Bulldogs finding strong form after slow start

SOUTH Fremantle has now won three straight matches for the third time under coach Paul Hasleby, but for the first occasion it has happened at a point where the Bulldogs can capitalise on it.

In South Fremantle’s last two years under Hasleby, it has started slowly and then played catch up the whole way through and despite strong finishes on both occasions, the Bulldogs never seriously threatened to make finals.

Finals looked a mile off after four games of 2014 with South Fremantle losing all four against Subiaco, Perth, East Perth and Swan Districts, but things have quickly turned since then with three straight wins over West Perth, East Fremantle and Claremont.

South Fremantle now has the bye this week and is a real chance of levelling its ledger at 4-4 with a clash against the winless Peel Thunder following the break.

Hasleby deserves a lot of the credit for the turnaround with South Fremantle as well.

Following a 75-point loss to East Perth, he threw things around including moving Ashton Hams and Adam Guglielmana into the defence, veteran defender Craig White into the forward-line along with usual half-back Mitch Carter.

The result has been Hams playing outstanding football setting up play from half-back and Guglielmana is playing some of the best football of his career as a small defender.

Meanwhile, up forward White is now playing as South Fremantle’s main lead-up target and is doing it tremendously having taken 25 marks in his four games as a forward, and kicking seven goals.

Meanwhile, Carter has been playing as a defensive forward and working hard in that role, but has also chipped in with four goals the past two weeks.

Hasleby has also added Toby Bairstow into the midfield to good effect, Brock Higgins has been outstanding in the ruck, Haiden Schloithe has been the form player in the competition, key defenders Nick Borovac, Dylan Ross and Zac Strom have been outstanding, and youngsters Tim Kelly, Jacob Martinez, Marlon Pickett, Brendan Verrier and Steven Verrier have stepped up.

Bairstow did a couple of run-with roles when he first came into the team and limited the influence of Shane Nelson in particular against West Perth keeping him to 13 possessions, while he has found plenty of the ball himself averaging 18 disposals a game.

Higgins has been called on to be the No. 1 ruckman after James Sellar went down injured with a knee and he has been outstanding after joining from East Perth in the off-season.

Schloithe was a little quiet against Claremont having been closely tagged by Corey Yeo, but he still kicked two goals and in the three weeks before that racked up 102 possessions including four goals in the win over East Fremantle.

Down back, Borovac, Ross and Strom have often been oversized but have battled hard as key defenders and the rewards are starting to come with the Bulldogs only conceding 27 goals the past three weeks against the Falcons, Sharks and Tigers.

On top of that, Martinez, Pickett, Kelly and Brendan Verrier are building on the form that they started to show in 2014 while Steven Verrier has been a welcome return from the AFL.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing with 301-game veteran Kris Miller having spent the last four weeks in the reserves and racking up 113 possessions the last three weeks, but that has shown that no favourites are being played and that nobodies position in the team is safe with the Bulldogs desperate for a first finals appearance since 2011.

By Chris Pike