NAIDOC Round Preview v West Coast Eagles

SWAN Districts is back at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday to take on the West Coast Eagles looking to pick up their good form and to celebrate NAIDOC Round in style.

With the remarkable history with Indigenous players that exists at Swan Districts, NAIDOC Week is extra significant for Swans each and every season and it will be another spectacular sight at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams will be adorned with their players jumpers featuring spectacular Aboriginal artwork with both clubs having Indigenous players out there representing their respective clubs at the same time.

Ultimately though, it's the four points that is what both teams are focused on and it should be a fascinating contest with each team in winning form prior to the forced break last week thanks to the COVID-19 restrictions.

What it all means is that it should be a big day on Saturday at Steel Blue Oval with Swan Districts hosting the West Coast Eagles. The league game is set to bounce down at 2.10pm.

Swan Districts will be wearing a jumper in celebration of NAIDOC Week that was designed by Edward Lyndon, Clayton Graham and Jamison Ugle. It is highlighted by a Swan, known as a Maali, and features the Maali swimming on the Swan River (Derbari Yerrigan).

The design also features an oval shape depicting Steel Blue Oval along with symbols for the 10 WAFL clubs and nine grounds they play at. The Swan footprints then illustrate travelling to play opposition teams and all in all, it's a striking design.

Whether it's current players such as Lewis Jetta and Warrick Wilson or the rich history at Swan Districts of Indigenous players including Graham Jetta, Michael Walters, Chris Yarran, Andrew Krakouer, Neville Jetta, Kevin Caton, Phil Narkle, Joe Ahmat, Danny Penny, Keith Narkle and Peter Ware, they will all be honoured and celebrated on Saturday.

As for the game itself, it shapes as a fascinating one with Swan Districts looking to consolidate their top five position while the Eagles won their first two games of the season prior to last week's break.

Swan Districts come into the game in fifth position with a 6-4 record on the season and on the back of beating Subiaco by a solitary point in a drought breaking victory over the Lions two weeks ago.

Swans have now won three of their past four matches to be building some momentum and coming into Round 14, they are two games and percentage clear in fifth position.

A win on Saturday and the black-and-whites will take another huge step towards locking in their finals return and a first finals appearance under the coaching of Adam Pickering.

The Eagles aren’t going to be any pushovers on Saturday, though, even if they do sit on the bottom of the WAFL ladder with a 2-8 record.

However, those two wins for West Coast came in their last two matches prior to the break against Subiaco by five points and East Fremantle by 51 points.

The two teams did meet back in Round 3 also at Steel Blue Oval with Swans winning on that occasion by 39 points but the Eagles have managed to get some troops back since then and are a much more competitive outfit now.

From the Swan Districts team that beat Subiaco by a point two weeks ago, they have made just the one change with Jak Watson coming in while Alex Howard goes out.

And from the Eagles team that won big over the Sharks a fortnight ago, there are a whole heap of changes most of them forced through either injury or AFL selection.

Jake Waterman, Isiah Winder, Connor West, Seb Bentley, Lennon Marlin, Ben Johnson, Jordan Busher, Cooper Nitschke and Harry Sinclair are all the players to come into the West Coast team.

Meanwhile, Zac Langdon, Jarrod Brander, Nathan Vardy, Alex Witherden, Xavier O'Neill, Luke Foley, Jamaine Jones, Brendon Ah Chee and Will Collins are those to go out for the Eagles.

OPTUS WAFL ROUND 14

SWAN DISTRICTS v WEST COAST EAGLES – STEEL BLUE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.10PM

Livestream: The West Australian