RD 21 PREVIEW | v WEST PERTH

SOUTH Fremantle has to take care of its own business first which means beating West Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday, and then hoping one of the other bottom four teams does them a favour in the last WAFL round.

Coming into the last round of the WAFL season and South Fremantle is sitting in sixth position but finals are still a possibility providing the Bulldogs firstly take care of business by beating a Falcons team out of finals contention for a second straight season.

Should South Fremantle beat West Perth on Saturday afternoon at Fremantle Community Bank Oval then that’s when things get really interesting in the last weekend of the home and away season.

If the Bulldogs beat the Falcons, then attention goes to the other results. If either East Fremantle or Claremont lose to West Coast or Subiaco respectively, then South Fremantle will be guaranteed to replace them in the top five.

Then if Swan Districts loses to Perth, it will come down to percentage and South Fremantle will need to make up the 3.69 percentage different between them and Swans going into the final round. That will require something in the vicinity of a combined Swans loss and Bulldogs win of around 50 points.

Saturday’s game will be the second time the two teams have met this season with South Fremantle scoring the 18-point victory back in Round 5 at Pentanet Stadium.

That snapped a five-game winless run for the Bulldogs against the Falcons and on that day, South Fremantle came from one-point behind at three quarter-time to kick four goals to one in the last stanza to score the eventual 18-point victory.

Dylan Main kicked three goals in that win and Zac Strom two while Haiden Schloithe gathered 33 possessions, Tom Blechynden 29, Matthew Parker 26, Chad Pearson 24, Isiah Winder 24 and Toby McQuilkin 19.

There are no changes to the South Fremantle team that beat Perth with the last kick of the game last Saturday with Jaren Carr, Jarrod Salmeri, Jacob Sax and George Wessels the emergencies.

West Perth has made just the one change from the team that snapped its 10-game losing streak last Saturday too with Luke Reilly into the side at the expense of Tristan Hobley.

Outgoing South Fremantle coach Todd Curley will be firstly just focusing on beating the team he had a long history as a player and coach with before joining the Bulldogs before worrying about anything else.

“It’s remarkably similar to the AFL going into the last round and we need to win obviously, and that’s all we are worried about really,” Curley said.

“If one of the teams above us then happen to lose, that’s when it becomes likely for us to sneak in. It’s a funny one but we can just try to control what we can and that’s winning our game.

“The boys are in really good spirits and we’ll put our best foot forward on Saturday, and then the other results will take care of themselves and hopefully gives us a chance to extend our year.”

South Fremantle’s colts will be starting the Super Round at East Fremantle Oval on Saturday morning playing West Perth with the game to start at 9.15am.

It will be the last game of the season for the Bulldogs who currently sit in seventh position with a 5-10 record as they take on a Falcons team guaranteed of playing finals but needing a win to sew up second position.

The reserves clash will be at Fremantle Community Bank Oval starting at 11.45am with South Fremantle already locked into playing finals coming into the last round.

The Bulldogs currently sit in four position on the reserves ladder and can not only stay there, but be a chance to move up to third with a win on Saturday against the bottom placed Falcons.