WAFL RD 2 PREVIEW

RD 2 WAFL PREVIEW | v PERTH

South Fremantle made the perfect start to their WAFL premiership defence on Good Friday and now will look to keep it going while celebrating that success beforehand in the first home game of 2026.

Ever since South Fremantle won the 2025 WAFL premiership in thrilling fashion at Optus Stadium in September last year, the day every member and supporter has been waiting for is the first home game of the 2026 season.

That day now arrives this Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle not only playing host to Perth, but also celebrating that premiership triumph with the unveiling of the 2025 premiership flag.

There’s a big day of celebration planned for the occasion and in the lead up to the league match that begins at 1:40pm will be the ceremony that will culminate in the premiership flag being unveiled in front of the Bulldogs supporters and members.

Replicating the memories of the 2020 premiership celebration with the helicopter signalling the celebrations in the first home game of 2021 was always going to be a tall order, but the Bulldogs will do their best.

Members of the Perth Skydiving Display team are set to land in the middle of Fremantle Community Bank Oval from 1:15pm before heroes of the 2009 and 2020 premiership teams, Toby McGrath and Brock Higgins, will be on hand to be part of the occasion.

That will all lead into the league match up where both South Fremantle and Perth are coming off opening round victories and are looking to improve to 2-0 to start the new season.

South Fremantle started their premiership defence on Good Friday and scored the 45-point victory against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval while Perth also opened their season with the 65-point win at Mineral Resources Park against the West Coast Eagles.

From that Bulldogs team that beat the Swans on Good Friday, premiership stars and fairest and best winners Matthew Parker and Tom Blechynden coming into the line-up.

Going out for South Fremantle are Mitch Geier and Sam Otto.

Perth has made three changes from the team that beat West Coast with Sam Cameron, Archer Gardiner and Cooper Moore into the side with Nate Tomasini, Jake Watson and Jack Bodle going out.

Bulldogs ruckman and Simpson Medallist from that grand final triumph, Hamish Free, is fresh off celebrating his 50th WAFL game on Good Friday and is looking forward to the first home game of 2026 on Saturday.

“They obviously were good last year and they definitely took it up to us the couple of times we versed them and they’ve recruited well, and look like they’ve had a good off-season and had a good win coming off Round 1,” Free told The Kennel on 91.3 SportFM.

“But we’ll be ready for it and I’m not sure if we get any of our players back, and I’m not sure who would go out if they do come back, but we look forward to it and it should be a good game, and a good contest.”

The reserves contest will get underway at 10:45am leading into the league match on Saturday with South Fremantle looking to bounce back after last week’s 21-point defeat to Swan Districts while Perth will be making their first appearance of the 2026 season.

Meanwhile, it’s a Colts Super Round this weekend meaning South Fremantle’s colts will play Perth on Sunday at Joondalup’s HIF Health Insurance Oval with that game getting underway at 2:15pm.

South Fremantle opened the colts season beating Swan Districts by 29 points back on Good Friday against Steel Blue Oval while Perth had the opening round bye.