After beating the top team in the competition last Friday night, the task for the match committee gets no easier with the queue of players seeking an opportunity growing further at the weekend.
It’s always tough breaking into a winning team and even tougher when there are 19 players fit and available who played in the WAFL.
Add to that, the need to find a place for Quinten Lynch, one of the primary reasons for the club’s remarkable form to this point in the season, and the task magnifies.
Lynch, of course, resumes after a one-week suspension and will be an automatic inclusion.
Also building a strong case for a recall are vice-captain Beau Waters, key defender Mitch Brown, half-backs Brad Sheppard and Brett Jones, and midfielders Andrew Gaff and Bradd Dalziell.
Waters has now played two games back with Claremont and has been solid. His aggression and commitment are always unquestionable and the match committee is likely to find room for him somehow.
Brown, who was outstanding in the first month, before breaking his thumb against Hawthorn in Launceston has now played three games back - one of them for the Peel reserves - and has improved with each hit-out.
His latest performance for East Fremantle against Peel was eye catching, with 14 kicks, 11 handballs and eight marks, largely in defence, but also up forward.
Dalziell has been ultra-consistent for the Sharks, picked up 33 possessions against Peel but also took nine marks and laid four tackles. He played the difficult role of the high half-forward and performed the task impeccably.
Also shining for East Fremantle were defender Jacob Brennan (20 disposals, seven marks and six tackles), midfielder Chris Masten (24 touches and eight tackles) and wingman Tim Houlihan continues to rack up big numbers with 31 possessions.
Peel upset the Sharks to record an important victory, with Scott Lycett and Jordan Jones making solid contributions. Lycett took eight marks and had 15 hit outs while Jones had 26 disposals, five marks and kicked a goal after spending time both in defence and through the midfield.
Blayne Wilson did some good defensive work for Peel, with 17 possessions and five marks and generally had the call over his immediate opponents.
South Fremantle fell to Subiaco at Esperance, but it certainly was through no fault of Gaff, who was again the Bulldogs’ highest possession winner. He worked hard and long for 27 touches and four marks and was generally hailed as his team’s most proficient player.
Ashton Hams was not as damaging as he has been, coming off a hamstring strain, but still managed 15 possessions and four tackles while Callum Wilson kicked two goals from five marks up forward.
West Perth retained top position on the ladder courtesy of a thrilling win over Claremont, with Andrew Strijk making a major contribution with 20 possessions and five marks, stepping up his game in the last quarter when the game was on the line.
Brett Jones and Lewis Stevenson were clean and efficient for the Tigers, but Gerrick Weedon was relatively quiet. Lewis Broome and Anton Hamp played in the reserves for Claremont.
