the weekend’s results have seen a definite splitting of the competition
West Perth winning has made it that they are probably the best threat of a side outside the top 5
If this trend continues the finals order could well be set not long after the half way point of the season
Perennially - we always see fades and rises around that point of each season
but this year we are probably going to have to see this occur for this current top 5 to alter
Claremont the 5th placed side have a 6 point break on West Perth but play the 4th placed Perth this weekend
should see a fair bit riding on that one most particularly for West Perth who have the derby against East Perth to deal with
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Peel are the only real threat to the top 5 IMO. Depends on the Dockers injury list. Subiaco and Swans already looking towards 2026.
after tomorrow when Sellwood goes to Footscray
they will be totally reliant on Cockburn in every sense
Peel could surge at the back end of the season if they get some players back. O´Meara, Fyfe, Walters, Darcy, Young, Narkle, Walker, Simpson and Sturt could return, either through the WAFL, or forcing players back into the WAFL. As a Perth fan, I am an eternal pessimist, remembering 2008. We were second after 10 games, 6 wins and 1 draw, % almost 120. Ross Young broke his collarbone and we then lost 8 games straight and finished 7th. Not forgetting 2019, where we won our first 5. Still, if we can avoid a run of injuries, we should be looking at 4th or 5th.
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It was 2008 that I returned to watching the Dees in a big way Ted. I came back mid season and watched it all unfold 
.
Assuming Perth and Claremont will defeat the 3,struggling sides.Swans,Subi and the coasters.
Peel cant do to much wrong to make finals.And defend their premiership flag.
Peel will have to beat both Freo sides and Ep away from home.
Bit too early calling it a split but some results on the weekend could shape the season. Claremont can jump over Perth with a win and superior percentage, conversely Perth could jump 6 points clear of Claremont with a win. Would need WP to defeat EP to jump to 3rd.
WP are up at the moment but proving to be the flat track bullies of the WAFL so far only knocking off the bottom 3 sides but they make it count percentage wise when they do.
Peel are very beatable and can’t see that changing in 2025.
Still early but safe to say SDFC Subi and WCE will not be playing finals in 2025.
Other than that the comp is still up for grabs, Dockers loom as a threat, I would not rule out any team to make a run or perhaps have a tumble, interesting Perth are hanging in there.
Have to agree Bazza, Its a bit disappointing that we are not yet at the half way point of the season and already 3 teams are out of contention for finals. I’m hoping that Swans can at least improve to the extent that they could upset a few teams and have some influence in the shape of the top 5
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Perth are playing West Coast and Swans in the next two weeks. Assuming they win these games which they should, its going to be very hard for Peel to make up the ground on them or any other team in the top 5. Peel are the only team outside the 5 with a realistic hope of making the finals. West Perth have dropped away
More interesting than the fight for the top 5 is the jostling for positions within the top 5. Massive game between South Fremantle and East Perth after their byes. If South win this they will firm as favourites to finish on top which we know is a huge advantage. East Perth are building too and certainly have a chance of going one better than last year. The Tigers are travelling well at the moment and they will be aiming at one of the top 3 positions and a double chance. Even though the Sharks had a horrible day on Monday they shouldnt be written off either and they should bounce back to the winners list against West Perth. Perth have a chance to shore up their spot by beating 2 bottom 3 sides over the next 2 weeks.
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would not like to be playing West Perth this weekend after being walloped like that at Leederville
They were held to less than 250 touches all game which is really low in today’s game
And they’ll be at their home ground as well
but East Fremantle have won their last 3 clashes on the other end
West Perths 3 wins have come against the 3 teams below them on the ladder. I don’t think they are any threat to the teams in the top 5
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Yes sadly West Perth are one of the teams stuck in the bottom half of the ladder and not partaking in finals action. They blew it in week 9. It appears the teams 1 to 5 are set and the finishing order is the only question. Souths are currently sitting on 3$ (down from 7) to win the Grand Final. Claremont currently 3$ 75, EF are 4$ 75c, royals are 4.25 with Perth currently steady on 12 dollars. And basically forget the rest. Bit sad of being just over the half way mark of the season and the league ladder looking like it is.
Come on you guys for the last 20 odd years it was Subiaco, Claremont, South Fremantle and West Perth you could copy and paste from one year to the next as almost guaranteed that’s the top 4 in whatever order and raffle the rest.
And it was probably evident within 6 rounds any given year those 4 teams will make up the top four and you could easily discount at least 2 or 3 teams. I know because I’m a long suffering Perth supporter on the wrong end of realising the inevitable very early on in the season.
Now a couple of new teams have taken the place of the likes of Subiaco and West Perth everyone is saying how sad it is that 10 rounds in the top five is breaking away.
I can tell you ask any Perth supporter if they wish we were only a game and a half outside the top 5 after 10 rounds and we would have taken that any of the past 25 years.
I’m not feeling safe yet. Happy that my team is 7 and 3 after 10 rounds but injuries are starting to mount.
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Peels poor percentage makes them 10 points .Outside the top 5.
Souths end their season next Saturday.
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Given Peel drew with Claremont in Round 1, gtrxuone, their percentage isn’t a factor unless they finish level on points with the Tigers, who have a vastly superior percentage to the Thunder.
I still think it’s a race in six for the top five, although, in the unlikely event they won eight of their final games, West Perth still has a remote chance of playing finals.
We only have to think back to 1978 (my favourite year in footy) when East Perth won their last seven games, after being 12 points and 6% behind fourth-placed Claremont.
On their day, I think all teams in the bottom half of the ladder are capable of upsetting the top half.
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Unusual that, if results go as expected next week, that is, wins to SF, EF, C and EP, Perth will be 5th despite winning 7 out of 10 games. I had a look over the last 15 years (excepting the Covid season) and in almost every year 7 wins at this stage of the year would have a team firmly top 3, sometimes on top. I guess that confirms the title of this thread. Aside from WCER v SF, no bottom 5 team has beaten a top 5 team this season.
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The split started 3 weeks ago and is seriously taking shape only Mandurah currently appear able to crash in but yes there are still quite a few games remaining
What a fkn disgrace that a club , if you can call it that, has 19 players on the injury list yet are just one and a half games outside the top 5 and considered the only threat to Perth or any other team in the top five who might stumble.
It would be a travesty if those frauds make the top 5.
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