MILESTONE | HAIDEN SCHLOITHE 200 GAMES

THERE might be no more decorated South Fremantle player this century and while Haiden Schloithe reaches another significant milestone Sunday and enters the 2022 finals in scintillating form, winning a second premiership is his sole focus.

Schloithe will play his 200th game on Sunday as he takes part in a seventh consecutive finals campaign with South Fremantle which sees the Bulldogs play host to Peel Thunder in an elimination final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

It's a significant milestone for Schloithe as he becomes just the 20th South Fremantle player to reach 200 games, and the first since his long-time teammate and great friend Ashton Hams who retired on 205 matches at the end of 2018.

It puts Schloithe in rare company at the Bulldogs joining Marty Atkins (266), Tom Grljusich (257), Gary Scott (255), Frank Treasure (254), Stephen Michael (243), Don Byfield (239), Toby McGrath (234), Steve Marsh (226), John Gerovich (221), John Colgan (219), Fred Seinor (218), Brian Ciccotosto (212), David Gault (211), Eric Eriksson (210), Hams (205), John Reilly (204), Brad Collard (202), Tom Bottrell (200) and Tony Morley (200).

Schloithe has nothing left to prove and already has a career to be enormously proud of and that comfortably has him positioned as one of South Fremantle's all-time greats.

Following a successful colts premiership winning career, Schloithe made his debut in 2011 and has never looked back. Now along his 199-game career so far, he has won a Sandover Medal, four WJ Hughes Medals as South Fremantle fairest and best, and played for the WAFL State Team three times.

Most importantly to Schloithe, he's already both a premiership player with South Fremantle from 2020 and a life member of the Bulldogs having reached 150 games, but that doesn’t mean his motivation for more doesn’t remain as strong as ever.

The 29-year-old Katanning product has had a stunning second half of the season with his form in the midfield and then drifting forward stacking up as favourably with any of the form he's shown throughout his remarkable career.

He enters the finals feeling physically good, mentally motivated and in strong form, and while he's yet to confirm what his future holds beyond 2022, his focus right now is on winning on Sunday to keep South Fremantle's season alive while being tremendously proud to reach 200 games.

"I'd like to think I've had a pretty reasonable career and to get to 200 games is a big milestone," Schloithe said.

"But I'd love to finish off with another flag or so which is what's everyone goal is now that we are heading into finals. Another premiership would be real nice."

South Fremantle is now preparing to take part in a seventh straight finals series having played in the last six preliminary finals dating back to 2016, and the last three Grand Finals including claiming the premiership in 2020.

Schloithe has been a key part in all of that run and he will again be on Sunday and for as long as South Fremantle's finals campaign continues in 2022.

It's been a fascinating year in a lot of ways for the Bulldogs with some terrific wins against Claremont, East Fremantle, Peel Thunder and teams in the bottom half of the ladder along the way.

However, there were also tough losses to West Coast and Swan Districts in particular that proved costly given they didn’t make finals, but overall Schloithe is happy that the Bulldogs have given themselves another crack at the finals.

"I think it's been pretty good the way things have turned out this year. We might have shot ourselves in the foot a little bit with a couple of games that we could have won but lost earlier in the year that cost us a top two or three spot," he said. 

"But we won another 12 games this year and had a couple of bits of bad luck like running into the Eagles when they had their best team of the year and now we have Peel Thunder this weekend who are the form team at the moment. We are chock full of confidence as well, though, and really excited for this weekend's game."

While South Fremantle is entering the finals in strong form having won their past three matches to book in home ground advantage against Peel on Sunday, but Schloithe is fully aware of the challenge they present with their strong contingent of Fremantle-listed AFL players.

"They were impressive last Sunday and like 90 per cent of games these days it will be won or lost in the midfield. That's where they've got a lot of their better players and are pretty stacked with guys like Lloyd Meek," Schloithe said. 

"He's in unbelievable form and he sort of tore us to shreds when they beat us down there about a month ago. Then there's Blakely, Crowden and a few of those young draftees who they picked over the last few years and are pretty impressive. 

"But I feel like if we can cut even or break even through the midfield and give our forwards enough supply to kick a winning score then I think we've give ourselves a real good chance."

In the bigger picture, this has been one of the most enjoyable WAFL seasons that Schloithe has been part of because of how competitive and tight it's been, and that's including the case heading into the finals with all five teams taking part genuine premiership prospects.

"It's been an absolutely cracking year for WAFL football and for all the fans. Obviously there's no Subi in the finals this year which is a bit of a surprise and I guess ourselves, West Perth and Claremont are the regulars," he said. 

"Then it's good to see East Freo have a good year as well and then you've got Peel Thunder who are probably the in-form team in the competition at the moment. It's going to now be a really good game for us on Sunday."

Schloithe is finishing the season full of running and in some brilliant form that will give him a chance at claiming a fifth fairest and best award with the Bulldogs that would put him in rarefied air.

However, the older any WAFL player gets it means the more priorities away from football take over more and more, with Schloithe no different and while he's not quite ready to announce the decision on his future yet, he knows the end is getting near.

"I haven't made an official decision yet but I am getting towards the latter end of my career and with the work I've just started, there is an opportunity to do things more outside of footy," Schloithe said.

"I'm solely focused on the finals this year and once we get through that then I'll make an official decision."