WAFL 2026: Perth star Brandan Parfitt returns, but wingman Indhi Kirk sidelined with injury

Perth’s midfield has been boosted by the return of star Brandan Parfitt, but they will be without key recruit Indhi Kirk for their clash against East Fremantle. Parfitt has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. He is one of three inclusions to take on the Sharks in a re-match of last year’s elimination final at The Good Grocer Park on Saturday. Exciting forward Lochlan Paton will play his first game of the season after overcoming a hand injury, while 19-year-old Seth Clark will make his debut. Kirk will miss at least three weeks with a groin injury, a blow for the former Sydney wingman who has started strongly at his new club. Forward Angus Luers and Jack Evans have been dropped. The Sharks have made only the one change, with Griffin Vladich coming in for Harry Pickett. Swan Districts have welcomed back a pair of stars for their tough mission of toppling the undefeated Claremont at Revo Fitness Stadium. Forward Leigh Kohlmann will line up for his first match of 2026 after recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, while key defender Jake Pasini will make his long-awaited return from an ACL injury. Pasini has not played since round five of last year and will boost their backline, which has to deal with the Tigers’ tall forwards in Jaiden Hunter, Kieran Gowdie, and Sam van Rooyen. Ruckman Lucas Impey will miss because of a concussion, while Jez Rigoni and Otis Harvey have been axed from the side that lost to West Coast in the WAFL for the first time last week. The Tigers have gone in unchanged, leaving former AFL-listed players Joel Western and Ronin O’Connor as emergencies, showing the strength of their squad. West Coast have named one of their strongest WAFL sides ever, with 16 AFL-listed players to take on grand finalists East Perth at Mineral Resources Park. Defenders Harry Edwards and Sandy Brock have come into the team alongside first-round draftee Bo Allan and forward Jack Williams. Finlay Macrae has been suspended, while Tom Cole and Matt Owies have earned recalls into the AFL side. The Royals have made only one change, with forward Tom Medhat replacing Riley Saunders, who is dealing with a back issue. West Perth will have captain Luke Meadows in the league team for the first time since round eight of last year after he was called into the league side to take on Peel Thunder down in Mandurah. Meadows has gone through two matches in the reserves unscathed and showed he has no ill effects from a serious ankle injury that robbed him of the majority of last season, racking up 32 touches last weekend. Veteran Shane Nelson has also earned a recall two weeks after being sensationally dropped from the league side, having also dominated last weekend with 39 disposals in the reserves. Sandon Page has also come into the side with Jayden Rigoll, Menno Inverarity, and last week’s debutant Koby LeCras making way. Peel will be without Fremantle-listed backman Brandon Walker, who has a concussion, while Toby Cossor has been omitted, and Chris Scerri is an AFL emergency. Jaren Carr, Sean Hunter, and Taj Wyburd have all earned a spot in the top team as a result. Former Claremont big man West Love will make his debut for South Fremantle when they take on Subiaco at Sullivan Logistics Stadium. Love was only signed last week but was solid in the ruck for the reserves with 16 hit-outs and 14 touches. The 23-year-old comes in for Sam Otto. Subiaco have been forced to make two changes, losing skipper Greg Clark to suspension and teenage recruit Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves to concussion, with Richard Bartlett and Jordan Snadden coming in as replacements. SEE THE FULL WAFL TEAMS BELOW Peel Thunder v West Perth Saturday, Lane Group Stadium, 1.10pm THUNDER B: C Simpson O McDonald J Draper HB: T Bryce H Davies S Hunter C: T Whan L Tardrew N O’Driscoll HF: J Sears C Nicholls T Murray F: L Hutchinson C Tregenza A Sweid FOLL: A Riddle S Tuia B Banfield I/C: A Caldow J Carr B Hancock O Murphy T Wyburd EMG: T Cossorr T Jenkins D Roberts Z Trevena IN: J Carr S Hunter T Wyburd OUT: T Cossor (omitted) B Walker (concussion) C Scerri (AFL) FALCONS B: Z Guadagnin J Rotham Z Robis HB: D Keenan N Alexandrew C Mulvogue C: J Hinder L Meadows C Lynch HF: K Dehavilland C Livingstone C Rundle F: S Page T Keitel J DeMarte FOLL: R Sprigg K Bevan C West I/C: A Black J Brooks B Johnson S Nelson J Wooden EMG: M Galjaardt T Hiscock M Inverarity Z Sprigg IN: L Meadows S Nelson S Page OUT: J Rigoll M Inverarity K LeCras (all omitted) West Coast v East Perth Saturday, Mineral Resources Park, 2.10pm EAGLES B: R Bazzo H Edwards S Brock HB: B Allan L Grego T Dewar C: J Hutchinson A Watt F Rodriguez HF: T Williams J Williams H Johnston F: H Barnett C Datson J Cripps FOLL: M Flynn C Hall T Gross I/C: J Burke T Edwards-Baldwin C Jamieson S Kernutt S Lucassen EMG: S Cipriani J Ewing C Hitchcock J Walsh IN: B Allan S Brock H Edwards J Williams OUT: S Cipriani (omitted) F Macrae (suspended) T Cole M Owies (both AFL) ROYALS B: J Sturrock C Watts J Soutar HB: H Willcocks H Macreadie L Foley C: A Scott H Brayshaw X Milner HF: C Ameduri B Middleton D Craven F: S van Diemen S Kuek T Lindberg FOLL: S Jones T North K Screaigh I/C: C Burgiel W Cassidy T Medhat J Peak M Schofield EMG: B Delaney D Freitag A Pizzolante E Regan IN: T Medhat OUT: R Saunders (back) Claremont v Swan Districts Saturday, Revo Fitness Stadium, 2.10pm TIGERS B: A Davis D Hardisty S Jennings-Hopkins HB: A Pearce J Peace M Minear C: B Banfield C England S Alvarez HF: Z Mainwaring J Hunter B Rogers F: S van Rooyen D Mountford J Musika FOLL: O Eastland B Elliott T Headland I/C: T Delacey K Gowdie O Sheldrick M Spyvee A Waterman EMG: A Boules J Howard R O’Connor J Western SWANS B: B Watson B Erceg A Stephens HB: J Pina C Ernst J Turner C: C Hinchliffe Z Trew M Chipper HF: L Kelly J Petric J McLachlan F: W Reidy Z Provest L Steed FOLL: N Blakely S Bright J Cipro I/C: K Chalcraft L Kohlmann C Loftus B Lynch J Pasini EMG: L Cotellessa E Kane M Murdock J Rigoni IN: L Kohlmann C Loftus J Pasini OUT: J Rigoni O Harvey (both omitted) L Impey (concussion) East Fremantle v Perth Saturday, The Good Grocer Park, 2.30pm SHARKS B: T Alker J Marsh K Austin HB: C Eardley J Budarick K Baskerville C: Z Rankin J Cleaver O McManus HF: T Phillips L Robinson O Smartt F: E Stockden L Strnadica A Montauban FOLL: E Benning J Jansen T Joyce I/C: L Bailey A Ball L Carrello Z Petersen G Vladich EMG: N Dean C Pauline H Pickett J Sander IN: G Vladich OUT: H Pickett (omitted) DEMONS B: O Hine-Baston J Glass-McCasker E Scoble HB: B Philip C Dean M Taylor C: N Cachard C Sing A Davis HF: C Byrne K Johnston J Kluske F: L Paton A Clarke B Parfitt FOLL: J Edwards C Constable R Wills I/C: S Clark A Gardiner C Moore W Tilbee J Watson EMG: J Bodle L Hallett Z Harding D Sutherland IN: S Clark B Parfitt L Paton OUT: J Evans A Luers (both omitted) I Kirk (groin) Subiaco v South Fremantle Saturday, Sullivan Logistics Stadium LIONS B: G Savigni R Borchet P Mullane HB: M Corbett J McGowan J Kelman C: W Hickmott J Snadden C Burke HF: S Siano N Girolami S Giro F: J Robbins B Sokol F Rickson FOLL: J Mayo J Petruccelle L Hickmott I/C: R Bartlett K Douglas R Mott R Murison H Walker EMG: D Gathercole L Henderson T Shearer W Walley IN: R Bartlett J Snadden OUT: N Hibbins-Hargreaves (concussion) G Clark (suspended) BULLDOGS B: J Sax N Strom L Rayson HB: E Hughes C Pearson J Jones C: G Byron J Florenca C Bourne HF: R O’Hehir W Love A Drage F: I Winder T Ruscoe B Donaldson FOLL: A Harvey T Blechynden L Robinson I/C: J Boullineau T Dodds T Etherington A Ferreira M Geier EMG: C Clarke-Dehring J Green C McDonald S Otto IN: W Love OUT: S Otto (omitted)