Round 19 Preview v East Fremantle

SOUTH Fremantle returns to Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday hosting East Fremantle looking to end a three-game losing run and win at home over the Sharks for the first time since 2011 to maintain second spot on the WAFL ladder.

The third and final derby of 2016 takes place at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday with South Fremantle needing to win to hold on to second position, and East Fremantle having to win to avoid slipping further from the top five.

The game bounces down at 11.40am and will be broadcast live on 7mate.

While the Sharks did win last week over Swan Districts, neither team enters Saturday's derby with the Uittenbroek-Ciccotosto Cup up for grabs in good form.

South Fremantle has lost consecutive matches for the first time in 2016 following defeats to East Perth, Claremont and Subiaco while East Fremantle has only won once since an impressive WA Day Foundation Derby victory over the Bulldogs also at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The Sharks did end a four-game losing run last Saturday over Swans at Steel Blue Oval and while it was good to see Liam Anthony and George Hampson back to their dominant form prior to their respective injuries, it still wasn’t the same sort of performance they delivered earlier in the year.

East Fremantle remains outside the top five a game behind both East Perth and Peel Thunder. A loss for the Sharks on Saturday will make it tough to make up that gap with three games only to come against Perth, Claremont and East Perth.

South Fremantle, meanwhile, remains in second position on the ladder with a 10-5 record but a loss on Saturday and a win for West Perth over Perth would see the Bulldogs drop to third position and be in danger of missing that top two finish come the end of the season.

The remarkable run of the away teams winning Fremantle derbies has again continued this year with South Fremantle winning a thriller by seven points at ATOM Stadium in the Anzac Day Derby and then East Fremantle prevailing by 39 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on WA Day.

That means that the last 13 derbies have been won by the visiting teams and East Fremantle has won its last six trips to Fremantle Community Bank Oval. South Fremantle's last win on home turf against the Sharks came in Round 24, 2011.

Player Column – Josh Pullman Round 19 
Coach Post Match – Todd Curley Round 18 
Match Day Info – Round 19 

South Fremantle coach Todd Curley hopes the result will take care of itself if the Bulldogs get back to playing the type of football they aim to.

"We never take anyone lightly. We need to get us playing our best for longer periods so that's our challenge," Curley said.

"We have a few things that we can work on and that's OK, we'll get better and we'll keep working."

South Fremantle has now lost three straight matches having lost consecutive games for the first time in 2016 but Curley will be glad to welcome back some key players this Saturday against East Fremantle.

Ashton Hams has now been out since injuring a calf in the opening minutes of the Round 13 win over Peel Thunder.

He did the running last Thursday night against Subiaco and came through that unscathed, and now another week of training has the 164-game reigning fairest and best winner ready to return.

His reward will likely be being tagged by Jesse Crichton, though, who limited him to just 11 disposals back in the WA Day Foundation Derby despite having only three touches himself.

Haiden Schloithe also hasn’t played for South Fremantle since WA Day due to a foot injury that required rest to avoid turning into a stress fracture.

He was back in the reserves last Saturday and delivered a dominant 33 possessions, 11 tackles, eight marks, seven inside-50 entries and a goal to show he is ready for a return in Saturday's derby.

Blaine Johnson will also be straight back in for the Bulldogs following a one-game suspension having just got back from a hamstring complaint. He will provide another dangerous option in attack for South Fremantle.

Dylan Main is in contention for another opportunity with the Bulldogs after continued reserves form including another 23 possessions last Saturday against Subiaco.

Tim Stewart is the one player so far out of the Bulldogs line-up unable to hold his place with the return of Hams and Schloithe – South Fremantle's last two fairest and best winners.

East Fremantle returned to the winner's list last Saturday beating Swan Districts but the Sharks will need further improvement if they hope to break back into the top five.

In hopes of doing that, coach Rob Wiley will look to recall Dion Anthony, James Harrold, Jack Perham and Dylan Winton from the reserves to take on South Fremantle.

Winton will be required down back to play on either Mason Shaw, Ben Saunders or Zac Strom in South Fremantle's forward-line and he is coming off 22 possessions in the reserves last week for the Sharks against the black-and-whites.

Anthony has been in good form for the most part this season in the midfield for East Fremantle but he found himself back in the reserves last week and had 35 possessions and two goals as the Sharks' beat Swans.

Harrold is another who has shown some good form in East Fremantle's league team this year and responded to his demotion last week with 28 disposals and nine marks while Perham was solid enough up forward with 14 touches, seven marks and a goal.

Tyler Chalwell is the only player at this stage to lose his place in East Fremantle's side from the one that ended its losing run last Saturday against Swan Districts.

ROUND 19
SOUTH FREMANTLE (10-5, 2nd) v EAST FREMANTLE (8-8, 6th) – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 11.40AM
Broadcast – 7mate

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