Round 11 Preview v Claremont

BOUNCING back from the WA Day Derby loss, getting revenge for a Round 2 defeat, trying to return to the top-four and winning at the Claremont Showground for the first time since 1926 are all West Perth's focuses heading into Saturday's clash with Claremont.

West Perth fell to fifth position on the ladder thanks to a 16-point loss to East Perth in front of over 6000 fans at Arena Joondalup on Monday with the Falcons now sitting on a 4-5 record and now needing to beat Claremont on Saturday to be a chance of getting back into the top-four.

However, Claremont did beat West Perth by 12 points in Round 2 at Arena Joondalup and also beat Subiaco on Monday so the Falcons won't have an easy task to record the four points.

West Perth could move back into fourth position with a win over Claremont if East Fremantle also comes up short against Peel.

The Falcons had won two straight matches over Peel Thunder and Subiaco prior to the State game break, but then came up just 16 points short of East Perth in the WA Day Derby on Monday.

A loss to Claremont would very much put West Perth's premiership defence in jeopardy, though, at 4-6 so it's a crucial game for the Falcons in terms of their overall 2014 season.

As for playing at the Showground, Claremont will be looking to remain unbeaten at the venue since 1926.

Claremont played eight home matches at the Showground in 1926 and lost each and every one of them, but since the Tigers did not play a game there until 2005 when they beat West Perth in Round 1 by a solitary point in front of almost 8000 fans.

Now so far this season, Claremont has beaten Peel Thunder and Subiaco at the Showground so is unbeaten there since 1926 even if that has only included three matches.

West Perth, meanwhile, has previously played 12 matches at the Showground finishing with a 5-3 record in 1907, beating South Fremantle in 1922 and winning two from two in 1926 before then losing that game in 2005.

West Perth loses two premiership stars Chris Keunen and Matt Guadagnin from the team that lost to East Perth on Monday.

Keunen copped a poke in the eye from opposition ruckman Scott Lycett and went to hospital where he was diagnosed with a bruised retina and as a result he has been ruled out at least for this week's game, and possibly next week against East Fremantle as well.

That leaves a big job for Seva Martin up against potentially three Claremont ruckmen – AFL and WAFL premiership player Seaby, dual WAFL premiership ruckman Andrews and young gun Cameron.

Martin had played four games with Subiaco prior to joining West Perth for the 2014 season and after good form in the reserves, he played in the Falcons' Foxtel Cup win over the Box Hill Hawks and also played in Monday's clash with East Perth.

The 23-year-old will now be handed the role of the No. 1 ruckman in the absence of Keunen and has a big job to do.

Guadagnin also copped a nasty cork to his thigh on Monday early in the contest and decided to play on, and contributed well in the finish but because he didn’t get ice on to it quickly, the cork has bled heavily and now he is no chance of playing this week and could be in doubt for next week as well.

It continues a frustrating season for the 167-game premiership star who now has managed to play just five of West Perth's nine WAFL matches in 2014 to date.

There are plenty of West Perth reserves players vying for selection in the team though.

Brayden Antonio, Matt Johnson, Trent Manzone, Mitch McPhee and Luke Meadows have all put themselves in the selection mix.

Matt Johnson had 21 possessions and kicked five goals in the reserves on Monday against East Perth while Antonio finished with 20 possessions, Manzone had 33 and kicked a goal, McPhee finished with 13 touches and two goals and Meadows had 13 disposals.

Claremont won its third game of the season on Monday, but it was arguably its most impressive performance and as a result the Tigers could very well enter Saturday's clash with West Perth with an unchanged line-up.

Mitch Andrews, Ben Daniher and Tom Willett have been added to Claremont's squad but it wouldn’t surprise to see the Tigers go in unchanged.

Dual premiership ruckman Andrews could play to give Claremont three big men adding to Seaby and Cameron.

With the trio also capable of playing forward when not on the ball, it would really test a West Perth team missing Keunen and with the recent retirement of Matthew Spencer.

Both would have been more than handy against Claremont if the Tigers decide to go in extra tall.

On-baller Daniher has been in good form in the reserves this year and had another 26 possessions on Monday against Subiaco but the Tigers' midfield was in good touch led by Luke Blackwell, Andrew Foster, Hugo Breakey, Sam Fong, Ryan Neates, Corey Yeo and at times Steven Edwards.

Willett is a versatile player capable of playing a number of roles in the team so he could come in for the 30th league appearance of his career if coach Michael Broadbridge sees a job there for him.

RESERVES TEAM

C Branch, C Chalmers, J Embley, M Fowler, P Harvey, S Healy, B King, J Kirwen, A Lynch, B McNamara, J Mills, S Money, J Morrow, D Munns, B O'Regan, D Rohde, D Sorgiovanni, T Sutherland, M Van Berlo, B Walton, B Wilhelm, T Young

COLTS TEAM

N Alexandre, A Allen, M Antonio, M Ashfield, N Beutel, M Douglas, K Egan, K Fullgrabe, J Gray, C Hinchcliffe, A Innes, C Lynch, T Manners, W Michell, T Moulton, B Mountford, S Nelson, J Nolan, M Peirce, G Popzeleff, L Roe, S Rotham, J Ryder, J Sheehan-Nel, A Smith, M Walley

BY CHRIS PIKE