Bulldogs lose big to Lions but reserves stay unbeaten

SOUTH Fremantle has suffered a second straight defeat with reigning premiers Subiaco coming to Fremantle Oval on Saturday to score a commanding Round 5 WAFL victory.

South Fremantle started its season so strongly with impressive wins over West Perth, Perth and Claremont before losing to Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval last week.

That provided the Bulldogs with their first defeat of not only the season to end that three-game winning run, but an overall eight-match winning streak dating back to the club winning the last five matches of 2014.

South Fremantle then started solidly enough in an attacking first quarter from both teams on Saturday at Fremantle Oval, but Subiaco then kicked 20 of the last 26 goals of the game to end up winning 24.13 (157) to 10.8 (68).

The loss is South Fremantle’s first at Fremantle Oval since Round 18 last year also against Subiaco and ends the Bulldogs’ run of five straight wins at the port having beaten Peel, Subiaco and the Thunder again at home late in 2014 and then West Perth and Claremont to open 2015.

Subiaco is coming off winning last year’s premiership and showed on Saturday that it again will be a force to be reckoned with in 2015 thanks to the Lions’ dominant showing after quarter-time against the Bulldogs.

Ben Saunders was a good target in attack for South Fremantle and managed to have nine shots on goal from his nine kicks. He ended up kicking three goals and did work hard laying four tackles. Cory Dell’Olio also kicked two second half goals for the Bulldogs in his third game of the season.

South Fremantle’s back-line was under siege more and more as the game rolled on but several players back there did work hard on trying to set up play going the other way.

Marlon Pickett finished the game with 18 possessions and eight marks while Adam Guglielmana had 19 disposals and Blayne Wilson 19.

Brock Higgins worked hard carrying the ruck once again for South Fremantle and finished with 43 hit outs to go with his five kicks and six handballs.

Ashton Hams tried hard all afternoon for the Bulldogs and ending up racking up 29 possessions and driving the ball inside-50 on five occasions.

Brendan Verrier also picked up 26 touches, Tim Kelly 22, Jarrod Parry 22, Kyle Hams 19 and captain Ryan Cook 17.

John Sgherza played his first league game since Round 20, 2013 after a horror run with injuries but had kicked 16 goals in four reserves matches so far in 2015 and was lively across half-forward against Subiaco with 17 disposals, four marks and a goal.

It took almost 10 minutes for the first score of the game, but once it did there was a flood of goals in the first quarter.

James Garcia opened the scoring for Subiaco but it was then goal for goal with Josh Pullman answering for South Fremantle before Brad Stevenson kicked two of his six for Subiaco, Saunders kicked two his three for day for the Bulldogs, and the Lions led by a point at quarter-time.

South Fremantle then hit the front for the only time of the game early in the second quarter thanks to a clever checkside goal from big man James Sellar.

From that point on, Subiaco kicked the last four goals of the half to lead by 20 points at the long break and then added six goals to two in the third term, and 10 goals to three in the last to end up winning by 89 points.

The news was much better, though, to start the day for South Fremantle with both the colts and reserves recording strong victories.

South Fremantle’s reserves continued its unbeaten start to the 2015 season to now move clear of Subiaco on the ladder thanks to a terrific 16.11 (107) to 11.7 (73) victory at Fremantle Oval.

Ben Sokol kicked three goals for the Bulldogs in the 34-point reserves victory while Traye Bennell, Bailey Matera and Dom Warrell all kicked two goals apiece.

Toby Bairstow racked up 21 possessions for South Fremantle with Lewis Harvey also finishing with 21 disposals while laying 10 tackles and kicking a goal.

Josh Branchi again worked hard in the ruck with 14 touches, seven marks and 23 hit outs with Traye Bennell gathering 20 possessions, Simon Panizza 19, Adam Carter 19, Nic Olds 18, Jacob Dragovich 18 and Alistair Gillespie 15 to go with five inside 50s, four marks and a goal.

South Fremantle’s colts also delivered a strong performance to record a 14.11 (95) to 5.7 (37) victory over Subiaco to start the day on Saturday morning at Fremantle Oval.

Brandon Donaldson kicked four goals for the Bulldogs with Jesse Musika, Jake Florenca, Joel McComb and Jarrad Lachlan all booting two apiece.

Miles Barritt racked up 30 possessions to go with five tackles and four inside 50s while Florenca finished with 27 disposals, Musika 24, Shai Bolton 23, Daniel Burke 22 and McComb 20.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        4.1    5.4    7.4    10.8    (68)
SUBIACO            4.2    8.6    14.9    24.13    (157)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Saunders 3; Dell’Olio 2; Kelly, Sgherza, Sellar, B Verrier, Pullman.
Best: A Hams, B Verrier, Higgins, Parry, Kelly, Pickett.
SUBIACO – Goals: Stevenson, Yarran 6; Waters 4; Kitchin, Moore, Wheeler, Robinson, Mahoney, Daniels, Fetherstonhaugh, Garcia.
Best: Robinson, Phelan, Rumble, Yarran, Stevenson, Kitchin, Waters, Mahoney.