TWO rivals who know each other inside and out over the last few years, having both respectively gone undefeated in the season up until losing in a heartbreaking decider. Like a tennis match poised at a set apiece, it will be fascinating to see which one of these titans can land the winning blow.

FORM

East Fremantle has been the team to beat of late, barnstorming past the rest of the competition and winning a whopping 11 consecutive games en route to a 13-1 record this season. The Sharks’ sole loss came in Round 3 to Claremont, but a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then and you cannot fault the minor premiers’ winning streak. Claremont got back to its best against East Perth with a crushing 16-goal win on the weekend, but factoring in the opposition, it will be interesting to see whether that was a true reflection or a mirage. The Tigers’ cloak of invincibility in the run home slipped, not only losing to East Fremantle, but also West Perth and Swan Districts, while scrapping past South Fremantle and Subiaco.

TEAMS

CHANGES

East Fremantle has not made a change from its final round win over South Fremantle, and considering the Sharks’ form, it is hard to blame them. They are firing on all cylinders and will be hungry to make it a dozen wins on the trot.

Meanwhile Claremont has also only made the one obvious change, recalling reigning Dhara Kerr Medallist Jayme Harken for the clash, with the key midfielder refreshed and ready to go. She replaces Abby Maynard in the 21.

AFLW DRAFT TALENT

The Sharks always have a stack of talent, headlined by top five star Zippy Fish, while defensive duo Natasha Entwistle and Taya Chambers are both attracting club interest having represented the Under 21 All-Stars in Melbourne recently. Siena Jezierski-Brown was a late addition to the State Academy squad for the upcoming national championships, while bottom-age forward Alicia Blizard and versatile utility Tiani Teakle are other names in the mix.

The Tigers are more experienced heavy, but still have AFLW Academy member Claudia Wright, as well as smooth-moving bottom-ager Juliet Kelly. The latter, along with over-age marking forward Bec Anderson both produced their best games of the season in Round 16, having been in and out of the side at times this year.

PREDICTION

It is hard to go past East Fremantle on form, and while one can never dismiss Claremont based on what the Tigers have been able to achieve over the journey, they will need to lift their game significantly from the past two months to be a shot here. They have the talent though, and if past WAFLW finals have proven something, it is anything is possible.