West Australian Football

FIXTURES for this weekend’s WAFL pre-season Variety Challenge games at Fremantle Oval have been changed due to the rescheduling of the AFL NAB Challenge game between Fremantle and Geelong.

The NAB Challenge match has been moved to Fremantle Oval to allow Subiaco Oval the greatest amount of time for turf recovery following the weekend’s ACDC concerts.

The Fremantle and Geelong game will commence at Fremantle at 1pm, with the South Fremantle and Subiaco reserves and league fixtures shifted to the afternoon. The league game will now kick off at 3.25pm and reserves at 5.50pm.

EAST Perth coach Tony Micale has no doubt that he has an improved team at his disposal this year, but much of that is because his coaching staff have now had 12 months with the playing group.

Micale coached East Perth to its hat-trick of premierships between 2000-02 before becoming an AFL premiership assistant coach with West Coast. He returned to the Royals last year and went about a cleanout of the football department when he took over the 2008 wooden spoon team.

Micale tried to instil some new discipline, a game plan based around being tough, uncompromising and disciplined. With the coaching staff knowing virtually none of the players it took some time for everyone to adjust to the new system.

THREE close results in Round 3 of the WAFL's pre-season Variety Challenge at the weekend indicated fans can expect another exciting season when the action kicks off on Friday, March 19.

Swan Districts defeated East Perth by just 11 points at EFTel Oval, Claremont beat Perth by 14 points at Claremont Oval and West Perth beat Peel Thunder by 27 points in their clash at Arena Joondalup.

The only one-sided result was East Fremantle's 54-point win over Subiaco.

WEST Perth has played in the past two WAFL finals campaigns and coach Bill Monaghan sees no reason his squad will not make it back there again in 2010.

The Falcons have been bundled out of the finals the last two seasons by Swan Districts, in the 2008 preliminary final and 2009 first semi-final, but haven’t been far off the top sides and that is why Monaghan is confident of another strong season.

There have been no recruits signed by West Perth and veterans Troy Longmuir and Craig Smoker have retired, with two AFL players in Mark Seaby and Adam Campbell moving on after spending most of 2009 with the Falcons, but Monaghan sees more than enough talent to be successful.

SOUTH Fremantle Premiership coach John Dimmer will lead the West Australian Football League into this year's State clash againts Victoria at Medibank Stadium.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 22, the game will see WA attempt to follow the success of last season's thrilling one-point win over South Australia.

Dimmer is well equipped to replace outgoing State coach Scott Watters, having coached the Bulldogs to two flags in his six seasons at the helm and never finishing outside the top four.

He also coached WA against South Australia in 1996 and spent five years as coach of West Perth and seven years as Claremont reserves coach.