Swan Districts WAWFL Second Semi-Finals Preview

SWAN Districts' three teams in the Mundella WA Women's Football League all have the chance to advance to the grand final by winning their games to open the 2017 finals series Sunday at Claremont Oval.

The Swans Districts' league, reserves and Youth Girls teams have all finished either first or second at the end of the regular season setting up the trio to take part in second semi-final battles at Claremont Oval on Sunday.

The big day of action gets underway at 10.30am with the minor premier Swan Districts hosting South Fremantle in the second semi-final in the Rogers Cup.

Then at 12pm, the reserves battle will see the second-placed Swan Districts try to topple the Coastal Titans who ended the home and away season in first place.

That sets the scene for the league second semi-final at 2pm and again it's a Coastal Titans team who finished as minor premiers taking on Swan Districts.

All three games on Sunday give Swan Districts' teams the chance to advance straight through to their respective grand finals in 2017.

If they win, they will earn the week off and prepare for the grand final.

Meanwhile, a loss and it would mean they play in a preliminary final next Sunday having a second opportunity to still advance to this year's grand final.

Swans' Youth Girls team had a terrific home and away season finishing up with an 11-2 record to claim the minor premiership. They finished ahead of South Fremantle who is the opponent in Sunday's second semi-final while the Peel Thunderbirds and Claremont play in the first semi-final.

Meanwhile, Swans' reserves ended the season in second position with an 11-3 record to end up just behind the 12-2 Coastal Titans. The two teams meet in the second semi-final on Sunday while the first semi-final pits East Fremantle against South Fremantle.

Swan Districts' league team is coming off the premiership last year and has finished the 2017 home and away season in second position with a 12-2 record just behind the 13-1 Coastal Titans.

They play off for a grand final berth on Sunday while the loser will take on the winner of the first semi-final between East Fremantle and Claremont.

Swan Districts captain Kara Donnellan is confident that her team is in its best form of the season now at the right time of the year, and that they are ready to deliver come finals time.

"It has gone very quickly and unfortunately I had an injury and missed half the WAFL season for Swans but I've played a handful of games now and finals have crept up quickly. Now I'm looking forward to it," Donnellan said.

"The girls over the last four or five weeks we've got our core group together, we're all down at training and we are all on the right page. Everything seems like it's coming together.

"We had a pretty big win last weekend so we are in some pretty good form, but anything can happen in finals. It's a different ball game but we go in pretty confident and we go in having played good footy in finals over the past years. We think as a club we play our best footy in the finals."

Coming off winning the premiership last year and having a team with plenty of finals, state game and AFLW experience is something that gives Donnellan added confidence in her team heading into Sunday and the next three weeks that more success could be coming Swans' way.

"You always have to be confident and we sit second at the end of the home and away season. We've beaten Coastal Titans once and they've beaten us once so no doubt it's going to be a pretty big game Sunday," Donnellan said.

"I think it helps having had success together before. If you have the mental edge over your opponent or you have the confidence to call on that you've done it before then it definitely helps.

"I reckon footy is played 90 per cent above the shoulders and if you can get that stuff right then the goals and things on game day will fall into place."

MUNDELLA WAWFL SECOND SEMI-FINALS
ROGERS CUP
Swan Districts v South Fremantle – Claremont Oval, Sunday 10.30am

RESERVES
Coastal Titans v Swan Districts – Claremont Oval, Sunday 12pm

LEAGUE
Coastal Titans v Swan Districts – Claremont Oval, Sunday 2pm

By Chris Pike.