University and Subiaco-Floreat Eye First-Grade Glory

Defending champions University, who broke a 50-year Premiership drought last season by beating Joondalup in the final, will be out to secure back-to-back titles for the first time in club history.

Subiaco-Floreat returns to the decider for the first time since the 2021-2022 season, when they defeated South Perth.

It’s the first time the two sides have done battle in a season decider.

Path to the Final

After finishing the home-and-away season on top of the ladder, University have followed the same path to this year’s Grand Final as they did last year. The ladder-leaders were humbled at home by Subiaco-Floreat in the Elimination Final, meaning they had to encounter third-placed Mount Lawley in last week’s semi-final.

Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli and quick Josh Dallimore took eight wickets between them to bowl the visitors out for 235. An unbeaten century to opener Tom Murray and half-century to Captain Will Bosisto helped the defending champions to a comfortable eight-wicket win and a return to the WACA Ground.

Faced with the prospect of elimination in the first week of the finals as the lowest ranked team going into the finals, Subiaco-Floreat stunned University to keep their title hopes alive. A stunning spell of 8-42 from spinner Hamish McKenzie helping bowl University out for 119 in reply to Subiaco-Floreat’s 339.

A semi-final date with second-placed Fremantle was the reward for the comprehensive victory. It was McKenzie to the fore again for Subiaco-Floreat, taking the extraordinary figures of 5-3 to help bowl a formidable Fremantle batting line up out for 63. An unbeaten 36 from WA top order batter Jayden Goodwin helped Subiaco-Floreat to 4-91 by the end of the first day and booked his side a spot in the decider.

Players to watch

Fresh from an unbeaten century last week, Murray looms as a big wicket for Subiaco-Floreat to take. With four centuries to his name this season, Murray has regularly helped lay a strong platform for University this season. He also featured in Western Australia’s Second XI games throughout the season. Murray has been well supported by Bosisto in the middle order, with the skipper notching scores of 84, 142, 91,14 and 64 in his past five innings. After taking four wickets in the first final against Subiaco-Floreat, leg-spinner Jay Chislett is set to play an important role supporting fellow spinner Rocchiccioli.

While the in-form McKenzie looms as a threat with both bat and ball for Subiaco-Floreat, their Captain Sam Smith has been a model of consistency this season. Smith made an unbeaten 39 last weekend against Fremantle to help his side to the final and passed 50 in three of his four innings prior to that. Paceman Lucas Martin took the remaining two wickets on offer in the elimination final and has been a model of consistency throughout season 2025-2026 with 24 wickets at Premier Cricket level.

Claremont-Nedlands and Mount Lawley will do battle in the second grade Grand Final at Breckler Park, while Subiaco-Floreat’s third grade side will do battle with Wanneroo at Aldebury Reserve.

The fourth grade final, also to be played at Breckler Park, will Mount Lawley take on Melville.