ROUND 1 WAFLW PREVIEW V EAST FREMANTLE

THE massive weekend at Fremantle Community Bank Oval to mark the return of football to Western Australia continues on Sunday with a full day of women's action highlighted by South Fremantle's debut in the Optus WAFLW Premiership Season.

There's great excitement right around football in WA this weekend with the return of AFL football to Optus Stadium for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and with the WAFL competition opening with South Fremantle hosting East Fremantle on Saturday.

But that's far from all there is to be looking forward to as the WAFLW competition for 2020 gets underway and for the first time South Fremantle is going to be involved with the Bulldogs having been granted their full license a year earlier than previously anticipated.

To mark the occasion on Sunday, South Fremantle will host arch-rivals and reigning premiers East Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval from 2pm.

That game between the Bulldogs and Sharks on Sunday will be the game available via livestream for this weekend too and you can watch it live courtesy of the WAFL website, the Facebook page or indeed on YouTube.

On top of the WAFLW league contest on Sunday afternoon at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, the day will get underway with the Youth Girls Rogers Cup clash opening proceedings from 10.15am before the Reserves contest will begin at midday.

The WAFLW competition has expanded to six teams in 2020 with South Fremantle being granted their immediate license a year earlier than expected, which means there will be no need for a team to have a bye each weekend.

The shortened season after the delayed start thanks to COVID-19 will see a seven-round home and away season with all teams playing one another once, and then another two rounds of fixtures to make up for the campaign.

A three-week finals series will then follow with the top four teams featuring which will conclude with the Grand Final being played on Sunday September 20.

It is a significant step in the growth of female football for South Fremantle to be granted its license to compete in the WAFLW competition in 2020, and new chief executive Cameron Britt was especially delighted with the news shortly prior to the season commencing.

South Fremantle Football Club CEO Cameron Britt said the club was incredibly excited by the news that its Women’s program had been granted a WAFLW licence.

"To see the iconic Red V being featured in the top-tier women’s competition in WA has long been our desire," Britt said.

"This outcome has been the result of hard work and determination from many people, and we know that the inclusion of the Bulldogs will add to the growth and profile of the premier women’s competition, in this our 120th year as a football club."

South Fremantle will put a strong looking team out on the field on Sunday as well including Deni Broadhurst in the ruck along with Lauren Vecchio, Lara Rodin-Zimdahl, Cali Hunt, Makayla Cocking and Milla Bickmore going through the middle.

Tanika Adams, Chloe Taylor, Breanne Spencer, Melissa Silcock and Elle Sanders will look to hold down the fort in defence while Jaymi Karapetkov, Ella Higgins, Hannah Felton, Jenelle Heard and Tahlia Holtze will do their best to be dangerous in attack, among others.

But it is a star-studded East Fremantle team they will be up against as you would expect after the Sharks won the premiership in 2019.

ROUND 1 TRADITIONAL DERBY
SOUTH FREMANTLE v EAST FREMANTLE – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SUNDAY JULY 19

WAFLW LEAGUE – 2.00pm
WAFLW RESERVES – 12.00pm
WAFLW ROGERS CUP YOUTH – 10.15am