East Fremantle captain Tiani Teakle says a series of close finishes has given the Sharks confidence they’re ready for another thriller in Sunday’s WAFLW grand final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday.

Teake’s side are looking to claim their first premiership since 2023 when they beat Claremont, having lost the 2024 decider to the Tigers.

They will now take on the hotly-favoured Swans after they beat Claremont in the preliminary final by six points last weekend.

It was the Sharks’ third consecutive win by a goal or less, which includes their finals victory against South Fremantle in week one as they stormed into the decider.

“I think having that experience in those close games has certainly proved us well. I think we back ourselves and we back our process to play the whole game,” Teakle said.

Last Sunday’s nailbiter preliminary final against Claremont was forced into extra time and eventually golden point, meaning the next score would win the game.

Teakle might do her best work in the backline, but that didn’t stop her from roaming forward to kick the match-winner, keeping the Sharks’ dream alive and sending Claremont out of the finals for the first time since 2021.

“It was definitely a surreal moment, and I was super stoked to be a part of it. But all the credit, I think, goes to our backline and their ability to defend the goal line in those dying minutes of the extra time,” she said.

“We’ve probably been titled as the underdogs all year, but we’ll take that into our favour. The Swans finishing as minor premiers will probably go in as favourites, but that doesn’t phase us.”

Swan Districts have been dominant all season, but co-captains Eliza Gelmi and Demi Liddle said their one-point grand final loss last year had made them hungrier than ever.

“It was a very close game, it was a point and it was very upsetting, but I think that just gives us more hunger and more drive, and a lot of our group was in that team last year, so I think that’s actually going to benefit us now, showing us how much we want it,” Gelmi said.

“We know what it feels like to miss out by that small margin, so we’re going to be the ones wanting to pick up the cup at the end of the day.”

Despite staying undefeated to the Sharks this season, the Swans aren’t expecting a walkover come Sunday.

“That was a bit like our season last year, so like we did going to the grand final, we came with a lot of hunger and a lot of pressure, which is what we’re expecting from East,” Liddle said.