Round 22 Preview v West Perth

SOUTH Fremantle will host its final home game of the 2015 WAFL season this Saturday at Fremantle Oval looking to put in an improved showing against the second-placed West Perth.

South Fremantle is now out of finals contention having lost its last three matches but Saturday will be the Bulldogs' final game for the season at Fremantle Oval and they will be looking to find some form, and to build some momentum into the pre-season and to build on in 2016.

West Perth, meanwhile, is now looking solid in second position having beaten East Fremantle and Swan Districts the last two weeks to be in pole position to remain in that second spot and to secure a home final at HBF Arena in the first week.

With one team looking to finish the season on a high and the other to keep its good form going ahead of the finals, and to more importantly not suffer any more injuries, it still should be a game well worth keeping an eye on.

The two teams first played each other this year way back in Round 1 to open the season on a Friday night at Fremantle Oval with South Fremantle starting the season in exciting fashion with a 14.6 (90) to 8.7 (55) victory.

West Perth hit back at HBF Arena in Round 13, though, with a win that would have been more than the 15 points had it not been for kicking 17 points from 26 shots on goal. But the Falcons had 26 shots to 16 and were in control for all of the second half.

South Fremantle has already lost defender Blayne Wilson for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, and now ruckman Brock Higgins and hard-working midfield Jacob Martinez will join him on the sidelines injured over the last two weeks of 2015.

Key defender Chris Luff and workhorse Shaun Bewick are two more players to go out of the South Fremantle side from the one that lost to Peel two weeks before the bye and that will take on West Perth on Saturday at Fremantle Oval.

Craig White has been named to return for South Fremantle after missing the loss to Peel and after announcing his retirement to the playing group on Tuesday night, it will be his last ever game at Fremantle Oval and second last of his tremendous career for the Bulldogs.

Dual Bernie Naylor Medallist Ben Saunders is also set to return for his first game since injuring his ankle in Round 7 against East Perth. He returned in the reserves in Round 11 but hurt a hamstring and now he played two reserves games back, and kicked five goals a fortnight ago against Peel.

South Fremantle's reserves have been in dominant form to have the minor premiership sewn up and understandably a host of players continue to be in terrific form to be pushing themselves up for a spot in the league side.

South Fremantle could unveil two brothers to make their debuts on the same day as well with Tim and Kade Stewart both in terrific reserves form. Tim, 20, had 25 possessions and eight tackles two weeks ago against Peel while 18-year-old Kade had 26 disposals and seven marks.

James Laurino has been outstanding for the reserves also and had another 26 possessions and six tackles against Peel to be edging closer to his first league game since the last round of 2013 with a knee reconstruction in between.

Mitch Carter's form has been building slowly all year and he could play his first league game of the season with his ability to be an elite kick allowing him to be a difference maker if he gets selected.

Versatile big man James Sellar is also likely to return after missing the game against Peel with him likely needed in defence in the absence of Luff and Wilson, and with Dylan Ross and still surprisingly in the reserves despite 32 possessions and 13 marks a fortnight ago.

West Perth now has two weeks to gear up for the finals and having already played six straight matches there might be plenty of sore bodies in the Falcons' line-up with them to not have a break before the finals begin either.

That has led to veteran premiership ruckman Chris Keunen being rested for the clash with South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval on Saturday after he was the best big man on the ground last week against Swan Districts.

That opens the door for Tim Sutherland to make his league debut for West Perth after doing a solid apprenticeship in the reserves for a couple of years now.

With Shayne Zanetti and Seva Martin having missed all of 2015 with injuries, Sutherland is the only genuine back up to Keunen in the Falcons' squad so he will look to take his chance and make it hard to leave him out when Keunen returns against Claremont in the final round at HBF Arena.

Hard-working midfielder Aidan Lynch also pulled up sore from last Saturday's win over Swan Districts so won't take on South Fremantle while dual fairest and best winner Shane Nelson remains in doubt due to a sore ankle as well.

Nick Rodda looks right to return from a shoulder injury after missing the last two games against East Fremantle and Swan Districts after hurting it in the dying stages against East Perth.

While Rodda returns, co-captain Luke Tedesco will have another week in the reserves as well as Laine Rasmussen and Kris Shannon missing at least another week with hamstring concerns.

Dean Munns has been putting together some strong form in the reserves now and had another 28 possessions and 14 tackles last week against Swan Districts, and if Lynch and possibly Nelson don't play on Saturday, then it might be the ideal time to give the midfielder a league debut.

Premiership veteran Marc Crisp has also found some form and fitness back in the reserves in recent weeks on return from injury to give himself a chance at his first game since Round 9 while Brayden Antonio had another 34 possessions and three goals last Saturday to be in contention for a recall.

RESERVES SQUAD
T Amoroso, M Banks, T Bennell, S Bewick, N Borovac, A Carter, B Collier, C Luff, B Matera, K Matera, B McPhail, S Mills, P Mugambwa, S Panizza, L Pearson, D Ross, J Sgherza, B Sokol, T Stewart, N Strom, J Tartaglia, B Verrier, D Warrell

COLTS SQUAD
C Ah Siu, M Barritt, N Bretag, A Brown, D Burke, B Colbung, J Collard, B Corner, C Datson, Z De San Miguel, B Donaldson, M Dzelebdzic, J Florenca, C Foster, J Foster, D Goodall, J Johnson, J McMaster, J Mirco, J Mudge, J Musika, A Nodari, C Pearson, T Pickett, C Van Oss, B Wright