While the PFNL season has been dominated by the three top teams on the ladder, there are a few underdogs who have quietly been making moves, dedicating long hours to improving their gameplay.
Among those underdog teams is the Waroona Demons, who are currently sitting at spot number five.
"We are improving as the game goes on," Waroona president Shane Della Franca told the Mail.
"It's a tough comp at the moment - the three top sides are probably stand outs at this stage.
"The rest of the teams are in a pretty close race, we're right in the mix for the fourth spot."
Della Franca, who has been involved with the club for over 20 years said the side gelled well together, and they are like a family, especially coming from a small town.
The older guys will take the younger guys under their wing.
- Shane Della Franca
"The big thing about our club is that we're not just a footy club, we're a part of the community itself," he said.
"Because we are a small country town, the footy club plays a huge role in the community."
Family is a large part of the club, with Della Franca's own family dedicating their time to getting down to games and helping out.
"My kids spend a hell of a lot of time at the footy club," he laughed.
"Now that they're older they help out at the canteen - it's a family effort."
Della Franca said he's proud of the league team and their efforts so far in the 2021 season.
"We have had a stable side for league for a couple of years and this year we have had the opportunity for a few younger guys to come into the side.
"Our more seasoned players are really good at making the new guys feel welcome, and they impart their knowledge and experience, which makes the youth better in leaps."
The mixture of new players and footy veterans has made for an even closer team.
"The older guys will take the younger guys under their wing - a couple of our colts have been able to play league this season, which is good for developing their skills."
Della Franca said the Demons will take the league bye this weekend to work on their game plan.
Read more: Australia's Olympic team at a glance
"We will train Tuesday and Thursday this week and use the bye to reset and see where we're at," he said.
"At this stage it's a pretty close race."
When asked if he believed Waroona had the potential to knock the centrals from the top spot, Della Franca said he did.
"There's no reason why we can't. There are no easy beats this season, and we are slowly building as it goes on.
"It's a challenge, but it's definitely doable."
The league season will pause for this weekend's bye and resume next weekend for round 13.
Samantha Ferguson
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
