WAFL ELIMINATION FINAL PREVIEW

ELIMINATION FINAL PREVIEW | v EP

It’s a WAFL Grand Final rematch to start the 2026 finals series this Sunday afternoon at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle hosting East Perth in an elimination final.

The seasons of both teams go on the line on Sunday with the elimination final getting underway at 2:10pm.

After playing off in last year’s Grand Final, South Fremantle finished this home and away season in fourth position with an 11-7 record while East Perth were fifth at 10-8.

That set up Sunday’s elimination final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval where the winner will keep their campaign alive and advance to a first semi-final against either Claremont or Perth while the season will be over for the loser.

Sunday’s elimination final will be the seventh meeting between the two teams over the past two seasons and the third of 2026.

East Perth have won both encounters so far this season with the 48-point win at Sullivan Logistics Stadium back in Round 9 and then backing it up beating the Bulldogs by 20 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval just in Round 18.

But going back to last year and the Bulldogs won all four meetings between the two teams including by 10 points in Round 10, 47 in Round 18 and then 59 in the second semi-final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

That all led into a fascinating Grand Final at Optus Stadium where South Fremantle did hold on to win by two points for the premiership but East Perth came in with a game plan of keeping possession of the ball and denying the Bulldogs a chance to get their attacking game going.

That almost worked in the Grand Final and now has worked twice against South Fremantle this season setting the stage for an even more fascinating match up and clash of styles this Sunday afternoon.

The elimination final will be the 23rd meeting in finals over history between the two teams and the first ever when they have been the fourth and fifth ranked teams by the end of the home and away season.

South Fremantle have won eight of the 22 finals meetings against East Perth but that includes the last three going back to the first semi-final of 2007 and then both encounters on the way to the premiership last year.

South Fremantle captain Chad Pearson remains confident the Bulldogs can now give their premiership defence a good crack starting on Sunday having earned a home elimination final against an East Perth team they are yet to beat since last year’s Grand Final.

“We’re confident we can do it and the belief is super high at the club, and it’s obviously been a bit of a rollercoaster of a year but I think you aim to qualify and just want to get in there and give yourselves a chance,” Pearson told 91.3 SportFM.

“We’ve been able to secure a home final to give us the best opportunity this week and then I think looking back on the year, anyone can beat anyone and it’s been such a close competition.

“If you’re off by the slightest percentage you can get done by any team, so it gives the boys great belief that on any day hopefully we can just get the belief and momentum rolling for a few more games and you can end up in a Grand Final.

“That’s something that we’re really looking forward to and the belief’s high.”

Finals action for the Bulldogs will get underway on Saturday morning in the Colts with a qualifying final against Claremont at Revo Fitness Stadium starting at 8:50am.

South Fremantle finished the home and away season in the Colts in second position with a 13-3 record to only be percentage behind the minor premier East Fremantle.

Claremont then finished third with a 12-4 record and despite South Fremantle being the higher seed, it’s the Tigers who get to play the game on their home ground with their League side hosting Perth in a qualifying final later on Saturday afternoon as well.

South Fremantle come into the finals fresh off beating Peel Thunder by 125 points last week while Claremont had the bye last weekend and prior to that suffered a loss to Subiaco.

The two teams played each other twice throughout the season starting with a four-point win for the Bulldogs back in Round 3 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval before South Fremantle also beat Claremont by 29 points in Round 14 at Revo Fitness Stadium.

The winner of the qualifying final on Saturday morning will advance to a second semi-final next week against East Fremantle while the winner will stay alive and play in a first semi-final against either Subiaco or West Perth.