Round 3 Preview v East Perth

FREMANTLE Community Bank Oval will host Friday night football once again to begin Round 3 of the 2016 McDonald’s WAFL Premiership Season with South Fremantle looking to remaining unbeaten up against East Perth.

The league clash will bounce down at 7.30pm on Friday night with the colts and reserves to both play on Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle is yet to lose a match in any grade so far in 2016 after the opening two rounds against West Perth and Swan Districts.

South Fremantle has missed the finals the last four years and East Perth have been part of them on each occasion, but it is the Bulldogs who are unbeaten and the Royals winless heading into Friday night’s Round 3 opener.

Friday night WAFL football will return to Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle looking to improve to 3-0 to start the season for a second straight year under coach Todd Curley.

Meanwhile, East Perth is desperate to avoid slipping to 0-3 to begin 2016 or else the Royals face the prospect of having to come from a long way back to make the finals once more.

The Bulldogs opened the 2016 season with a 35-point win over last year’s grand finalists West Perth also at Fremantle Community Bank Oval before downing Swan Districts by 50 points last week at Steel Blue Oval.

South Fremantle did also start 2015 with three straight wins before losing the next three and ending up missing the finals altogether for a fourth successive season, but the Bulldogs will be more confident of maintaining their momentum if they get over the line Friday night.

East Perth is coming off being part of the finals the last four years which has included two grand finals and last year’s preliminary final.

But the arrival of Jaymie Graham as coach hasn’t gone to plan just yet in 2016 with a 76-point loss to Claremont in the opening round and then a 31-point defeat to Medibank Stadium co-tenants Subiaco on Good Friday.

Speaking of Graham, the clash on Friday night back at his old stomping ground of Fremantle Community Bank Oval will be the first time he has coached against his old South Fremantle team.

He played 105 games for the Bulldogs, was club captain and a premiership player in 2005 and 2009.

South Fremantle has played the game group of 22 players through the first two rounds of the season. Given the impressive results with the wins over the Falcons and Swans, there’s little reason to change.

But Josh Branchi did come off with a corked calf before half-time last week and didn’t take any further part in the game.

With fellow ruckman Brock Higgins still sidelined with injury as well that does leave the Bulldogs a little short if Branchi doesn’t get up to play in the ruck department.

However, Zac Strom did well filling in last week against Swan Districts finishing with 17 possessions and 18 hit outs.

And with the potentially dewy conditions at night at the port, he might be capable of handling that again despite the fact it will be a big task up against East Perth big men Jonathan Giles, Paul Johnson and Fraser McInnes.

Shaun Bewick, Tom Vandeleur and Bailey Matera continue to press their case for selection as well. Bewick had another 21 possessions and seven marks in the reserves last week while Vandeleur had 20 disposals and Matera 31 touches.

East Perth had an improved performance against Subiaco last week following the opening round loss to Claremont, and the Royals look set to have a strengthened line-up for Friday night.

Despite losing Garry Moss to a knee injury, the Royals are still likely to have Fraser McInnes and Mark Hutchings despite both being added to the West Coast squad for the grand final rematch against Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday.

East Perth is likely to lose half-back Tom Cole who appears the most obvious replacement in the Eagles line-up to replace the injured Xavier Ellis.

The Royals will be further strengthened with the return from injury of West Coast midfielder Chris Masten. A good performance and he will expect to be straight back into the Eagles line-up so he will be keen to impress on Friday night.

Another West Coast midfielder Brant Colledge will also be back for the Royals after being held over as an emergency last week and missing the Good Friday clash with the Eagles playing on Sunday.

Callum Hart, Tom Gorter, Julian Ameduri, Tom Omodei and Agid Gardoud are other East Perth players added to the extended squad after solid form in the reserves on Good Friday in the Royals’ win over the Lions.

ROUND 3
SOUTH FREMANTLE (2-0, 1st) v EAST PERTH (0-2, 8th) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, FRIDAY 7.30PM
Selected teams
Broadcast – 720 ABC Perth

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