Round 24 Preview v Perth

SOUTH Fremantle is aiming to continue its strong late season form heading to Lathlain's Brownes Stadium on Saturday to take on a Perth team who hasn’t been able to capitalise on an outstanding start to 2013.

South Fremantle and Perth's seasons have followed opposite paths with the Bulldogs having a horror start but now finishing strongly while the Demons started tremendously before now finishing off in disappointing fashion.

The Bulldogs lost their first seven games of the season before breaking through with a win over Peel in Round 9. South Fremantle then scored a tremendous Foundation Derby win over East Fremantle two weeks later, but then again went on another four-game losing run.

However, South Fremantle has now found some outstanding and exciting form for the future with a 39-point win over West Perth in Round 18, eight-point win over Subiaco in Round 20, 93-point thumping of Peel in Round 22 and then last Saturday's impressive 12-point win over East Perth.

That means that South Fremantle has now won its last three games and four of its last five heading into Saturday's clash with Perth, but the Demons' season has headed in the opposite direction.

Perth started the season in exciting fashion winning its first three games and five of its first seven with the only two losses being by under a goal in thrillers against East Fremantle and Claremont.

The Demons lost three straight games between Rounds 10 and 13, but then bounced with four wins in five matches to again look set for a first finals campaign since 1997.

However, since Perth has lost to East Fremantle by 28 points in Round 20, by 60 to West Perth in Round 21, 48 to East Perth in Round 22 and then by 21 points last Saturday against Claremont to have now fallen to a 9-10 record.

The Demons and Bulldogs have met twice so far in 2013 with Perth winning two tight affairs – the first one by 13 points in Round 3 at Brownes Stadium and then the return clash by 10 points at Fremantle Oval in Round 15.

In that last meeting, Perth kicked the last two goals to win the game after South Fremantle appeared set to record the win when in front during time-on.

If Perth hoped to bounce back from a disappointing finish to the season and get a win at home in the final round, then it hasn’t been helped both at selection and with the fact that an in-form South Fremantle is coming to Lathlain looking to keep its own winning run continuing.

Perth loses four key players from the side that went down to Claremont last Saturday with ruckman Mitchell Lleyendekkers, centre half-forward Fraser McInnes, dangerous forward Simon Tunbridge and classy midfielder Jarryd Morton all out of the line-up for the Demons.

A host of players are looking to come into the Perth side for its last game of 2013 led by Jackson Sketcher who racked up 40 possessions in the reserves last week.

Joel Kalajzic, Christian Eyres, Mark Deaves, Kieran Hug, Matthew Hunt and Daniel O'Sullivan are the other players look to earn a spot in the Perth side.

South Fremantle's hopes of finishing the season with a fourth straight win have received a massive boost at selection with West Coast's Ashton Hams to return.

Last time he played for the Bulldogs was two weeks ago against Peel when he kicked six goals with 31 possessions while averaging 25 disposals in his eight games for the Bulldogs this season while also kicking 22 goals.

Fremantle's Haiden Schloithe does go out for South Fremantle, though, after injuring his ankle in the dying stages of last Saturday's exciting win over East Perth at Fremantle Oval.

Experienced duo Toby Bairstow and Reece Adams, and Mitch Carter and Kaiden Matera are all trying to earn a spot in the South Fremantle league team for the last game of 2013 as well.

Veteran South Fremantle forward Paul Mugambwa knows it's crucial for the Bulldogs to continue their strong recent form now on Saturday.

"It's 100 per cent crucial that we finish off strongly against Perth," Mugambwa said.

"We're not taking anything lightly and to our credit we knew six weeks ago that we weren't going to play finals and we could have flown the white flag, but we are set on finishing strong and hopefully beating Perth, and then supporting our ressies and colts in the finals."

By Chris Pike