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ANZAC ROUND PREVIEW v SWAN DISTRICTS

Saturday, April 21, 2018 - 9:43 AM by Chris Pike

WEST Perth will head to Steel Blue Oval to try and get back on the winner's list at the expense of Swan Districts on Saturday in what has now become an annual fixture as part of Anzac Round.

The Falcons have plenty of motivation as they head to Bassendean on Saturday not only to make up for losses the past two weeks to East Perth and South Fremantle, but also for last year's elimination final loss at the same venue against Swan Districts.

Swan Districts and West Perth have played in some of the more remarkable WAFL victories this century and that has included some fascinating Anzac Round contests with the two teams playing to commemorate the occasion now ever since 2013.

They are both coming into Saturday's clash after losses too with Swans suffering their first defeat of the season to Subiaco last Saturday while the Falcons have lost their past two against East Perth and South Fremantle.

Swans and the Falcons have now played to commemorate Anzac Day since 2013 making this the sixth straight clash marking the occasion between the two clubs.

It began in 2013 with Swans winning by 28 points at HBF Arena in front of 2695 people. A year later it was at Steel Blue Oval with 2656 watching on as Swan Districts again won a thriller by seven points on a day where Andrew Krakouer returned to Bassendean in a West Perth jumper.

Then in 2015 it was back to HBF Arena and 3340 people witnessed West Perth win by seven points in yet another tremendous contest.

In 2016 at Steel Blue Oval, it was a tough season for Swans and that included the Anzac Round clash with West Perth winning by 23 points.

And last year at HBF Arena, it was yet another nail-biter between the two burgeoning rivals with West Perth winning on home turf by five points.

West Perth has won the last three Anzac Round meetings against Swan Districts while leading into last year's elimination final, the Falcons had won five straight matches against Swans.

But Swan Districts had a day to savour that afternoon at Steel Blue Oval to celebrate Tony Notte's 200th match and Tallan Ames' last appearance at Bassendean to win by 15 points in front of a crowd of 5637 to end West Perth's season.

West Perth also started the season with a solid win at HBF Arena beating Claremont by 18 points but the Falcons have since lost to East Perth by 58 points and South Fremantle by eight.

Swan Districts started the new season under coach Adam Pickering in fine fashion beating Perth and Peel Thunder. They then started strongly against Subiaco last Saturday to lead at quarter-time before conceding 18 of the last 19 goals of the game to lose by 96 points.

Interestingly over the opening three rounds of the season, aside from Subiaco, West Perth and Swan Districts have been the best starting teams in the competition. The Falcons have outscored their opponents in first quarters by 44 points with Swans having done so by 19 points.

But second quarters have been a problem with West Perth outscored by 51 points and Swan Districts by 30. Then in last terms, the Falcons have been outscored by 44 points and Swans by 15.

West Perth put in a good showing for the most part before losing narrowly to South Fremantle last Saturday at HBF Arena. 

From that Falcons team, Connor West and Baylee James have been added to the squad to be potential debutants in Anzac Round against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.

Michael Lourey, Mitch Antonio and Mitch Peirce have all been added to the squad with Liam Tedesco and Andrew Strijk the outs at this stage.

From the Swan Districts team that lost to Subiaco by 96 points last Saturday, Brad Fullgrabe, Albert Dean, Taryce Stewart, Brayden Noble, Levi Ridley and Mitch Mackenzie have all been added to the squad to face West Perth at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.

Ethan Maguire, Laurence Grescos and Jacob Coniglio are the three players named out at this stage.

ROUND 4 – ANZAC ROUND
WEST PERTH v SWAN DISTRICTS – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Broadcast – KIX Digital, 91.3 SportFM, Footy Radio (WAFL App)

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