The workings of the relationship between the Royals and West Coast will be tested in the coming weeks, as the Eagles change their season's focus.

Take this week for example. Look down this page at the list of outs for East Perth - six players who have all played at AFL level; only two return.

Adam Simpson has stated that he wants to check out the young players running around in the WAFL.

And history will show that as the end of the season gets nearer, the Eagles will send a player or two for early surgery, meaning more resources from the Royals will be required at the next level.

It could add up to a drain of players from East Perth.

This has been a distraction for WAFL teams leading into the finals over the past few years.

It creates an opportunity for East Fremantle, who will still be eying off a spot in the top two - and can assist its cause with a win this weekend.

The Sharks have won six consecutive games since losing to the top two sides (East Perth and Swan Districts) in rounds seven and eight.

************

Perspective WAFL coaches can head to Lathlain Park on Saturday as the two teams looking for new leaders go head-to-head.

Perth and South Fremantle sit in seventh and eighth places respectively on the WAFL ladder, each on three wins.

And last time they played, in round two, only five points separated them, the Demons claiming victory.

Each side had 28 scoring shots, but Perth's accuracy in kicking 19.9 won the day over the Dogs 18.10 - just.

There wasn't much in it - and this week has the potential to be a similar type of contest.

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Of the teams in the top four, Subiaco appears to be flying under the radar a bit.

The Lions have won three of their past four games after they were challenged mid season.

West Perth was one of the sides that put pressure on Subiaco during the period, beating the Lions by 10 points in round nine.

And while finals look only a distant hope for West Perth this season, players are still fighting for a spot in the Foxtel Cup Grand Final.

However, a win over the Falcons, as Swan Districts and East Fremantle has managed in recent weeks, will remind teams in the finals they Subiaco is still about and needs to be watched.

Plus, a third place finish means a home elimination First Semi-Final against the team that finishes fourth.

************

Claremont's running machine has been impressive in recent weeks and can lead the Tigers to a third consecutive win when they play Peel this weekend.

Attention will start to move towards the Sandover Medal as the home and away fixtures come to an end and Tiger Luke Blackwell (a past winner) is doing his chances of claiming this year's honour no harm.

Claremont being able to string wins together in the back half of the season could make for an exciting conclusion on the night of the count.

Peel has five games remaining (of seven) against teams outside of the four and needs to claim victory in two of them to avoid yet another wooden spoon.

And as Fremantle is now assured of playing finals, its players who are in the WAFL should be using these games to remind the AFL selectors they are still around and playing good footy.

************

East Perth v East Fremantle
Medibank Stadium
Sat, 12 Jul 2014 2:05 PM     
Head to Head
Played: 328   East Perth: 145   East Fremantle: 181   Draws: 2
 
At Medibank Stadium
Played: 15   East Perth: 10   East Fremantle: 5
 
Last Meeting - Round 7, 2014 at East Fremantle Oval
East Fremantle 9.11 (65) def by East Perth 11.9 (75)    
 
Royals
B     M Fraser     S Wityk     C Hart
HB     J Bennell     N Blee         J Oakley-Nicholls
C     S Payne     F Clutterbuck     S Wellingham
HF     D Cadwallader     J Smith     B Lee
FF     B Dobson     F Mcinnes     M Karpany
F     P Johnson     J Cripps     C Wulff

Int (from): M Howlett, J Payne, J Locantro, M Gordon, B Chatley, D Main, J Ameduri
In: S Wellingham, D Cadwallader, J Cripps, J Payne, J Locantro, M Gordon, B Chatley, D Main
Out: S Tunbridge, D Sheed, B Wilson, J Hill, B Colledge, A Smith
          
Sharks
B     A Stephen     D Chartres     S Read
HB     S Dodd     T Howlett     B O'Brien
C     S Hancock     C Eardley     J Schofield
HF     S Henson     R Lester-Smith     B Dalziell
FF     B Peake     M Jupp     B Williamson
F     J Bristow     M Mcgough     R O'Brien

Int (from): T Bristow, M Boyle, J Dorotich, M Edwards, T Hooker, J Perham, R Young
In: M Boyle, M Edwards, M Mcgough, B O'Brien
Out: J Mcnamara

West Perth v Subiaco
Arena Joondalup
Sat, 12 Jul 2014 2:05 PM     
Head to Head
Played: 335   West Perth: 211   Subiaco: 120   Draws: 4
 
At Arena Joondalup
Played: 26   West Perth: 15   Subiaco: 10   Draws: 1
 
Last Meeting - Round 9, 2014 at Medibank Stadium
Subiaco 13.8 (86) def by West Perth 14.12 (96)    
 
Falcons
B     S Browne     D Hunt         L Rasmussen
HB     A Strijk     J Jones     L Tedesco
C     A Black     J Van Berlo     R Bartholomew
HF     R Kerr         M Adams     M Johnson
FF     K Manning     N Rodda     A Tsalikis
F     C Keunen     S Nelson     M Guadagnin

Int (from): M Alexander, B Antonio, M Crisp, A Lynch, S Martin, S Marusic, M Mcphee
In: M Alexander, B Antonio, A Lynch, M Mcphee
Out: J Thrum
          
Lions
B     W Twomey     D Rumble     C Le Fanu
HB     D Leishman     A Heal         J Latham
C     S Hildebrandt     K Horsley     G Hampson
HF     R Blechynden     C Wheeler     S Yarran
FF     L Delahunty     F Stockley     R Waters
F     A Mcdougall     C Phelan     J Bristow

Int (from): D Clarke, C Deluca, W Fetherstonhaugh, K Halligan, C Hoskins, B Mahoney, S Moore
In: D Clarke, L Delahunty, C Deluca, W Fetherstonhaugh, C Hoskins, S Moore
Out: M Boland, J Garcia, R Wade

Peel Thunder v Claremont
Bendigo Bank Stadium
Sat, 12 Jul 2014 2:35 PM     
Head to Head
Played: 45   Peel Thunder: 8   Claremont: 37
 
At Bendigo Bank Stadium
Played: 19   Peel Thunder: 3   Claremont: 16
 
Last Meeting - Round 6, 2014 at Show Grounds
Claremont 15.12 (102) def Peel Thunder 11.8 (74)    
 
Thunder
B     E Dann         K Bradley     J Flaherty
HB     J Ballard     T Smith     D Winton
C     M Duffy     B Jones     B Hancock
HF     S Menegola     J Hannath     M Wood
FF     M Brown     S Gumbleton     L Wilkins
F     J Griffin     T Sheridan     M De Boer

Int (from): C Moller, K Thornton, T Vandeleur, J Mathers, C Morris, T Gianatti, B Gillam
In: D Winton, B Hancock, J Mathers, T Gianatti, C Morris
Out: B Grey, A Pearce, S Kane
          
Tigers
B     L Davey     B Franz     T Willett
HB     T Handley     J Mcallister     T Taylor
C     R Neates     B Daniher     M Orzel
HF     J Bradshaw     A Hamp         J Richardson
FF     M Andrews     M McGovern     B Abbott
F     M Seaby     L Blackwell     C Yeo

Int (from): H Breakey, M Davies, S Fong, A Foster, M Goyder, T Ledger, J Williams
In: T Ledger, J Richardson, T Willett

Perth v South Fremantle
Lathlain Park
Sat, 12 Jul 2014 2:05 PM     
Head to Head
Played: 330   Perth: 153   South Fremantle: 177
 
At Lathlain Park
Played: 70   Perth: 40   South Fremantle: 30
 
Last Meeting - Round 2, 2014 at Fremantle Oval
South Fremantle 18.10 (118) def by Perth 19.9 (123)    
 
Demons
B     J Kalajzic     N Kane         J Risol
HB     D O'Sullivan     C Billings     M Sinclair
C     G Ugle         J Morton     M Boyle
HF     C Bateman     B Stack     P Bevan
FF     M Morton     M Leyendekkers     C Collard
F     C Eyres     D White     A Tropiano

Int (from): M Hunt, M Moody, B Power, M Florio, C Smith, B Edmonds, C Jones
In: M Hunt, B Power, M Florio, C Smith, C Jones, C Jones
Out: J Houghton, J Leeson
          
Bulldogs
B     S Verrier     D Ross         Z Strom
HB     A Mcintosh     N Borovac     S Bewick
C     A Collica     H Schloithe     B Verrier
HF     C White     P Mugambwa     T Kelly
FF     J Sellar     B Saunders     T Bairstow
F     B Higgins     J Martinez     J Parry

Int (from): L Harvey, B Sokol, A Gillespie, M Gundry, M Carter, J Pullman, J Maskos
In: S Bewick, B Sokol, M Gundry, M Carter, J Pullman, J Maskos
Out: R Cook, A Guglielmana, A Hams