2025: A YEAR UNLIKE ANY BEFORE IT

In 2025, the Bulldogs celebrated 125 years as an iconic WA football club, determined to acknowledge a proud & rich heritage whilst showcasing its contemporary high-performance.

The campaign will be remembered as one of the greatest in club history – not just for premiership success but also for cultural milestones and strong developments across men’s, women’s, and talent programs – a whole-of-club focus, and achievement.

Pre-Season: The Build-Up

Coming into 2025, South Fremantle set high aspirations. The Bulldogs, by every measure, were looking to ‘Mark Their Territory’ in both the WAFL competition, and the WA sporting landscape.

With a refreshed WAFL coaching structure, including several new assistants and development roles appointed, the club positioned itself to achieve success.

The senior men’s team welcomed Craig White as coach, spearheading a revitalised game plan and strong culture. Captain Chad Pearson would again lead the side, further growing in confidence and stature, as a highly respected WAFL Captain.

Off the field, the club marked its 125th anniversary with a Gala Ball at Fremantle Oval. The event celebrated past players and legends, promoted connection and unveiled a special heritage guernsey featuring the names of over 1,700 past male & female players – symbolic of the club’s deep historical roots.

WAFL: Red Collar Resilience

The 2025 WAFL season for the Bulldogs was extraordinary. With a finish as minor premiers, the team from the Port City put together a remarkable record that saw consistent performances across most of the year.

Such impressive performances included multiple standout wins, such as a 103-point thumping of Subiaco, the biggest loss the Lions had suffered since 2012, and a 62-point victory over West Perth, underscoring South Fremantle’s all-round strength.

Throughout the season, the Bulldogs only lost only one match — a 16-point upset in Round 5 to the bottom-placed (but very impressive) West Coast Eagles side. This solitary defeat was a rare blemish in an otherwise flawless record and provided perhaps a jolt to the group to maintain focus and standards to achieve the ultimate success.

Key forward Trey Ruscoe emerged as the top goalkicker for South Fremantle, consistently delivering results up forward, while talented leaders like Matty Parker, Hamish Free, Jake Florenca, Brandon Donaldson, and Noah Strom provided balance and experience on every line.

WAFLW: Growth & Future Focus

The Bulldogs’ WAFL Women’s (WAFLW) side experienced a season of building and progress. After a mixed 2024 performance, the club entered 2025 with a new coaching direction under Pia Faletti and several key signings to bolster the list.

Led by Co-Captains, Hunter Cronin and the revered veteran Lauren Vecchio, the team set about transformation and change of game plan, training standards and leadership development.

While not contending for finals in 2025, the WAFLW squad laid strong foundations for future success. By season’s end, many core players recommitted for 2026, with a significant number of leaders and rising stars choosing to remain at the club – a sign of confidence in the program’s vision.

This stability and player retention is crucial for long-term growth and sets the stage for sustained competitiveness in the women’s competition. With several new recruits and high-performance components already added to the program this off-season, the Bulldogs WAFLW season in 2026 will be enthralling.

Talent: Colts & Futures Development

While the senior men earnt most headlines, the club’s talent pathway was instrumental to success. The WAFL Colts team finished as minor premiers, showcasing strong young talent and promising a bright future. However unfortunately South Fremantle would be defeated by Claremont in the Colts Grand Final

The improvement in both Colts and Futures program performances is evident, and the competitiveness shown by the young Bulldogs illustrates the depth of talent and the ongoing development that shall benefit club in seasons to come.

Finals: The Road to the WAFL Grand Final

With the minor premiership secured, South Fremantle headed into finals with confidence. The Bulldogs booked their spot in the Grand Final with a dominant second semi-final victory over East Perth, winning by 59 points and demonstrating class. Jake Florenca and Isiah Winder starred in the midfield, while Trey Ruscoe led the forward line with a big haul.

The Bulldogs, under White’s game plan, kept things simple but effective – control contested play and strike forward with precision. A robust defence, disciplined ball movement, and strong mids that batted deep into the rotations all made South Fremantle a challenging adversary for others.

Grand Final: Triumph – A Historic 15th Premiership

On 21 September 2025, at Optus Stadium, South Fremantle played a thrilling WAFL Grand Final against East Perth in front of a passionate crowd. In what proved to be a classic decider, the Bulldogs captured their 15th WAFL premiership in dramatic fashion, winning by just two points in a nailbiter enveloped with plenty of national controversy!

After allowing the Bulldogs to control much of the contest, East Perth mounted a strong comeback, kicking three late goals to bring the margin down to two. Despite the pressure, the Bulldogs held firm to clinch the flag. Just reward for season-long resilience and composure under pressure.

Hamish Free was awarded the Simpson Medal for best on ground, contributing two crucial goals, 14 possessions, and 19 hit outs, reflecting his instrumental role in the finals.

This victory was historic for several reasons:

• It completed the club’s most successful season ever with a near-perfect record
• First Grand Final win against East Perth
• And the first premiership triumph at Optus Stadium, after some difficult results

Ahead: The Work Continues

2025 will be remembered as a landmark season in South Fremantle Football Club history. The Bulldogs claimed minor and major honours in a near-perfect campaign, captured the premiership in clutch fashion, and celebrated 125 years of tradition and community spirit.

Across all male, female and talent programs, the club showed consistent performance to win the coveted Rodriguez Shield – as the competition’s best performed football club.

South Fremantle enters 2026 poised for continued success, looking to further build and improve upon a 2025 season that will be cherished by supporters and recognised as a defining chapter in the club’s long and proud story. In 2026, it’s time to UNLEASH.