South Fremantle coach Craig White says their elimination final defeat to East Perth mirrored their season as a whole after their premiership defence ended on Sunday.
Mitchell Woodcock
Midfielder Liam Tedesco says East Perth will embrace being the underdog throughout the finals series and they will treat every game as a ‘free swing’ from here on out.
Perth aren’t going to panic despite being in danger of a disappointing straight-sets exit from finals after a 17-point qualifying final defeat to Claremont at Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday.
South Fremantle’s premiership defence is over, with East Perth extracting grand final revenge with a thrilling five-point victory in Sunday’s elimination final.
It might be the confidence which comes with youth, but top WA draft prospect Heath Mellody has declared Claremont are the best side in the WAFL as they prepare for the toughest task in the competition.
For a second consecutive year, Claremont have proved too good for Perth on the big stage, booking a place against Peel Thunder in next weekend’s second semifinal.
East Perth have pulled a selection shock, recalling key forward Tom Graham for their cut-throat elimination final against reigning premiers South Fremantle on Sunday.
Ahead of the first week of the WAFL finals, The West Australian’s Mitchell Woodcock goes in-depth on each team in contention for the 2026 premiership in an all-you-need-to-know preview.
East Perth’s hopes of avoiding an early exit this finals series have been boosted by the return of star ruckman Scott Jones for their elimination final clash against South Fremantle on Sunday.
Perth have made a bold call at the selection table for their crucial qualifying final against Claremont at Revo Fitness Stadium, which coach Mark Stone has conceded comes with ‘some risk’. SEE THE TEAMS
A venue clash because of a West Coast AFLW home game could force both WAFL semifinals to be played next Saturday should Perth not beat Claremont in the qualifying final.
A deep run into September for Fremantle would extend the availability of AFL-listed players for Peel Thunder in the WAFL finals series, even if they haven’t played a single game in the regular season.
Perth will weigh up whether they take a punt on star Blake Schlensog or give the forward another run in the reserves as they look to get one step closer to a grand final with victory against Claremont.
South Fremantle captain Chad Pearson has backed his side to be able to run the gauntlet and win four consecutive finals to claim consecutive premierships for the first time in more than 50 years.
WA Football has slashed the price of tickets to this year’s WAFL grand final, as well as making a key change to the structure of the day. Get the details here!
Aaron Kirby
West Coast’s WAFL season ended with a 33-point loss to Claremont at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday evening. Here’s how the 15 AFL-listed Eagles who played fared.
Claremont coach Ash Prescott says he’s confident they can take teenage draft hopefuls Heath Mellody and George Gale into a high-pressure qualifying final against Perth next weekend.
Count out the reigning premiers at your own peril after South Fremantle produced their best performance of the season at the perfect time on Saturday.
Jack Penniment
Ruckman Matt Flynn believes he has done enough to remain on West Coast’s list next season and has revealed he has had “positive conversations” with list boss Matt Clarke.
Claremont ensured West Coast’s season ended in heartbreak, flexing their premiership muscles with a strong 33-point victory at Mineral Resources Park.
Perth have claimed a top-three finish for the first time since 1997 in a thrilling five-point victory over West Perth to secure a date with Claremont in the first semi-final.
James Palumbo
East Perth may have lost to cross-town rivals Subiaco by 35 points, but they live to fight another day after holding onto fifth spot by percentage in a thrilling last quarter at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
Spencer Robertson
The reigning champs have kept their premiership defence alive with a nail biting four point win over the minor premiers Peel.
Swan Districts have managed to finish their season on a winning note, cruising to a 25-point win over East Fremantle at The Good Grocer Park.
Josh Kempton
