BULLDOGS BEAT DEMONS TO OPEN 2025

South Fremantle has made a winning start to a new era for the club with a seven-goal final quarter leading to the season-opening 13-point victory against Perth on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs took on the Demons at Mineral Resources Park in Round 1 of the 2025 WAFL season and it turned out to be a tremendous contest under lights at the Lathlain venue.

South Fremantle was able to come from behind at each of the first three breaks to kick seven goals to four in the last quarter to complete the 12.10 (82) to 10.9 (69) victory to open life under new coach Craig White.

Trey Ruscoe provided a good target in attack for South Fremantle with three first half goals while Solomon James had a purple patch to start the fourth quarter to kick two crucial goals.

Jake Florenca also added two goals to go with 21 possessions with Matthew Parker starting the new season in blistering form with 31 disposals, 11 inside-50 entries, nine tackles and seven marks.

Matthew Ward also finished with 27 touches, WJ Hughes Medallist Isiah Winder 26, new recruit Ethan Hughes 22, former fairest and best winner Tom Blechynden 22 and returning ruckman Hamish Free 15 to go with 24 hit outs and a goal.

South Fremantle made the perfect start when spearhead Trey Ruscoe showed his forward craft and took advantage of the space he had to work with in the forward-line to kick the first goal of the contest.

He kicked a second later in the first quarter but by the end of that opening term it was the Demons narrowly leading by a solitary point.

Perth then managed the first two goals of the second quarter to push out to a 13-point advantage but the Bulldogs finished the quarter well with goals to Jake Florenca and a third to Ruscoe to close the deficit to just five points at half-time.

It remained a tight contest in the third term with just a goal apiece starting with an early one to South Fremantle’s returning ruckman Hamish Free with the Demons still clinging to a four-point lead by three quarter-time.

Solomon James then made a statement to start the fourth quarter standing tall deep in attack for the Bulldogs and kicking two goals before Connor McDonald and debutant Fred Rodriguez added to that as did Roan O’Hehir, Florenca and Chase Bourne to complete the job on the 13-point win.

The day of winning to start the season at Mineral Resources Park got underway with the colts match up on Saturday afternoon with South Fremantle beating Perth 12.4 (76) to 6.8 (44).

The Bulldogs started strongly with four goals to one in the first quarter before then completing the job with another four goals to one in the last term on the way to the eventual 32-point win over the Demons.

Elijah Nathan, Aston Clissold, Max Orzanski and Ryda Luke all kicked two goals apiece for South Fremantle with Byron Foster picking up 24 possessions to go with 39 hit outs in the ruck.

Toby Whan also gathered 22 touches, Zac Godwin 20, Jacob Donald 18, Max Thomas 17, Taj Longmuir 16 and Millar Rank 15.

That led into the reserves contest and South Fremantle continued its winning day with the 11.12 (78) to 7.6 (48) victory against Perth.

Perth did start the better with four goals to two in the first quarter but then the Bulldogs hit back with four goals to one in the second term to go into half-time leading by eight points.

South Fremantle then kicked two goals to one in the third stanza, and three to one in the fourth on the way to the 30-point victory to open the season.

Cooper Clarke-Dehring and Talan Rankin kicked two goals each with Aaron Drage picking up 29 possessions, Toby Dodds 26, Kyle Russell 22, Mitch Geier 22, Jason Carter 21 and Brady Alvaro 21.

SULLIVAN LOGISTICS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 1

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        2.1          4.6          5.9          12.10     (82)

PERTH                                                   2.2          5.5          6.7          10.9        (69)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Ruscoe 3; Florenca, James 2; Free, O’Hehir, Bourne, Rodriguez, McDonald.

Best: Parker, Ward, Florenca, Hughes, Blechynden, Winder, Free, Ruscoe.

PERTH – Goals: Derksen 3; McLean 2; Randall, Kemp, Davis, Paton, Thorne.

Best: Constable, Byrne, Parfitt, Taylor, Hine-Baston, Clarke, Derksen, Clark.