ROUND 16 of the 2012 WAFL season features just the three matches on Saturday afternoon with two teams fighting over top spot, another two looking to stay off the bottom and then the third featuring a top-four team against the bottom side.The action sees Claremont host Swan Districts at Claremont Oval, Perth take on South Fremantle at Lathlain's Brownes Stadium and East Perth face Peel Thunder at Leederville's Medibank Stadium.
East Fremantle, Subiaco and West Perth all have the Round 16 bye.
CLAREMONT (9-4, 2nd) v SWAN DISTRICTS (10-3, 1st) – CLAREMONT OVAL, SATURDAY 2.10PMSelected teams
Top spot goes on the line when Claremont hosts Swan Districts at Claremont Oval in a game that could very well be one of the best contests of the 2012 season.
Swan Districts currently sits on a 10-3 record with Claremont holding a 9-4 record but with a superior percentage meaning that the winner of Saturday's game at Claremont Oval will finish the round on top of the ladder with six games of 2012 remaining.
Claremont and Swans have already met once this season and that was also at Claremont Oval with Swan Districts prevailing by a goal, but on that occasion full-forward Ash Hansen kicked the winning goal and he won't be there this time around.
At the other end of the ground, Claremont spearhead Chad Jones will be there and he will notch the 100th game of his WAFL career that began with the Tigers way back in 2003.
The two teams are certainly no strangers to meeting with plenty on the line, though, and even though Swan Districts had a down year in 2011, the memories of 2010 are still fresh in the minds of both clubs.
There were five meetings that season with Swan Districts winning at Steel Blue Oval by 33 points in Round 7, the two playing out a draw at the same ground in Round 18 and then Claremont thrashing Swans by 73 points at Claremont Oval in Round 21.
It was back to Claremont Oval for the second semi-final weeks later with the Tigers again winning comprehensively by 50 points before Swans got the last laugh with the thrilling one-point grand final victory.
Now this Saturday's clash could very well continue a rivalry that could see the two meet later in September so a victory could supply the confidence and bragging rights that could be crucial come that time.
At this stage, Andrew Foster and Tom Swift are named as outs for Claremont but Swift looks likely to play with Fremantle's Alex Silvagni also a chance to line-up for the Tigers.
There are some premiership stars and quality players fighting to get back into the Claremont team, though, including Jake Murphy, Brandon Franz, Byron Schammer, Alistair Gillespie and Brad Nisbett.
There are some big outs at Swan Districts with Ash Hansen, Wayde Twomey, Michael Walters and Brett van Groningen out of the side.
Among those looking to come in or make their debut are Jai Menegola, Jarrad Blight, Ray Daniels, Nathan Broad, Alex Howard, Adam McKinlay and Simon Parry.
PERTH (3-10, 8th) v SOUTH FREMANTLE (3-10, 7th) – BROWNES STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.10PMSelected teams
Perth and South Fremantle might not exactly be playing for top spot like Claremont and Swan Districts are, but neither side will want to lose at Brownes Stadium with the possibility of finishing up on the bottom of the ladder.
Both Perth and South Fremantle currently sit on 3-10 records to be well and truly out of the finals race, but still a chance of finishing with the wooden spoon. They both are currently above Peel on percentage, but have played an extra game than the Thunder.
It will be a big day at Brownes Stadium, though, with a tremendous honouring of Indigenous culture to continue the NAIDOC celebrations.
Perth has had a strong Indigenous culture dating right back to new Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Barry Cable, and it has included Troy Cook in recent years and now former dual Collingwood All-Australian Leon Davis in 2012.
Perth has been able to secure a match-day sponsor – Middletons, which is a straight-talking law firm with offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney that will cover the charge of entry of everyone that comes to Brownes Stadium for the game against South Fremantle.
The day will also feature a NAIDOC Welcome to Country ceremony prior to the league match commencing at 2.10pm and there will also be a host of Aboriginal champions present including Cable, Merv Kelly, Roger Hayden, Des Headland, Larry Kickett and possibly even Stephen Michael.
The victorious WA team that won back-to-back titles at the National Indigenous Under-15 Kickstart Championships will also be present with 13 players from the team named in the national Flying Boomerangs squad.
Following the league match, there will also be a game between the South Fremantle and Perth Nicky Winmar Cup teams, after both went through undefeated in the competition earlier this year featuring Under-15 Indigenous players.
Neither side would have forgotten the meeting back in Round 2 this season when Perth led South Fremantle by 50 points at three quarter-time at Fremantle Oval, but the Bulldogs booted 11 goals to one in the final quarter to run out eight-point winners.
However, South Fremantle has won just two games since then and not at all since a Round 8 victory over West Perth while Perth's last win was only in Round 12 when the Demons thumped Subiaco by 70 points.
Perth loses key defender Nick Kane from the team that lost to East Fremantle last week, but has some more than handy inclusions led by the return of Sydney Swans premiership player Paul Bevan.
Fremantle draftee Gavin Roberts also looks set to make his league debut with Matthew Rogers and Daniel O'Sullivan a chance to return as well.
South Fremantle loses Adam McIntosh out of the team that lost to Claremont last Sunday but does regain some experience led by 153-game veteran Hayden North. Adam Guglielmana, Alex Grima and Jason Maskos are also pushing for a return after some strong reserves form in recent weeks.
EAST PERTH (8-1-4, 4th) v PEEL THUNDER (3-9, 9th) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 2.10PMSelected teams
East Perth has some big inclusions as the Royals try to bounce back from two straight losses with a win, but Peel Thunder is fresh off a bye following an impressive victory so will certainly provide stiff opposition on Saturday at Medibank Stadium.
East Perth still sits inside the top-four with eight wins and a draw from its 13 games this season, but losses the last fortnight to Swan Districts and Subiaco has left the Royals needing to bounce back this Saturday at home to bottom-placed Peel.
Peel might be on the bottom of the ladder, but its best football this season has seen the Thunder record strong wins over Swan Districts, Claremont and South Fremantle.
The Thunder beat South Fremantle a fortnight ago by 29 points in the first game under caretaker coach Mark Moody, but the problem has been consistency for Peel in 2012.
After previous wins over Swan Districts and Claremont, Peel put in dismal performances the next week so now coming off the win over South Fremantle and now the bye, the test for the Thunder is to back up against East Perth this Saturday with the Royals sure to come out breathing fire.
East Perth has some massive inclusions led by 168-game West Coast Eagles veteran Adam Selwood and Fremantle pair Zac Clarke and Jayden Pitt. Jacob Derickx and Rowan Brookes are also pushing for selection with Brock Higgins and Tim Martin out of the side at this stage.
Peel Thunder hasn’t played for a fortnight since its impressive win over South Fremantle and from that team, Jesse Crichton, Mitch Green, Liam Hansen, David Johnston and Callan Eddy are pushing for selection. Rhett Mason is the out from that side at this stage.
