Reserves Second Semi-Final Preview

The Swan Districts reserves are now just one win away from a Grand Final appearance in 2023 and the first chance to book in that place comes on Sunday at Leederville Oval with a clash against West Perth.

The reserves team from Swan Districts was the only grade to reach the finals this WAFL season and ended the home and away campaign in second position on the ladder having won 11 of the 16 matches throughout the season.

That led into the start of the finals series last weekend which saw Swan Districts have to play Subiaco at Leederville on Saturday in the qualifying final despite being the higher ranked team.

However, Swans weren’t deterred and ended up beating the Lions by 23 points to book in a spot in this Sunday's second semi-final against West Perth which will also be back at Leederville Oval.

The winner of the second semi-final will automatically move into the Grand Final for 2023 to be held at Optus Stadium on Sunday September 24. 

The loser will still receive a second chance to get there by playing in the preliminary final next weekend where they will face the winner of Saturday's first semi-final between Subiaco and East Fremantle which will take place at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Going back to last week and Swan Districts started its finals series strongly in the qualifying final kicking six goals to one in the first half against Subiaco to set up the eventual 9.10 (64) to 5.11 (41) victory.

There was a lot to like in the performance from the black-and-whites with Tyrell Metcalf and Lewis Zolnier-Owens kicking three goals apiece while Mitch Bain collected 22 possessions, Lawson Humphries 21, Max Chipper 18 and Ayden Cartwright 18.

Sunday's second semi-final will now be a fascinating contest with Swan Districts taking on West Perth, and both teams desperate to at least make a Grand Final in 2023 with their respective league sides not making it into the finals.

The two teams met twice during the 2023 reserves season with the first meeting back in Round 3 at Steel Blue Oval with Swan Districts beating West Perth in a tight affair, 11.9 (75) to 10.8 (68).

In that win for Swans, Metcalf kicked three goals with Kristian Caporn, Humphries and Bain all kicking two apiece while Bain finished with 27 disposals, Humphries 23, Chipper 19 and Jacob Sideris 19.

Meanwhile, Jack Demarte kicked four goals for West Perth, Rowan Garlett two and Noah Farrow two. Alec Johnson gathered 22 touches, Kane Bevan 22, Griffith Julian 21, Nate Dimanlig 20 and Darcy Dixon 19.

That led into the second clash of the season which took place in Round 11 at Joondalup's Pentanet Stadium, and Swan Districts once again prevailed albeit by the narrowest possible margin, 7.6 (48) to 6.11 (47).

Swans came from behind at three quarter-time to end up kicking the only two goals of the final term to claim the one-point victory to mean they are yet to lose to the Falcons this season coming into Sunday's second semi-final.

In the one-point win for Swans on that occasion, they didn't have a multiple goalkicker but Jack Saunders amassed 23 possessions, Sideris 22, Tarir Bayok 21, Noah Hannan 20 and Cartwright 17.

Demarte and Jye Skender kicked two goals for West Perth with Julian collecting 24 disposals, Callum Johnson 23, Luke Reilly 21 and Blake Wilhelm 20.