West Australian Football

CLAREMONT asserted its dominance over Swan Districts to advance to the grand final with a win on Sunday while East Perth continued its amazing form to beat East Fremantle and qualify for the preliminary final.

Claremont finished as minor premiers to earn a home second semi-final at Claremont Oval and took advantage beating Swan Districts 17.17 (119) to 10.9 (69) to move one step closer to a first premiership since 1996.

East Perth has now won seven straight games after a disastrous start to 2010 and won a terrific contest with East Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval 15.12 (102) to 13.10 (88).

That sets up what should be a cracking preliminary final at Steel Blue Oval between Swan Districts and East Perth as they vie for a grand final spot against Claremont.

THE West Australian Football League has scheduled this weekend’s Preliminary Finals fixtures for Saturday, September 11, with Fremantle to play Geelong on Friday night after progressing to the second round of the AFL finals.

To maximise attendance at the WAFL finals, fixtures have been scheduled to fit around AFL finals.

This will see the WAFL Preliminary Finals played on Saturday (September 11) with the Colts, Reserves and League to commence at 10am, 11.40am and 2.15pm respectively.

The League and Reserves games will be played at Steel Blue Oval, while the Colts game will be played at Claremont Oval.

THE WAFL finals series kicks off on Sunday with a second semi-final battle that Claremont and Swan Districts have been preparing almost half a season for and a cut-throat first semi-final battle between East Fremantle and East Perth that should be a cracker.

Claremont and Swan Districts separated themselves from the pack early in the 2010 campaign and were locked in to finish top-two fairly early on, and now play off for a grand final spot at Claremont Oval on Sunday.

East Fremantle returns to finals action for the first time in eight years and East Perth the first time in three when they meet to book a preliminary final berth at East Fremantle Oval also on Sunday.

THE West Australian Football League is celebrating another exceptional home and away season, with more than 200,000 spectators attending games in 2010 for the second consecutive year.

Last year was the first time since before WA became a two-team AFL state in 1995 that the WAFL had attracted more than 200,000 spectators for a season of home and away fixtures – a feat that has been repeated this year.

The attendance total reached 201,266 after the final round of fixtures at the weekend, which is only 3.2% down on last year’s record-breaking season, when attendance peaked at 207,924.

Claremont Colts midfielder Tom Ledger was honoured last night as the overall winner of the Colts fairest and best Jack Clarke Medal, which was presented during an AAMI WAFL Colts dinner presentation at Subiaco Oval.

The agile, high endurance midfielder, who positions himself well and finds a lot of the football, polled 36 votes to win the award ahead of Peel Thunder’s Joel Beasley on 34 votes, and East Perth’s  Ryan Maldenis and Swan’s Adam Faulkner on 33 votes each.

Ledger, who also possesses quality decision making skills, is renowned for his terrific work ethic and is greatly respected and liked by his team mates.