WAFL 2026: East Fremantle regain flag heroes Harry Marsh, Lennon Marlin for West Coast showdown

Premiership star Harry Marsh will make a welcome return for East Fremantle as they look to stop the rot that threatens to derail their season. After starting the season 2-1 on the back of promising wins against Subiaco and East Perth, the Sharks have faltered heavily, losing their past three matches by an average of 61 points. And they face a stacked West Coast outfit at The Good Grocer Park on Saturday, with the Eagles naming 14 AFL-listed players in their side. Marsh and 2023 premiership teammate Lennon Marlin return from hamstring injuries alongside Oliver McManus, with Tom Phillips, Elijah Stockden, and Harper Fox all dropped. The Eagles have named recruit Brandon Starcevich for his first game of the season as he returns from a series of injuries that have hampered his start to the season. Matt Owies (calf) and Finlay Macrae (suspension) both return, while Clay Hall and first-round draftee Cooper Duff-Tytler are among the eight inclusions for the Eagles. Mature Fremantle midfielder Jaeger O’Meara will make his return from a facial injury through Peel Thunder when they host reigning premiers South Fremantle down in Mandurah. O’Meara, as well as young Dockers Jaren Carr and Leon Kickett, are among five inclusions, with Nathan O’Driscoll, Chris Scerri, and Oscar McDonald called into the AFL side. Brandon Walker will continue to miss with a concussion, while Archie Caldow has been dropped. South Fremantle welcomes back star midfielder Matt Parker for his first game since round two, having recovered from a hamstring injury, while former West Coast speedster Jamaine Jones is also back. Ruck recruit West Love is sidelined with a concussion, while Mitch Geier and Tarykn Etherington have both been omitted. Perth will look to keep rivals West Perth winless when they meet at Mineral Resources Park. The Demons have dropped former Swan Districts defender Jesse Glass-McCasker as well as Cooper Moore, with Sam Cameron and Connor Sing named. Falcons cult hero Keegan Knott is back after being dropped in round three, while Aiden Nelson will play his first league game of the season. Ben Fairbank is out with a hamstring, while Sandon Page has been dropped. Mid-season draft hopeful Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves will get a chance for a final audition ahead of Tuesday when his Subiaco side travels to Bassendean to take on Swan Districts. Hibbins-Hargreaves returns from concussion in place of Hudson Walker, while the Swans have made two changes with Jarvis Pina out with a knee injury, while Nathan Blakley has been dropped with Brandon Erceg and Lucas Impey returning. East Fremantle v West Coast Saturday, The Good Grocer Park, 1.10pm SHARKS B: C Dunscombe L Bailey J Budarick HB: C Eardley J Marsh Z Rankin C: N Dean H Marsh A Ball HF: A Montauban L Robinson J Jansen F: T Joyce G Vladich O Smartt FOLL: L Strnadica J Cleaver K Baskerville I/C: K Austin E Burrows L Carrello L Marlin O McManus EMG: E Benning H Fox T Phillips E Stockden IN: L Marlin H Marsh O McManus OUT: T Phillips E Stockden H Fox (all omitted) EAGLES B: J Burke S Brock J Ewing HB: L Grego B Starcevich T Dewar C: F Rodriguez F Macrae C Hall HF: S Lucassen M Owies T Williams F: H Barnett C Duff-Tytler C Datson FOLL: M Flynn E Hewett T Gross I/C: S Cipriani S Kernutt D McCarthy A Mercer J Walsh EMG: W Burnett M Mumme J Prior IN: S Cipriani C Duff-Tytler C Hall F Macrae D McCarthy A Mercer M Owies B Starcevich OUT: J Cripps (knee) J Williams H Schoenberg R Bazzo B Allan (all AFL) J Prior M Mumme (both omitted) A Watt (hamstring) Peel Thunder v South Fremantle Saturday, Lane Group Stadium, 1.10pm THUNDER B: B Hancock H Davies J Draper HB: S Hunter D Petersen C Simpson C: T Whan L Tardrew J Sharp HF: T Murray J Sears L Kickett F: S Tuia C Tregenza C Nicholls FOLL: A Riddle B Banfield J O’Meara I/C: T Bryce J Carr J Hewitt T Jenkins A Sweid EMG: T Cossor O Murphy A Polmear T Wyburd IN: J Carr J Hewitt L Kickett J O’Meara D Petersen OUT: N O’Driscoll C Scerri O McDonald (all AFL) B Walker (concussion) A Caldow (omitted) BULLDOGS B: J Sax N Strom L Rayson HB: E Hughes C Pearson R O’Hehir C: G Byron J Florenca T Dodds HF: A Ferreira R Colborne A Drage F: I Winder C Clarke-Dehring B Donaldson FOLL: A Harvey J Jones L Robinson I/C: T Blechynden J Boullineau C Bourne S Otto M Parker EMG: L Cattalini T Etherington M Geier J Whan IN: R Colborne J Jones M Parker OUT: M Geier T Etherington (both omitted) W Love (concussion) Perth v West Perth Saturday, Mineral Resources Park, 2.10pm DEMONS B: C Sing C Dean W Tilbee HB: B Philip E Scoble M Taylor C: N Cachard C Constable A Davis HF: B Parfitt K Johnston S Clark F: A Gardiner A Clarke S Cameron FOLL: J Edwards C Byrne J Kluske I/C: Z Harding O Hine-Baston L Paton J Watson R Wills EMG: Z Fleiner J Glass-McCasker L Hallett C Moore IN: S Cameron C Sing OUT: J Glass-McCasker C Moore (both omitted) FALCONS B: Z Guadagnin J Rotham A Nelson HB: A Black Z Robis C Mulvogue C: J Hinder K Bevan C Lynch HF: M Shannon C Livingstone L Meadows F: K Knott T Keitel J DeMarte FOLL: R Sprigg S Nelson C West I/C: K Dehavilland M Inverarity B Johnson D Keenan J Wooden EMG: T Hiscock M McKenzie S Page J Rigoll IN: K Knott A Nelson OUT: B Fairbank (hamstring) S Page (omitted) Swan Districts v Subiaco Saturday, Steel Blue Oval, 2.30pm SWANS B: L Taylor C Ernst A Stephens HB: J Pasini W Collins S Bright C: C Hinchliffe B Watson W Reidy HF: L Kelly J Petric A Cartwright F: L Steed L Kohlmann J McLachlan FOLL: L Impey J Turner Z Trew I/C: K Chalcraft J Cipro B Erceg C Loftus Z Provest EMG: N Blakely B Kelly B Lynch J Rigoni IN: B Erceg L Impey OUT: J Pina (knee) N Blakely (omitted) LIONS B: J McGowan J Blight M Corbett HB: C Burke N Girolami J Kelman C: D Gathercole S Giro W Hickmott HF: S Siano N Hibbins-Hargreaves K Douglas F: R Borchet B Sokol J Mayo FOLL: F Rickson L Hickmott J Petruccelle I/C: R Mott P Mullane R Murison J Robbins G Savigni EMG: R Bartlett L Henderson D Prance H Walker IN: N Hibbins-Hargreaves OUT: H Walker (omitted) Claremont v East Perth Saturday, Revo Fitness Stadium, 2.30pm TIGERS B: A Davis D Hardisty M Minear HB: A Pearce J Peace B Rogers C: B Banfield C England S Alvarez HF: Z Mainwaring J Hunter T Delacey F: S van Rooyen D Mountford J Musika FOLL: O Eastland B Elliott T Headland I/C: K Gowdie O Sheldrick M Spyvee A Waterman J Western EMG: A Boules C Dennis J Howard M Rohr IN: J Western OUT: S Jennings-Hopkins (knee) ROYALS B: R Saunders C Watts J Soutar HB: K Willcocks E Regan S Wright C: K Screaigh C Stephens S van Diemen HF: D Craven B Middleton C Ameduri F: C Burgiel S Kuek M Schofield FOLL: S Jones H Brayshaw A Scott I/C: L Foley T Graham T Lindberg J Sturrock L Tedesco EMG: W Cassidy D Freitag T Medhat J Peak IN: C Burgiel L Foley T Graham K Screaigh C Stephens L Tedesco S van Diemen OUT: T North (personal) B Delaney A Gulluni A Pizzolante W Cassidy T Medhat J Peak (all omitted)