Optus WAFLW Grand Final Preview

EAST Fremantle and Swan Districts are both in hot form and it sets the stage for quite the spectacle in the first ever WAFLW Grand Final on Saturday afternoon.

The inaugural Optus WAFLW Premiership Season has proved quite the success with the launch of the new five-team competition in 2019 to continue to build on the momentum created for female football by AFLW.

It was Claremont, East Fremantle, Peel Thunder, Subiaco and Swan Districts chosen as the five teams to take part in the first WAFLW season and there was precious little between the top four teams with only Peel missing out on a finals appearance.

The first week of the finals saw Swan Districts continue its hot form eliminating Claremont in the first semi-final while East Fremantle booked a place in the Grand Final by defeating minor premiers Subiaco.

Then in last Saturday's preliminary final, Swan Districts proved too strong for Subiaco to set up this Saturday's Grand Final against East Fremantle at Lathlain's Mineral Resources Park.

It's a big day planned at the venue with the main event being the WAFLW Grand Final which bounces down at 2.35pm. It will be broadcast live from 2.30pm on Channel 7 with ABC Radio also calling the game highlighting just how far female football in WA has come.

SHARKS SET SIGHTS ON INAUGURAL WAFLW PREMIERSHIP
ANTONIO URGES SWANS TO EMBRACE GRAND FINAL STAGE  
OPTUS WAFLW PRELIMINARY FINAL WRAP
OPTUS WAFLW SEMI FINALS WRAP

WAFLW Grand Final day gets underway on Saturday at Mineral Resources Park with the Rogers Cup Youth Girls Grand Final featuring South Fremantle playing Peel Thunder from 10.15am.

The Reserves Grand Final will then see South Fremantle also in action against Claremont with that match beginning at 12.10pm.

That will all lead into the WAFLW Grand Final between East Fremantle and Swan Districts from 2.35pm.

Entry to Mineral Resources Park will be $5 for adults and children under-16 will be admitted free.

Food and beverage options will be available all day at the ground while there will be plenty of giveaways, inflatables for the kids and plenty more there to make sure it's an enjoyable day for all.

The stage is all set for what should be a tremendous inaugural WAFLW Grand Final with East Fremantle and Swan Districts in superb form entering the contest.

While Subiaco finished on top of the ladder two games clear at the end of the home and away season, both East Fremantle and Swan Districts defeated the Lions to book their places in the Grand Final.

The Sharks won the second semi-final by 28 points at Leederville Oval to move straight into the Grand Final and earn the week's rest.

That win saw young forward Roxanne Roux shine kicking four goals with Gabby O'Sullivan, Samara Pluschke, Ashlee Atkins, Evie Gooch, Kim Bowey and Ashton Hill also tremendous.

That set up the preliminary final for last Saturday also at Leederville Oval and Swan Districts also proved too strong for Subiaco winning by 45 points to set up the Grand Final.

Swans beat the Lions by 45 points having held them goalless the entire first half with Gemma Houghton kicking three goals and Imahra Cameron two while captain Ebony Antonio, Mim Strom, Lauren Osborne and Taylor Pescud were all outstanding.

The two teams last met back in Round 13 and that was a tremendous contest at East Fremantle's New Choice Homes Park with Swan Districts winning a thriller by just six points.

The other two meetings during the season saw East Fremantle score a thumping 61-point win in Round 3 while also winning in Round 8 by eight points. All three games took place at Shark Park as a quirk in the fixtures.

Since that loss to Swans last up, East Fremantle has put together two terrific performances to enter the Grand Final. The Sharks beat Claremont in the final round by 13 points to secure second position before then beating Subiaco by 28 points in the second semi-final.

Swan Districts, meanwhile, now enter the Grand Final on a five-match winning streak having ended the home and away season with the victories over Claremont, East Fremantle and Peel Thunder, and then beating the Tigers and Subiaco in the finals to book in the Grand Final spot.

It has been a dominant stretch of form for Swans and if you take out the narrow win over East Fremantle, the other four wins have seen the black-and-whites win by an averaging margin of over 50 points while only conceding a total of five goals.

With East Fremantle and Swan Districts having already won the last two WAWFL premierships and now proving themselves the standout sides of the new WAFLW competition in the end in 2019, it is only fitting they battle it out for the inaugural premiership now on Saturday afternoon.

OPTUS WAFLW GRAND FINAL

EAST FREMANTLE v SWAN DISTRICTS – MINERAL RESOURCES PARK, 2.35PM
Live scores, stats