TOPIC:

One of the things I have always been interested to look at in the closing stages of each season since 1997 has been the draw.
Admittedly, it would be difficult for the WAFL to know which clubs are going to be strong when they are doing the fixtures.
But, it does leave something of a sour taste for those clubs that miss the finals by a game, for instance, and then realise they have played Peel twice and Claremont three times. Especially when the team that beat them for a finals spot played Claremont twice and Peel three times...
With that in mind, I just took a look at this year's fixtures. From what I can see, the league has given Perth every chance to break their finals drought, but to no avail. And East Perth has had a bit of a leg-up into the finals by only playing Claremont, East Fremantle and Swans twice each.
At the other end of the equation, East Freo has had a tough draw this year by playing Claremont, West Perth and East Perth three times each. And West Perth, Swans and Subi haven't had it easy, either.

Here is a list of who your team played only twice this season:

Claremont – WP, EP, P, PT
West Perth – C, P, SF, S
East Perth – C, EF, SD, SF
East Fremantle – EP, SD, P, PT
Swan Districts – EP, EF, SF, S
Perth – C, WP, EF, S
South Fremantle – WP, EP, SD, PT
Subiaco – WP, SD, P, PT
Peel Thunder – C, EF, SF, S

waflover wrote: One of the things I have always been interested to look at in the closing stages of each season since 1997 has been the draw.
Admittedly, it would be difficult for the WAFL to know which clubs are going to be strong when they are doing the fixtures.
But, it does leave something of a sour taste for those clubs that miss the finals by a game, for instance, and then realise they have played Peel twice and Claremont three times. Especially when the team that beat them for a finals spot played Claremont twice and Peel three times...
With that in mind, I just took a look at this year's fixtures. From what I can see, the league has given Perth every chance to break their finals drought, but to no avail. And East Perth has had a bit of a leg-up into the finals by only playing Claremont, East Fremantle and Swans twice each.
At the other end of the equation, East Freo has had a tough draw this year by playing Claremont, West Perth and East Perth three times each. And West Perth, Swans and Subi haven't had it easy, either.

Here is a list of who your team played only twice this season:

Claremont – WP, EP, P, PT
West Perth – C, P, SF, S
East Perth – C, EF, SD, SF
East Fremantle – EP, SD, P, PT
Swan Districts – EP, EF, SF, S
Perth – C, WP, EF, S
South Fremantle – WP, EP, SD, PT
Subiaco – WP, SD, P, PT
Peel Thunder – C, EF, SF, S

Waflover if the fixtures are supposed to be evened out over a certain period of time how is it that Swans seem to end up playing Claremont 3 times every bloody year???

Tough to answer that one, BeasleyH. Perhaps you should ask the WAFL? I suspect, though, that it's because of the rivalry that the two clubs share. If not dating back to the early 1980s, then certainly since the Krakouer Grand Final.
I suppose there are a few other things that come into consideration other than equalisation. For instance, Fremantle and Perth derbies are played three times every year, regardless of ladder position.
I may have my Cardinal-coloured glasses on here, but I'm not a little peeved at East Perth's last two fixtures. They have South and Subi (for a third time each) and could win those by enough to pinch second spot by percentage. West Perth has Swans for a third time (whom East Perth played only twice). If we were to switch those draws around, second spot would be in WP's keeping.
Anyway, my whingeing aside, I long for the days when we each played each other thrice...