the last 13 years since South Fremantle’s back-to-back triumphs.

South Fremantle finished the 2025 colts season in top spot with a 12-4 record to be percentage ahead of East Fremantle which earned them the week off to start the finals.

That saw East Fremantle beat Claremont in the qualifying final but then the following week South Fremantle won the derby second semi-final by 30 points to book in their place at the grand final.

Claremont also beat West Perth in a first semi-final to set up the preliminary final where they defeated the Sharks by 15 points last Sunday to now set up the grand final clash with South Fremantle this Sunday.

The two teams played one another twice in the home and away season with the first meeting back in Round 6 when it was a 62-point win for South Fremantle.

The return clash was at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in Round 13 where it was Claremont winning a thriller by six points.

South Fremantle coach Matt Rogers is fully aware of how tough Claremont will be come Sunday’s grand final but he can’t fault his team’s preparation.

“Claremont have that star power with Banfield, Curtin and co. you would never write them off. They are also very familiar and comfortable with Optus Stadium in September the Claremont footy club are in the colts program,” Rogers told 91.3 SportFM.

“From that first final, obviously when you finish on top which we had to rely on West Perth in the last round to help us out to make it happen, our league team played West Coast in that last round so we had a bye in the colts and then by finishing top we had another weekend off.

“So I was a little bit wary as the coach about not having enough football going into that game, but the boys were fantastic and we took the confidence out of that to now use the two weeks to prepare to go into the grand final now.”

There is plenty of exciting young talent on both teams who are in terrific form coming off their last performances heading into Sunday’s grand final.

Back in the second semi-final, Taj Longmuir kicked two goals in the win for South Fremantle with Lucas Robinson finishing with 35 possessions, 12 tackles, seven marks and six inside-50 entries.

Toby Whan also picked up 27 disposals for the Bulldogs, Max Thomas 20, Fred Rodriguez 20, Lucas Cattalini 17, Zac Godwin 17 and Jack McAuliffe 16 to go with 10 tackles and a goal.

Meanwhile in Claremont’s preliminary final triumph against East Fremantle, Samson Jennings-Hopkins kicked two goals while Heath Mellody collected 28 possessions, Max Hansen-Knarhoi 25, Charlie Banfield 21, Harper Banfield 17, Josh Grahame 16 and Kaleb Germain 16.

Then there was Benji Van Rooyen in the ruck who ended up with 17 possessions, 34 hit outs and seven tackles.