WAFL RD 2 MATCH REPORT

WAFL | Bulldogs celebrate flag in style

It was a celebration at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday of the 2025 WAFL premiership and the South Fremantle team of 2026 showed they are serious about going back-to-back with the 46-point win against Perth.

The Bulldogs opened the season with the Good Friday win over Swan Districts away from home and were at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday to celebrate the unveiling of the 2025 premiership flag.

The team of 2026 then backed that up with a tremendous performance against a Perth team who also won in Round 1 and played finals in 2025 on the way to the eventual 11.18 (84) to 5.8 (38) victory.

Goalkicking premiership hero Trey Ruscoe kicked another four goals for South Fremantle from his 14 kicks and six marks while Aaron Drage also kicked two goals including a spectacular one late in the contest.

Matthew Parker missed Round 1 but was brilliant in the win with 31 possessions with Isiah Winder collecting 28 disposals, Jake Florenca 24, Tom Blechynden 24, Ethan Hughes 23, Chad Pearson 23, Glenn Byron 23, Ashton Ferreira 21 and Toby Dodds 21.

South Fremantle made the perfect start to the first home game of 2026 with an early goal to Aaron Drage but Perth responded quickly and then there wasn’t another goal until just before quarter-time.

That went the way of the Bulldogs thanks to Trey Ruscoe which put them up by five points going into the break.

Ruscoe and Chase Bourne then gave South Fremantle the strong start to the second term with two goals in nine minutes to make it an 18-point advantage and it was still a 15-point lead going the way of the Bulldogs by the major break.

Aidan Harvey then pushed South Fremantle out to a 21-point lead with a goal in less than a minute of the third quarter. Ruscoe then kicked his third and the Bulldogs were up by 31 by three quarter-time.

South Fremantle then further rammed home their advantage with another five goals to three in the last quarter on the way to the eventual 46-point victory.

South Fremantle’s reserves then put together a strong showing to beat Perth 17.7 (109) to 8.10 (58) also at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The Bulldogs started strongly with three goals to one in the first quarter and then it was three goals from both teams in the second term with the home side still up by nine points at half-time.

South Fremantle kicked another four goals to three in the third quarter, and then seven to one in the last to romp to the 51-point victory.

Cooper Clarke-Dehring had a day out kicking six goals from 12 kicks with eight marks with Cian Bushe-Jones also kicking three goals from his eight kicks.

Sam Otto finished with 31 possessions and 15 marks with Jack Green laying 15 tackles and picking up 21 disposals while Lachlan Princi gathered 22 touches, Zane Triscari 18, Connor Carbone 16, Jacob Donald 16, Jacob Whan 15 and Josh Young 15.

It was a Colts Super Round across the weekend and South Fremantle took on Perth at Joondalup’s HIF Health Insurance Oval on Sunday afternoon, and delivered the 18.5 (113) to 4.5 (29) victory.

The Bulldogs were the only team to score in the first quarter to lead by 20 points already at quarter-time with the three goals.

It was another five goals to one in the second term for South Fremantle to head into half-time on top by 44 points.

It was four more goals to one in favour of the Bulldogs in the third quarter, and then another six to two in the last on the way to the eventual 84-point triumph.

Conor Bushe-Jones kicked three goals in the win for South Fremantle with Sam Hookham, Elijah Nathan and Cameron Maynard all kicking two apiece.

Chace Vanderhoek picked up 25 possessions, Riley Stannard 23, Zac Godwin 20, Hudson Graham 18, Tom Stewart 18, Jack McAuliffe 17 and Max Jones 17.

SULLIVAN LOGISTICS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 2

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        2.3          4.8          6.13        11.18     (84)

PERTH                                                   1.4          2.5          2.6          5.8          (38)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Ruscoe 4; Drage 2; Winder, Bourne, Etherington, Parker, Harvey.

Best: Parker, Florenca, Winder, Ruscoe, Strom, Blechynden, Pearson, Hughes.

PERTH – Goals: Moore, Clarke, Johnston, Edwards, Davis.

Best: Constable, Davis, Taylor, Byrne, Kirk, Dean, Kluske.