WAFL 2026 fixtures: East Perth to wait until mid-season for grand final revenge against South Fremantle

East Perth will have to wait until nearly midway through the 2026 season for their first shot at grand final revenge, with their first clash against premiers South Fremantle set for round nine. The West Australian can reveal the Royals and Bulldogs will not meet until the first week of June when they clash at Sullivan Logistics Stadium. It comes after the two teams played in an incredible grand final at Optus Stadium this year, with South Fremantle claiming a thrilling two-point victory in front of 23,752 fans. For East Perth, it was heartbreak for a second consecutive season with grand final losses to Peel Thunder and the Bulldogs. The Royals charged home in the final quarter of this year’s decider, having been down by 20 points at the final break only to kick five goals to two in the last quarter on their way to a tight defeat. The two teams will then meet for a second in round 18 when South Fremantle host East Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in early August. The WAFLW grand finalists won’t have to wait long to resume their rivalry after an epic one-point decider this year, with the two teams to meet in round one. Having claimed consecutive premierships, Claremont will host Swan Districts at Revo Fitness Stadium on the weekend which falls on March 28 and 29. The Tigers won a thrilling final to the WAFLW season against Swans at Mineral Resources Park this year, capping off an incredible finals series with the four finals decided by a combined margin of only five points. They will then clash again at Steel Blue Oval in round eight. WA Football head of WAFL competitions Luke Sanders said there would be plenty of interest in the two grand final rematches. “For both sets of players and fans, nothing builds a rivalry like playing in a Grand Final,” Sanders said. “We expect these games to be well attended and attract extra media attention in 2026.”