DERBIES galore take place on Friday with an early start to the WAFL Women’s Round 9. East Fremantle plays host to South Fremantle up first, while East Perth and West Perth go at it in the other match to kick off the weekend.

FORM

East Fremantle is fresh off a bye last round but must get a wriggle on in Round 9 with the season quickly moving on and the Sharks two games and a lot of percentage outside the top four, A win here will be a good start, but with half the season done, they cannot afford to suffer many more losses. Similarly, South Fremantle is fifth with West Perth expected to win its match on the same day, so a win here is a must.

TEAMS

CHANGES

Both sides have made just two changes with South Fremantle’s Caitlin Pears and Liusaidh Gilchrist coming in for the injured Kate Newson and experienced defender Lauren Vecchio. East Fremantle will bring in 27-year-old debutant Clotilde Decaux alongside veteran Larissa Versaci. They replace Reini Tutuki and Charlotte McGregor who have both been named as emergencies.

AFLW DRAFT TALENT

East Fremantle forward Alicia Blizard could cross paths with fellow State Academy and South Fremantle defender Marie Polimeno, while up the other end, the same could be said for Eva Flynn and Maya Louvel-Finn. In midfield, Renee Morgan will be a key player for the Bulldogs as she looks to get first hands to it.

PREDICTION

South Fremantle has looked the better side this season, but you can never quite write off the Sharks who have quality players and depth across all three lines. The Bulldogs in a narrow one, but it would not be a surprise for it to go the other way as well.

FORM

West Perth used its get out of jail free card against Perth last week, surviving a scare and making it win number four on the trot. The Falcons have climbed back inside the top four and will look to continue that rise in Round 9 against an East Perth side that has just one win to its name which was over the winless Perth.

TEAMS

CHANGES

Desperate for a win, East Perth has been able to bring back some quality players with the dynamic Lucy Greenwood returning from an ankle injury, while Layla Firns – who also went down early a couple of weeks back – is back. Taylah Suda is the third Royal returning, with the trio of Taylor Drummond, Hannah Trusso and Kate Inglis-Hodge out of the side. On the other hand, West Perth will welcome Kenleigh Duve and Leuca Krmpotic into the team for Amy Fortescue and Olivia Ferguson.

AFLW DRAFT TALENT

Greenwood will add some serious X-factor to East Perth’s lineup and work in tandem with fellow Royals State Academy member, Charli Bassett. The duo will no doubt be involved in some big moments, while the ruck and rover pair of Cara Dziegielewski and Lexi Strachan will look to get on top of the midfield battle early by combining well.

PREDICTION

West Perth to be too strong here. The Falcons look to be hitting their straps, and though the tight win against Perth might have been a scare, it should fortify them going forward. The Royals will likely be able to compete for large portions of the game, but the visitors have more experience and should get up.