WAFLW – BULLDOGS LOSE TIGHT BATTLE TO SWANS

South Fremantle produced a strong physical effort laying 101 tackles but it wasn’t quite to be in the WAFLW on Sunday with Swan Districts ending up winning by 14 points.

The Bulldogs were back home on Sunday afternoon at Fremantle Community Bank Oval playing host to the third ranked Swan Districts who arrived on a four-match winning streak.

South Fremantle did fight hard the entire contest including kicking three goals in the third quarter, but Swans did end up prevailing 8.5 (53) to 6.3 (39) in the finish.

The Bulldogs finished the game by laying 101 tackles with Renee Morgan delivering 17 of those, Bailey Hunt 15, Tahleah Mulder 14 and Madizen Wilkins 10.

Zoe Huggett kicked three of the six goals in the game for the Bulldogs while Mulder collected 22 possessions, Hunt 16, Morgan 14, Marie Polimeno 10, Jess Watts nine, Hunter Cronin nine and Tara Stribley nine.

Hannah Burt also produced a strong all-round performance for South Fremantle with 17 disposals, 13 hit outs and eight tackles.

Swan Districts got off to a perfect start with a goal to Taylah Edwards inside the opening minute and then just a minute later Emily McGuire added another for the black-and-whites.

South Fremantle were able to respond thanks to Eva Flynn but then Edwards kicked her second and that saw Swans take a nine-point lead into the quarter-time break.

It then only took two minutes for Swan Districts to add another goal into the second quarter courtesy of Tamzyn Beros. South Fremantle did kick the only other goal of the half thanks to Zoe Huggett but it was Swans still leading by 10 points by the main break.

Bailey Hunt brought that deficit back to four points with the first goal of the second half for south Fremantle before Edwards kicked her third of the day to steady things for Swans.

McGuire added a second to push the lead out to 17 points but the Bulldogs then managed the last two of the third term thanks to Jess Watts and Huggett to set up a thrilling finish with Swans clinging to the five-point lead.

That became 11 with a fourth goal to Edwards to start the final term and then after Huggett kicked a third for South Fremantle, Swan Districts sealed the eventual 14-point win when Summer Ajduk kicked the last goal of the contest.

The day’s action began at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday morning with the Rogers Cup contest with second position on the ladder by the end of Round 8 going on the line.

In the end, South Fremantle and Swan Districts would play out a draw with the Bulldogs finishing on 2.6 (18) to 1.12 (18).

That means that the Bulldogs remain in third position on the Rogers Cup ladder just behind the second placed Swan Districts on percentage with both teams having four wins, two losses and a draw now after the opening eight rounds.

The Bulldogs had the only four scoring shots of the opening quarter including kicking the game’s first goal to be leading by nine points at quarter-time.

Despite South Fremantle managing just one behind in the second term, they still went into the half-time break leading by six points with Swans managing just the four points themselves.

It was then two points apiece in the third quarter before the two teams kicked a goal each in that last quarter which led to scores being all tied up by the final siren.

South Fremantle’s goals were kicked by Holly Barnes and Zoe Keley with Shayla Templeton, Tanaya Prentice and Madison Hadley among the other strong contributors.

SULLIVAN LOGISTICS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 8

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        1.1          2.3          5.3          6.3          (39)

SWAN DISTRICTS                              3.0          4.1          6.2          8.5          (53)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Huggett 3; Watts, Hunt, Flynn.

Best: Mulder, Hunt, Morgan, Burt, Huggett, Watts, Stribley, Polimeno.

SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Edwards 4; McGuire 2; Beros, Ajduk.

Best: D’Addario, Henry, Baker, Edwards, Gerardi, King, Davis.