Wiley: Every game is a grand final for us

East Fremantle take on Swan Districts this weekend at Steel Blue Oval in a must-win game to keep the Shark’s finals hopes alive.

Coming off four consecutive losses, the Sharks will need to work hard to stay in touch with the top 5, as Peel and East Perth cemented wins last week. 

This is only the second time these two teams have met this season, after East Fremantle came away with a 43-point win at home in round 1.

East Fremantle forward George Hampson said after a good week on the track the team knows they have to bring respect back into the game.

“I think we’ve been second to the footy for a number of weeks and our work rate isn’t quite there so we need to bring back the hunt,” Hampson said.

“We’ve fallen off the edge of a cliff over the last month and it’s not at the standard we’ve been playing at.”

Into the 25 this week comes Sean Henson, Andrew Stokes, Mitch Boyle and Jake Schleicher, who, if selected, will play his first league game for 2016.

First year player James Harrold has been omitted while Andrew Stephen was unavailable for selection, after rolling his ankle against Peel.

Brett Peake will also play after accepting a reprimand from the match review panel.  

Team selection

In his third game back from injury, Hampson is looking forward to playing the Swans but highlights the importance of getting a win.

“I felt underdone in the first game playing a deep forward role and last week it was hard to gauge the game in the wet weather, so this week I’m definitely ready to help get the four points for the boys,” Hampson said.   

“Tomorrow’s game is a great platform to give us a push for the finals, it’s very important to get a win for not only our confidence but for the coaches and supporters too; they’ve been great this year.”

Coach Rob Wiley said this week is about getting back to playing the footy they know they can play.

“It’s getting to the stage where every game is a grand final for us if we want to play finals,” Wiley said.

This round is significant for both clubs as they pay tribute to those suffering from Motor Neurone Disease, an initiative that began between the clubs in 2012.

The fifth annual match for the MND Cup is part of the clubs’ joint commitment to raising awareness about Motor Neurone Disease, in honour of East Fremantle’s premiership player, coach and volunteer, Kerry Coates, and Swan Districts’ life member Joyce Allen, both of whom passed away due to MND.

At last night’s training, Sharks players listened to a speech given to Melbourne by football legend Neale Daniher, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2013.

“What he’s been through instills how lucky we are to have the life we do; to be able to kick the footy around every weekend and do what we love,” Hampson said.

“He [Daniher] calls it the ‘Beast’ because it’s an fight he’ll eventually loose, so that is really hard to see, but it just shows that you never know what is around the corner so we need to focus on a strong last 6 weeks of football.”

“It’s a very sad situation, so it’s an important game to get the four points and also show some respect,” Hampson said.

Last week’s horrible weather conditions made it hard for the Sharks to execute the skills they had focused on at training.

“We play the best footy with a high kick to handball ratio which suits the dry weather,” Hampson said.

Just like the League team, earlier games against the Swans are also vitally important for the Sharks, possibly season defining.

The Colts, who currently sit ½ a game outside the top five, play all top five sides in the run home, however they’ve shown during the year that their football can easily match it with the best. 

The Sharks can take great confidence in to the game this week after two solid wins, but will need to be “on” from the first bounce, against a Swan Districts team that are aiming for a top two finish.

The return of Strnadica and Zurhaar from state duties was positive last week, with both making excellent contributions. 

The forward line has looked more potent with the addition of the strong marking Nevill moving from defence to attack. With PSA boys returning to their respective schools there will some midfield changes, however the Sharks are confident that those chosen to come in to the side will play their role.

The Development League take on a Swans team desperately looking for a win to close the gap on our boys inside the top 5. 

After two consecutive wins the Sharks now sit in fourth position, but have played one more game than the Swans.   

A win against Swan Districts this weekend would provide a healthy gap between the two teams on the ladder. The boys certainly cannot rest on their laurels after losing to the Swans in round 1 by twelve points, following a third quarter blitz where they scored 7 goals, and this time we are playing at their home ground.

Get down to Steel Blue Oval to support the Blue and White as they aim to take home both the four points and the Motor Neurone Disease Association of WA’s Kerry Coates-Joyce Allen Perpetual Trophy.