THIS is the game.
"This is the original derby," South Fremantle president Peter Christie tells afl.com.au about Monday's Fremantle derby on the WA Day public holiday.
"East Perth and West Perth are pretenders when it comes to the original derby," he said.
>> WATCH EAST FREMANTLE V SOUTH FREMANTLE LIVE FROM 1.40PM AWST ON MONDAY
For those not familiar, the first Monday of June marks the WA Day public holiday out west (previously Foundation Day), which means it's WAFL derby day. South Fremantle traditionally takes on rival East Fremantle, aka 'the great rivalry', while West Perth will also face East Perth.
Based on crowds, the Fremantle derby is the biggest regular-season event on the WAFL calendar, dating back to 1979 with a record 22,399 spectators in attendance at Fremantle Oval. The 1983 edition memorably saw Noel Carter boot a point from 55m after the siren to clinch South a one-point win.
The fixture enjoyed bumper crowds in the 1970s and 1980s and while attendances have dipped with the introduction of Perth's two AFL clubs, the derby has retained its marquee status, given its standalone nature on the Monday holiday. More than 6,000 turned out for last year's WA Day derby at Fremantle Oval.
"The derby is like a final for the supporters and members," East Fremantle president Mark Stewart says. "The rivalry in Fremantle is unmatched and it's the one day the Fremantle people stop to watch a game of footy."
>> Check out the WAFL fixture and watch FREE, LIVE streams of every game
Monday's Fremantle derby is the 388th in WAFL history, with the first played back in round one in 1900, with East winning by 26 points at Fremantle Oval.
Christie explains: "This is a port derby which dates back until the mid-1950s when East Fremantle and South Fremantle were both based at Fremantle Oval. Both teams would be training on the same ground at the same time."
The Sharks are on the cusp of their 200th derby win, but they've been stuck on 199 victories since 2016, with the Bulldogs enjoying a recent dominance with a 14-game derby winning streak.
East Freo head into Monday's derby with arguably their best shot at ending that run, sitting second at 5-2 after beating 2022 grand finalists Claremont last week. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are eighth with a 3-4 record.
"We don't spend too much time looking back, we look forward," Stewart says about South's streak with a sense of tension. "If South want to talk about the history of how many they've won in a row, let's talk about the real history of how many have been played. But more importantly you look at the one coming up."
>> WATCH EAST PERTH V WEST PERTH LIVE FROM 2.10PM AWST ON MONDAY
Christie argues that even in an average year, there's a significant satisfaction gained by beating their archrivals. "Whether you're going well or awfully, it's important to win derbies," he says.
"I think we all understand the streak is not going to go on forever but when you've got your foot on the opponent's throat you want to keep it there for as long as you humanly can. We look forward to extending the run.
"They'll be cock-a-hoop with their recent form. There's no better time to beat them when they go in expecting to win."