FALCONS TO JUGGLE INJURIES HEADING INTO FINALS

WEST Perth might be in outstanding form and sitting comfortably in second position but the Falcons are going to face quite the juggling act as injured players fight to return to take part in finals action.

West Perth is in outstanding form having won three straight games and eight out of the last nine but it hasn’t been without injuries mounting up.

Defenders Luke Tedesco (calf) and Jordan Jones (cork) joined the injury list during Saturday's win over Perth in Moora with Michael Pettigrew (hamstring), Jay van Berlo (knee), Matt Johnson (hamstring) and Laine Rasmussen (cork) already there.

The Falcons now sit on a 13-5 record for the season with just two matches of the home and away season remaining starting this Sunday at Arena Joondalup against East Fremantle before a bye and then a final round clash with Swan Districts at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval.

That means that some injured players might not return until the finals commence and that is even more reason why coach Bill Monaghan and everyone at West Perth is desperately hoping the reserves make the finals to give those returning players two options to come in and play.

"The bottom line of all of that is that players will get some opportunities and we've seen guys like Kris Shannon and James Batterham do well when they get an opportunity," Monaghan said.

"There's two or three guys in our reserves who are pushing hard to play league footy and we just hope they get the chance, and when they get their chance they perform their role.

"We have played one more game than a couple of other sides in the four, but getting our reserves into the finals is as important as anything right now not only for the kids' development but it means we have the option that Pettigrew, Rasmussen, Johnson and even van Berlo could play twos.

"We have got one eye on results in the twos as much as anything else and that will benefit the league side as well, but we also want our kids to taste a bit of finals footy as well."

Monaghan realises that there is a chance that those injured players that will return this year might not be available until the first week of the finals but having both the league and reserves side there will make that juggling act a lot easier.

"It's a very real possibility that a lot of those guys won't be healthy until the first week of finals and it will be a significant issue if we can play them or not," he said.

"It's not something we have thought a lot about because what we are working hard on is getting our reserves to qualify for finals.

"They have had a sustained run of good form to sneak into the four for the first time of the year after being 1-6 at one stage so it's a fantastic effort for those guys to get up and they are playing exciting footy."

As for the two injuries from the game in Moora, Jones is likely to only miss this week's clash with East Fremantle with his cork while Tedesco is going to face a race against time to return from his injured calf. However, the vice-captain will give himself every chance of getting back this year.

"Jordan Jones got a cork at the start of the last quarter on Saturday and he's hopeful that he will get up, but with the bye the next week we will be really conservative with him," Monaghan said.

"Luke Tedesco has a calf strain and traditionally that is four to six weeks, but Luke has put some things in place this week to try to get back sooner. He was up every couple of hours icing it on Saturday night and he shares a house with our physio who brought some equipment home so he is doing as many physio and treatment sessions as he can.

"He is the type of guy who will leave no stone unturned to get right. It will be really touch and go with him, but he thinks there has been significant improvement in the three games since the game. At best, you would think the last round or possibly the first round of finals for him though."

Van Berlo and Pettigrew both went down injured in West Perth's win over Peel the previous week but Monaghan is hopeful that van Berlo will return from his medial ligament injury to his knee in the final round while Pettigrew is still facing an uphill battle to be back at all from his torn hamstring.

"VB has been restricted to doing weights on his legs and doing some bike riding and swimming since hurting his knee, but he will run this week for the first time and our plan for him is to play the Swans game," he said.

"Michael Pettigrew is still fairly sore with his hamstring and he is a real long shot, he knows that but while there's life there is hope.

"We are hoping that he does some running this week and if he can run this week then you would think there is an outside chance. But if he starts to run and it's still too sore then it's going to be a real battle for him."

Exciting forward Johnson burst onto the scene this year with five goals in Round 1 against East Perth, but has been sidelined since hurting his hamstring against East Fremantle in Round 13. However, he is set to return in the reserves this Sunday against Peel.

"Johnson should play reserves this week. He has had some hamstring problems but nothing major so it's a bit like the Salecic one where it is back and nerve-related thing where he keeps pulling up tight," he said.

"We think we are on top of it now and hopefully he will play in the reserves this week and then it's a matter of how much fitness we can get into him."

Small defender Laine Rasmussen was in outstanding form early in the season but has now played just three games since Round 8 and none since Round 15. He won't play this week and is only some chance of playing in the reserves after the bye.

"Rasmussen has been a lot longer than we first thought and he is an outside chance to play footy in the last round," Monaghan said.

"He is no chance to play again this week and then after the bye, I would like to think he will be ready to play some reserves footy in the last round of the year. He is in pretty good nick still and he is one of our fittest players so he won't take long to get himself ready once he is back playing."

BY CHRIS PIKE