SEASON PREVIEW GRANDFriday,Friday MarchMarch 14,14 20142014 PLAN FALCONS EYE ANOTHER FLAG IN LANDMARK SEASON FOR LEAGUE INSIDE FREE FIXTURES CARD PLUS HOW YOUR TEAM IS SHAPING UP 2 WAFL 2014 thewest.com.au 2014 SEASON PREVIEW For all your WAFL news thewest.com.au Winds of change assist Peel JOHN TOWNSEND measured and experienced as any for fi nancial, marketing and facilities forward to its primary target while the After two years without any fi nals fi gure in the league, cautioned makeovers may enable it to stride responsibility on Luke Blackwell and action, ambitious South Fremantle Seventeen barren years. passionate observers to avoid jumping forward once again. Jake Murphy will be immense. coach Paul Hasleby will consider this as Peel Thunder joined the WAFL in to conclusions about how to navigate There is little doubt that East Perth Still, the Tigers may have the the year of the Bulldogs. 1997 and while every new year has the new landscape. are well placed to win their fi rst fl ag league’s best starting centre square Former AFL big man James Sellar brought hope that the club’s ever- “It is not as cut and dried as people since they were last in partnership with combination with ruckman Mark has strengthened the club, while the expanding record fi nals drought fi nally think,” he said. “You would need a West Coast in 2002. Seaby joining that duo and returning St full-time presence of Ashton Hams may be about to break, this season crystal ball to see how it will play out. The return of rangy defender Nathan Kilda player Tom Ledger. should provide more sting on the ball off ers the fi rst genuine prospect of a “We continue to push the point that Blee from Port Adelaide has bolstered The Tigers are likely to be in a shoot- and in attack. September presence. this is in place for fi ve years so it has to the team, while veterans Johnson, out for a top-four place with improving Perth have promised much for The rainmaker comes in the form be assessed over a much longer term Smith and Craig Wulff remain amongst Subiaco, who have added some several years before stumbling in the of Fremantle, the emerging AFL than one season. the most infl uential players in the midfi eld cream thanks to the return of approach to September. juggernauts who will be in partnership “This is not trying to provide an out league. Kyal Horsley and the arrival of Wayde The Mortons off er a high-profi le with the Thunder for the next fi ve for anything that happens this season Arch rivals West Perth kept them Twomey and Shaun Hildebrandt, as boost, while State forwards Paul years. but while we played in the grand fi nal at bay last September and even the well as Peel, East and South Fremantle Bevan and Brennan Stack will lead the Just as West Coast will house their last year, and we’ve got a good group loss of captain Jason Salecic and and Perth. responsibility of providing winning spare players at East Perth, giving of senior players, we can’t replace Josh silken centreman Mark Hutchings, The presence of at least nine scores. the potent Royals every chance of Smith and Paul Johnson when they and the failed coup to deliver Andrew returning AFL players in the league, Swan Districts’ parlous fi nancial going one better than their grand fi nal decide to retire. Krakouer, should not be enough to including Mitch and Cale Morton situation has made them vulnerable appearance last year, the Fremantle “We may be well placed at the prevent the Falcons remaining one of who will join brother Jarryd at Perth to predators, with Hildebrandt and players not required for senior duties moment but that may not continue.” the benchmark teams. in what could be the fi rst family Twomey already picked off and stars each week will head to Peel. The WAFL is no stranger to seismic West Perth boast the league’s threesome since the Collards were at Tim Geappen and Kyle Hams leaving. The WAFL clubs were dragged upheavals that were thought, at the deepest midfi eld combination, with South Fremantle two decades ago, will The Swans board provided a pre- kicking and screaming to the current time, to threaten the very existence of the decision of Anthony Tsalikis to play compensate for the loss of more than a season vote of confi dence in coach Greg partnership agreement and there is the league. another season boosting the team’s dozen premiership players. Harding by extending his contract by little doubt that the season will be The arrival of the Eagles in 1987, attacking options. Bradd Dalziell and Jamie McNamara a year. He is likely to return that favour played out against the backdrop of that and Fremantle eight years later, had a Recent trendsetters Claremont have will be vital to East Fremantle’s bid to by investing in local youngsters as the contentious arrangement. dramatic impact within the WAFL as a new coach but an old problem — how return to the top four, while reigning club builds for the future. Considerable angst has been the focus of the football world turned to replace a large core group of players Sandover medallist Rory O’Brien and expressed: over the loss of home- more to the national stage than the who have departed at the same time. captain Mark McGough give the Sharks grown players, over the size of the century-old State league. Yet the WAFL Anton Hamp has the chance to plenty of bite. compensation package and over the bounced back both times, just as it rise from being the team’s third fear that two super teams will emerge did after both World Wars, and in WAFL ranks and the other seven its deep roots, strong heritage will be left to fi ght over the and recognition of the need scraps. Yet East Perth coach Brian Dawson, as Flashback: West Perth celebrate their 2013 premiership. Picture: Ben Crabtree TIPSTERS JOHN TOWNSEND RUSSELL REID SHAYNE HOPE NICK RYNNE ROSS LEWIS DALE MILLER BRIDGET LACY PETER SPENCER PHIL LAMB 1ST East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth 2ND West Perth West Perth West Perth West Perth West Perth West Perth West Perth West Perth West Perth 3RD Subiaco East Fremantle East Fremantle Claremont East Fremantle East Fremantle East Fremantle East Fremantle Subiaco 4TH South Fremantle Subiaco Claremont Perth South Fremantle South Fremantle Claremont Peel East Fremantle 5TH Claremont Claremont Peel East Fremantle Peel Claremont South Fremantle Claremont Peel 6TH East Fremantle South Fremantle Perth Peel Claremont Subiaco Peel South Fremantle Perth 7TH Peel Peel South Fremantle South Fremantle Perth Peel Perth Subiaco Swan Districts 8TH Perth Perth Subiaco Subiaco Subiaco Perth Subiaco Perth Claremont WOODEN SPOON Swan Districts Swan Districts Swan Districts Swan Districts Swan Districts Swan Districts Swan Districts Swan Districts South Fremantle PREMIERS East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth East Perth SANDOVER MEDAL Paul Johnson (EP) Shane Nelson (WP) Aaron Black (WP) Jake Murphy (C) Paul Johnson (EP) Ashton Hams (SF) Shane Nelson (WP) Brendan Lee (EP) Jake Murphy (C) BERNIE NAYLOR MEDAL Ben Saunders (SF) Ben Saunders (SF) Josh Smith (EP) Josh Smith (EP) Jeremy McGovern (EP) Josh Smith (EP) Ben Saunders (SF) Ben Saunders (SF) Brennan Stack (P) BIG YEAR Cam Shepherd (PT) James Sellar (SF) Ryan Lester-Smith (EF) Brett Hodge (P) Brett Raponi (WP) Shane Nelson (WP) Ashton Hams (SF) East Perth Subiaco WAFL 2014 SEASON PREVIEW Newspaper House, 50 Hasler Road, Osborne Park, WA, 6017 Editorial: Front cover: West Perth coach Bill Monaghan with co-captains Telephone: (08) 9482 3111 Editorial fax: (08) 9482 3157 Jay van Berlo, left, and Luke Tedesco. Picture: Ian Munro 3 WAFL 2014 thewest.com.au LAST YEAR PREMIERS WEST PERTH FC WINS 15 LOSSES 7 Coach Bill Monaghan Captain Jay van Berlo, Luke Tedesco Flags 19 Last one 2013 DRAWS 0 Major sponsor City of Joondalup, Lakeside Joondalup Ground Arena Joondalup Address Kennedya Drive, Joondalup Inquiries 9300 3611 Kody Manning Falcons eye tall timber to match heavyweights DALE MILLER of talls Fremantle have on their list. developing in our list,” Monaghan “We’ve added some signifi cant said. “We played 12 guys on grand In the eyes of West Perth coach Bill size with those three blokes (Martin, fi nal day who were 22 or under. Monaghan, size really does matter. Spencer and Adams), which is “We’ll keep backing our local The man in charge of the reigning something we’re not overly fl ush products in.” premiers is trying to cook up a with.” magic formula to secure consecutive West Perth have some personnelnel fl ags for the third time in the club’s gaps to fi ll if they are to repeat lastst history. year’s winning run. And with a host of talls expected Long-serving captain Jason to play regularly for AFL-aligned Salecic has retired because of clubs East Perth and Peel in 2014, increasing work commitments, Monaghan has made a point of ending a decorated 212-game career.eer. recruiting big men to combat Last year’s Simpson medallist the giant-sized headache to his Mark Hutchings will no longer playay premiership ambitions. for the Falcons under the WAFL’s The Falcons have boosted their new alignment model, and de-listedted own stocks by picking up 208cm Docker Josh Mellington has returnedrned teenager Seva Martin and 20-year- east.