Reserves Grand Final Preview v West Perth

SOUTH Fremantle and West Perth finished 2013 as the two most in-form reserves teams and as a result have made the grand final and are sure to play out a hard fought contest to determine the premiers.

The Bulldogs reserves began the season reasonably slowly as did their league side with a host of injuries and young players still adjusting to senior football, but the longer the 2013 campaign went the better the whole senior squad went.

South Fremantle’s league team finished off the season with some momentum and the improved form of the main side meant that there were more quality players in the reserves line-up, and more players looking to pressing up for a league berth.

South Fremantle’s reserves lost its first two games to Claremont and Perth and then again lost two more in Round 11 to East Fremantle and Round 12 to Subiaco, but since then the Bulldogs have been outstanding.

There was a hiccup against West Perth in Round 18, but aside from that South Fremantle’s reserves won eight of its last nine games to finish the home and away season in second position on the ladder.

That set up a second semi-final against Perth and the Bulldogs held on to win by five points to advance straight through to the grand final.

West Perth lost its first three games of the reserves season and then sat at 1-6 after eight rounds, but things then began to turn with three straight wins and now the Falcons have not lost since going down to Swan Districts at Bassendean’s Steel Blue Oval in Round 15.

The Falcons won seven straight matches over Peel, South Fremantle, East Perth, Peel, Perth, East Fremantle and Swan Districts to qualify for the finals from fourth position.

And in the finals, West Perth beat East Perth in the first semi-final at Claremont Oval by nine points to book in a preliminary final berth where the Falcons downed the minor premier Perth by 42 points to book in a grand final spot on a nine-game winning run.

South Fremantle and West Perth met just twice during the season with the Bulldogs winning at Fremantle Oval in Round 4 by 19 points and then the Falcons prevailed by 34 points at Arena Joondalup in Round 18.

South Fremantle’s reserves have not won a premiership since 2009 when both the Bulldogs’ league and reserves sides were triumphant.

Remarkably, West Perth’s reserves has not won a premiership since 1960 and also in that year both the Falcons’ league and reserves teams won the flag.

Both teams are full of a combination of league experienced and youthful talent as well.

South Fremantle even has a league premiership player in its midst from 2009 with Reece Adams lining up for the Bulldogs after managing just 12 matches in the league side this year to take his career tally to 61.

Jarrad Winter has also played 65 league games for the Bulldogs and will line-up in the grand final along with fellow experienced campaigners Shaun Bewick and Alex Grima.

Warrick Andreoli, Tyler Hall, Blaine Johnson, Tim Kelly, James Laurino, Jason Maskos, Kaiden Matera, Justin Monaco, Marlon Pickett, Kingsley Smith, Zac Strom and Brendan Verrier will also play for South Fremantle in the grand final after having played at least one league game in 2013.

West Perth’s reserves team won’t be without some league experience either and as usual with a club with a league side in the grand final also, there’s usually a player or several players who are unlucky not to be in the main show.

Trent Manzone fits that bill for West Perth this year after making way in the league side for returning vice-captain Luke Tedesco.

Manzone played 14 straight matches for the West Perth league side this year to close out the season after being recruited from Queensland, and also lined up in the second semi-final win over Claremont but he is the unlucky man to make way for Tedesco.

Ruckman Frank Stockley has been outstanding all year as well in the reserves and won the Prendergast Medal but he also missed selection in the league side as have exciting youngsters Brayden Antonio and Matt Johnson meaning they will play in the reserves grand final.

Ben McNamara, Joe Morrow, Luke Meadows, James Batterham and Kris Shannon will also play having played at least one league game this season with James Embley, Michael Mascoulis and Drew Rohde having previously played league football as well.

Bounce down for the reserves grand final at Patersons Stadium, Subiaco on Sunday will be at 11.30am.

SOUTH FREMANTLE TEAM:

Reece Adams, Warrick Andreoli, Shaun Bewick, Myles Bolger, Steven Borovac, Rhys D’Alton, Jayden D’Vauz, Alex Grima, Tyler Hall, Dale Hamilton, Blaine Johnson, Tim Kelly, James Laurino, Jason Maskos, Kaiden Matera, Justin Monaco, Simon Panizza, Joseph Pantano, Jarrod Parry, Marlon Pickett, Michael Russell, Kingsley Smith, Zac Strom, Anthony Van Manen, Brendan Verrier, Jarrad Winter.

WEST PERTH TEAM:

Max Alexander, Brayden Antonio, James Batterham, Cameron Branch, Corey Chalmers, James Embley, Stephen Healy, Matt Johnson, Joel Latham, Aidan Lynch, Trent Manzone, Michael Mascoulis, Ben McNamara, Mitch McPhee, Luke Meadows, Jordan Mills, Samuel Money, Joel Morrow, Ben O’Regan, Drew Rohde, Tom Shadbolt, Kris Shannon, Frank Stockley, Tim Sutherland, Jack Thrum, Mitch van Berlo.

By Chris Pike