BULLDOGS ADVANCE TO YOUTH GIRLS GRAND FINAL

SOUTH Fremantle’s Youth Girls have given themselves a shot at back-to-back Rogers Cup premierships after beating Peel Thunder by seven points in Sunday’s preliminary final.

It was a rematch of last year’s Rogers Cup Grand Final from last year in Sunday morning’s preliminary final held at Bassendean’s Steel Blue Oval with a spot in the decider for 2021 on the line.

It turned out to be a tight and tense affair with both teams desperate to try and book in a Grand Final meeting with West Perth, but it turned out a similar result to last year’s decider with South Fremantle advancing on the back of the seven-point win against Peel.

It was a tight start to the preliminary final clash on Sunday morning at Steel Blue Oval with a goal apiece in the opening quarter and Peel managing to lead South Fremantle by a point at quarter-time.

The Bulldogs then produced a match-winning second quarter which ultimately would prove the difference in the game. South Fremantle kicked two goals in the second term and held Peel to just one behind and that saw the reigning premiers go into the half-time break with a 10-point lead.

Peel managed to get a goal back in the third quarter to cut South Fremantle’s lead to just four points by three quarter-time, but the Bulldogs kept the Thunder scoreless in the further quarter to run out 3.5 (23) to 2.4 (16).

The win means that South Fremantle advances to take on West Perth in the Rogers Cup Grand Final for 2021 with the chance to become back-to-back premiers.

South Fremantle’s three goals in the preliminary final came courtesy of Noa McNaughton, Jayde Musika and Leah Garbellini.

The best players for the Bulldogs in the preliminary final victory to set up another Grand Final berth were Tayla Hughes, McNaughton, Holly Denholm, Mia Whitelaw and Rosie Anderson.

The Youth Girls Rogers Cup Grand Final between East Fremantle and South Fremantle was set to take place this Saturday at Mandurah’s David Grays Arena, but that was before this week’s COVID lockdown so the rescheduled date and time is still to be announced.

WAFLW YOUTH GIRLS ROGERS CUP – FINALS SERIES
PRELIMINARY FINAL

SOUTH FREMANTLE        1.1    3.1    3.2    3.5 (23)
PEEL THUNDER            1.2    1.3    2.4    2.4 (16)

SOUTH FREMANTLE: Goals – McNaughton, Musika, Garbellini.
Best – Hughes, McNaughton, Denholm, Whitelaw, Anderson.
PEEL THUNDER: Goals – Morgan, Fotu.
Best – Thompson, Haines, Kongras, Sexton, Bain.