SWAN Districts will search for a fourth straight win this season in a remarkable reversal of form, taking on Peel Thunder as part of a triple treat for WAFL Women’s spectators. Three games will complete Round 9 of the season and we take a look at the three in today’s preview.

FORM

West Perth enters the Round 9 match coming off an inspiring victory over Subiaco, the Falcons’ third of the season. They will find the going much tougher here against a red-hot Bulldogs outfit that beat East Fremantle two starts ago, then made light work of Peel Thunder in Round 8 to sit comfortably second.

CHANGES

The Falcons have been forced into the four changes with three of their most consistent performers this season out in Grace Betti, Natasha Spurr and Kayla Van Den Heever. They do regain the services of young gun winger Megan Norbury, while Georgia Cowman and Harriet Jones are among the other inclusions.

South Fremantle has lost Makaela Tuhakaraina with AFLW players filtering back to their clubs, as well as Kiara Templeman, but bring back excitement machines Noa McNaughton and Molly O’Hehir following their AFLW Under 18s campaign, as well as Liusaidh Gilchrist and Cali Hunt.

KEY PLAYERS

Norbury will be an important player in that midfield alongside Bianca Webb and Emily Bennett, while Jeevna Heer and Taylor Ferguson are providing some great run on the outside. South Fremantle’s forwardline that includes McNaughton, O’Hehir, Bethany Bond and Casey Byrne is incredibly dangerous and is the key to victory.

PREDICTION

South Fremantle look too strong on paper in this one. West Perth has improved greatly in 2023, but the Bulldogs look as good as anyone this season so expect them to pick up the points away from home.

FORM

Coming off what would have been a disappointing loss for Subiaco to West Perth last round, the Lions will be desperate to gain some breathing space inside the top four They face an easier task against the winless East Perth, but will also be minus a stack of players. The Royals are yet to taste victory in 2023, and have had some rough weeks in the last month, but should be able to put in a competitive effort against an understrength Subiaco side.

CHANGES

Subiaco will be minus its captain Tarnica Golisano for the first time this season, with Liana Burchell, Kelsey Patterson and Tahli Wilkins also among the outs for the Lions this week. They recall teenage talents Olivia Crane, Olivia Wolmarans, Madison Dodd, Eva Popovsky and Charlotte Newland returning from their AFLW Under 18s and Under 16s campaigns, as well as the important Tiah Toth.

East Perth will bring in former Claremont premiership player Jorja Elisseou for her first game since crossing from the Tigers, named straight in the midfield. Eliza Van De Velde and Tahlia Dawson-Gibbs are also among the inclusions, while Holly Gill and Chloe Sauzier are among those going out.

KEY PLAYERS

Toth will be an important player in the absence of Golisano, but look to the likes of Hayley Corlett, Dodd and Popovsky to step up, while Crane and Wolmarans will be marking targets at respective ends for the Lions. East Perth will look to Elisseou to bring her trademark pressure as well as experience, while captain Jess Valvasori and defensive duo Lillian Ninyett and Sarah Madden hope to continue their good form.

PREDICTION

Subiaco should still be too polished for East Perth even minus a few key talents, but the Royals will be hoping to get back to what they were doing early days this season, with a few lob-sided results the last few weeks.

FORM

Swan Districts is the in-form team of the competition the last few weeks and has incredibly come from an 0-4 start to be back at 3-4 and closing in on the top four. With an impressive percentage after some big wins, their modern day rivals Peel Thunder is the next team in line as the Swans hope to go to four straight wins. The young Thunder outfit are struggling with four straight losses, and feeling the effects of losing so many players to either injury or the AFLW.

CHANGES

Swan Districts brings in just the two players with Jaime Henry and Emma Nanut further strengthening the lineup, replacing Teyharna Curry and Daisy Rigby.

Peel Thunder on the other hand has made a whooping nine changes as they move the magnets around, bringing back its abundance of youth from the national carnival. Among the names returning are Kaitlyn Srhoj, Evie Cowcher, Holly Britton, Kate Newson and Holly Britton, though they replace the likes of Jade Briggs, Gracie Fenton and Anke Grove.

KEY PLAYERS

The Swan Districts midfield that includes Henry, Tyla Fitzgerald, Hope Ugle-Hayward and Ruby Mahony is ticking along nicely, while Peel Thunder premiership ruck Lauren Quaife comes up against her former side for the second time. The inclusions of Srhoj and Cowcher in particular will be important for the Thunder, while Kira Phillips and Tanisha Anderson will be the key targets inside 50 if they are to kick a winning score.

PREDICTION

Swan Districts is in far better form at the moment and expect that to continue, with a near full-strength outfit up against a developing Thunder team that is still trying to rebuild on the run. They will be better for it long term, but expect the black and whites to be too strong again and keep the winning streak alive.