Friday Night Lights Set to Ignite for Lions

Friday Night Football returns to Leederville as the second Grand Final rematch of the season is set to take place, with Subiaco looking to maintain its unbeaten 2018 season run against Peel.

While Subiaco sit unbeaten at the top of the 2018 WAFL Ladder, Peel have battled to recapture the form of their past two premiership seasons, currently lagging outside the top five having won just five games.

Subiaco have just one change to their 25 man squad, with Scott Hancock out, with Jordan Lockyer, Rhys Waters, Daniel Leach and Jack Beverley in line as a replacement.

Lockyer was a late out last week with illness, while Waters missed one game with a minor knee concern. Leach and Beverley are again named with the possibility of making their league debuts on Friday night.

Round 14 of the WAFL Season is NAIDOC Round, and Subiaco will be celebrating the history and culture of its indigenous community with a Welcome To Country pre-match along with a tribute video and celebration of Aboriginal music with a playlist of popular Aboriginal artists to be played in the lead up to the match.

This Friday night’s game will be covered via the WAFL App with the FootyRadio call available both on the App and on Subiaco’s Facebook page.

GAME CHANGERS

SUBIACO NAIDOC JUMPER

Subiaco will again wear their NAIDOC jumper, a jumper that was designed by respected aboriginal elder Richard Walley. The jumper which incorporates Subiaco’s maroon and gold colours, captures the fierceness of the Lion, while the stripes on the jumper signify the moving between campsites.

WIDE GULF IN WINNING FORM

Significantly highlighting the gulf between the two sides, Peel’s five wins have all come by less than 21 points, while 10 of Subiaco’s 11 wins have come by more than 21 points. Subiaco’s ability to open games up in the second half has been seen consistently through the second half of the season.

DELUCA FRONTS UP FORMER SIDE

Josh Deluca is set to take on former teammates in Friday Night Footy. After missing the earlier battle between Subiaco and Peel due to suspension, Deluca has performed strongly on return and looms as a crucial midfield piece for Subiaco as they look to stamp their authority on the contest.

CLARKE UP FOR BATTLE

Another who will be facing former teammates is Zac Clarke. For Clarke, his strong improvement in form across 2018 has been one of the most promising signs of the year for Subiaco. Clarke’s ability to influence the ruck and clearances was a pivotal reason for his recruitment with games against opponents like Peel one of the key reasons for recruiting the big man. Look for Clarke to continue his strong form in conjunction with fellow tall Lachlan Delahunty who continues to provide a threat up forward.

NIGHT FOOTBALL IN LEEDERVILLE

This will be the second night game for Subiaco at Leederville in 2018, having beaten Claremont on Thursday night back in April. Subiaco has won its last two night games having also beaten South Fremantle in a Thursday night game back in 2016. Expect a barmy crowd to support the Lions tonight.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

Subiaco put together one of its best performances of 2018 in their last meeting against Peel, overcoming grief in the lead-up to the match to comprehensively beat Peel by 92 points in Mandurah back in May. Subiaco’s midfield produced a star studded performance in that game, while the forward line functioned outstandingly as Subiaco passed 20 goals for the game against a usually miserly Peel defence.

TOP OF TABLE SATURDAY

Saturday will see one of the must see matches of the WAFL Colts season when the Subiaco and Peel colts battle in a top of the table clash, with the winner guaranteed to capture top spot heading towards Round 15. The two sides played a four point classic earlier in the season, with Subiaco hoping to turn the tables on a narrow loss in that last encounter. The Subiaco Colts commitment to NAIDOC Week will be seen with the Colts to wear the Subiaco NAIDOC jumper and present gifts to Peel pre-match.