Men’s Premiership, Round 18 — Saturday, 22 August 2026, 3:30 pm at Treeby Community & Sports Centre.
Fremantle will complete their regular season against an Ellenbrook side playing for pride, with the Roosters looking to recover quickly from a narrow defeat and carry momentum into the finals.
Third place is already secure for Fremantle. Their 10–4–1 record has delivered 25 competition points and neither the teams above nor the clubs chasing fourth can reach them in the final round. Ellenbrook are also out of finals contention: even a win would take the Rabbitohs only to 18 points, one short of Kalamunda’s total after the Bulldogs receive two points for their Round 18 bye.
The ladder may be settled for both clubs, but the statistical matchup gives Fremantle plenty to play for. The Roosters average 39 points per match—the third-best attacking return in the competition—and concede 20.3. Ellenbrook score 25 per game while allowing 31, producing a season differential of minus-96.
Fremantle had won four consecutive matches before Kalamunda edged them 30–28 in Round 17. That result ended a run that included a 100–0 victory over Kwinana and a 26–6 win against second-placed South Perth. Ellenbrook’s recent trajectory has moved in the opposite direction, with four losses in their past five outings. The Rabbitohs have conceded 30 or more in three of their past four matches.
That long-term record makes Ellenbrook’s defensive start crucial. If the Rabbitohs allow Fremantle to establish field position and tempo early, the Roosters’ scoring average suggests the game could move away quickly. Ellenbrook’s opportunity is to turn the contest into a lower-possession, defensive grind and test how Fremantle respond after the disappointment of Round 17.
A simple blend of each team’s scoring and defensive averages produces an indicative score of approximately Fremantle 35, Ellenbrook 22. It is not a formal prediction, but it underlines the statistical advantage held by the Roosters.
For Fremantle, the result cannot change third place—but the quality of the performance could shape their finals campaign. For Ellenbrook, defeating a finalist would provide a significant finish to a difficult closing month.