RD 16 PREVIEW | v EAST FREMANTLE

SHOULD South Fremantle want to maintain any chance of still taking part in the WAFLW finals for a second straight season then they need to beat East Fremantle in a last round derby on Saturday.

The Bulldogs come into the last round of the 2024 home and away season in the WAFLW up against it to play finals, but there is still a chance there that exists provided they beat the Sharks on Saturday at Revo Fitness Stadium.

The game will be played on neutral turf and beginning at 1pm and while it looks like South Fremantle has a big task with East Fremantle the reigning premiers and having top spot locked away, the Bulldogs have significantly more at stake in the contest.

Coming into the last round of the WAFLW season and South Fremantle is sitting in fifth position on the back of last week’s win against the third placed West Perth to keep the finals chances alive.

The Bulldogs will need some luck to make the finals even with a win against East Fremantle, but while there’s a chance then it’s still well and truly worth striving for.

South Fremantle is a game and percentage behind the fourth placed Swan Districts who take on the bottom placed Peel, but should the Thunder cause the upset then a win for the Bulldogs in the derby on Saturday afternoon will mean reaching the finals is still a possibility.

The derby will be the second time the two teams have played one another in the WAFLW this season but that other meeting was all the way back in Round 1 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

That proved a thrilling contest in a rematch of the preliminary final from 2023 with East Fremantle narrowly beating South Fremantle 4.4 (28) to 3.7 (25).

In that game, two of South Fremantle’s three goals were kicked by Noa McNaughton with the other by Poppy Stockwell while Liusaidh Gilchrist gathered 25 possessions, Stockwell 19, Renee Morgan 19, Molly O’Hehir 19 and inspirational captain Lauren Vecchio 17.

From the South Fremantle team that beat Peel Thunder by 11 points last week, Ebony Grant, Zoe Huggett, Ella Matthews, Renee Morgan and Kate Newson come into the side to play East Fremantle on Saturday.

Going out for the Bulldogs are Zina Fetahagic, Hannah Young, Pippa Sideris, Caitlin Pears and Hunter Cronin.

East Fremantle is coming off a 95-point win against East Perth and from that team, Ashlee Atkins, Taya Chambers, Natasha Entwistle, Emmelie Fiedler and Zippy Fish come in for the derby.

Going out for the Sharks are Maya Louvel-Finn, Grace Freeman, Kate Inglis-Hodge, Ava Anderson and Caylen Crook.

Meanwhile in the last round of the Rogers Cup season for 2024, it’s also a derby with East Fremantle and South Fremantle doing battle at Revo Fitness Stadium from 10.55am.

While East Fremantle is safe in second position coming into the match up, South Fremantle has to win to try and break into the finals.

The Bulldogs currently sit in fifth position just percentage behind the fourth placed Swan Districts so who makes the finals out of the two teams comes down to what happens in the last round.

Should Swans lose their game against Peel Thunder, then all South Fremantle has to do is beat East Fremantle and it will be another finals appearance for the Bulldogs in the Rogers Cup in 2024.

South Fremantle beat Peel by 28 points last week and from that team, Ava Cuffe-Hodges, Tylah Foreman, Makayla Kickett, Coco McGrath, Tanaya Prentice, Niamh Sherry and Hannah Young come in to play the Sharks on Saturday.

Going out for the Bulldogs are Hayley Cardosa, Maddison White, Zarlya Yarran, Ebony Grant, Dakota Larkin, Ella Matthews and Charlotte Bell.

East Fremantle had the bye in the Rogers Cup last week and prior to that scored a 60-point win against Perth that all but has the Sharks still locked in for a second place finish no matter the result in the derby on Saturday.