ROUND 17 PREVIEW V EAST PERTH

WEST Perth enters Saturday's derby at Medibank Stadium against East Perth having won nine of its last 10 games and a win for the Falcons will see them move into a second position making the minor premiership a realistic possibility.

East Perth and West Perth are both in winning form, have significant reasons to win and they are the fiercest of rivals all pointing towards a clash to savour on Saturday at Medibank Stadium.

The Royals and Falcons have met in the grand final of 2013 and preliminary final of 2015 so they aren’t strangers to doing battle with plenty on the line in recent times, and that is indeed the case again on Saturday.

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East Perth needs to win to remain inside the top five and four points will take the Royals a significant step closer towards a fifth straight finals appearance while a victory for West Perth would take the Falcons into second position and to be just percentage behind the league-leading Subiaco.

Not only is plenty at stake for both clubs with West Perth to struggle to finish top two with a loss and East Perth in danger of missing the finals altogether with a defeat, but they are in tremendous form.

East Perth hasn’t lost since the last derby back on WA Day at HBF Arena when West Perth prevailed by 31 points. The Royals have since defeated Perth by 33 points, South Fremantle by 16 and Swan Districts by 40.

West Perth started the season winning just one of its first five matches but the Falcons have since won nine of their last 10 games to sit on a 10-5 record behind just the 11-4 Subiaco and 10-4 South Fremantle.

Both teams also handled the terrible conditions better than their opponents last weekend with East Perth holding Swan Districts to its equal lowest ever score of 2.6 (18) and West Perth keeping Peel Thunder to its lowest ever total of 1.5 (11).

The two derbies so far of 2016 couldn’t have produced more contrasting results with East Perth winning by 60 points back in Round 5 before West Perth then won by 31 on WA Day.

West Perth might lose in-form small forward Steve Potente with key defender Nick Rodda still absent, but spots are getting tight at the Falcons with four key players all returning this Saturday to take on East Perth at Medibank Stadium.

Midfielder Aidan Lynch, small defender Laine Rasmussen and state half-back Luke Meadows all missed last week's win over Peel Thunder and come straight back into the line-up, while Kody Manning returns having been sidelined since Round 12 after battling persistent quad injuries.

East Perth's form resurgence has coincided with the return of co-captain and games record holder Craig Wulff with Paul Johnson, Mitch Fraser and Nathan Blee all in strong form in the continued absence of co-captain Kyle Anderson and 104-game wingman Steven Payne.

Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls is another who has been in tremendous form for the Royals having kicked nine goals in the previous four matches prior to last week's win over Swan Districts. He will be out for East Perth on Saturday against West Perth.

Jack Redden and Eric Mackenzie have been called into the West Coast squad to face Carlton at the MCG on Sunday but it remains to be seen if they make the final 22 of the Eagles. Tom Cole does also go out of the East Perth team from the one that beat Swans last Saturday.

Callum Hart, Tom Hodgson, Asher Samelko, David Roche, Shayne Hille, Will Maginness and Luke Partington are all in the mix to play for the Royals following strong reserves form as well.

Last week against Swans, Hart had 19 possessions, Hodgson 22 disposals, Samelko 16 touches, Roche 18 possessions, Hille 16 disposals, Maginness 22 touches and Partington 26 possessions and a goal.

ROUND 17
EAST PERTH (7-7, 5th) v WEST PERTH (10-5, 3rd) – MEDIBANK STADIUM, SATURDAY 1.40PM
Broadcast – 7mate, 91.3 SportFM

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