WAFL Round 16 Preview - NAIDOC Round

THE WAFL celebrates its annual NAIDOC Week in Round 16 action this weekend with four crucial matches on Saturday afternoon with all clubs wearing specially designed jumpers to commemorate the occasion.

All four matches will be played at 2.05pm on Saturday afternoon with Swan Districts hosting Perth at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval, Subiaco facing East Fremantle at Leederville's Medibank Stadium, South Fremantle taking on Claremont at Fremantle Oval and Peel Thunder hosting West Perth at Mandurah's Bendigo Bank Stadium.

The third-placed East Perth has the bye after a run of winning four straight matches.

SOUTH FREMANTLE (2-11, 9th) v CLAREMONT (12-1, 1st) – FREMANTLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.05PM

Selected teams

South Fremantle and Claremont continue their NAIDOC Week tradition this Saturday at Fremantle Oval with the Bulldogs facing a huge challenge of breaking an eight-game losing run against the ladder-leading Tigers.

South Fremantle and Claremont have met in NAIDOC clashes now every year since 2007 with the Tigers having won five of the six previous clashes while Claremont is also on top overall in recent clashes with South Fremantle.

The Bulldogs won the WAFL premiership in 2009, but since then have not managed to beat the Tigers with Claremont winning all eight meetings since by an average of 48 points.

That includes Claremont winning in Round 1 this year at Claremont Oval by 48 points and then by 67 at Fremantle Oval in Round 10.

South Fremantle perhaps has the strongest Indigenous heritage of all clubs in the WAFL, and possibly Australia, with the Bulldogs' Indigenous Team of the Century reading like a who's who of football royalty.

That team includes Stephen Michael, Maurice Rioli, Nicky Winmar, Peter, Phil and Wally Matera, Basil Campbell, Brad Collard and Benny Vigona as well as recent AFL stars Ash McGrath, Shannon Cox, Roger Hayden, Dean Rioli, Jeff Farmer and Mark Williams.

The most recent South Fremantle player in that team is Toby McGrath who retired just last year.

The Bulldogs will again be well represented out on Fremantle Oval this Saturday as well for NAIDOC Week with young midfielders Jacob Martinez and Tim Kelly lining up while Kaiden Matera will make his league debut after impressive goal kicking form in the reserves.

Claremont certainly has its own rich heritage of Aboriginal players including Jim and Phil Krakouer, and Chris Lewis as well as recent premiership players Gerrick Weedon and Alroy Gilligan.

The Tigers will have a familiar name playing for them out on Fremantle Oval this Saturday with Nick Winmar, the cousin of South Fremantle legend Nicky, lining up in NAIDOC Week in his first season back with Claremont after time in the AFL with St Kilda.

Fremantle's Alex Silvagni has been named in the Dockers' extended squad to face St Kilda on Sunday but could still line up for Claremont on Saturday with Richard Cronin, Anton Hamp and Jack Richardson all pushing to come in and further strengthen the Tigers' forward-line.

CLICK HERE for a full preview of Round 16 action.

Courtesy of www.wafl.com.au