Bulldogs no match for Royals leaving big job to make finals

SOUTH Fremantle was blown away by a rampant East Perth outfit at Fremantle Oval on Saturday leaving the Bulldogs with a tough run over the last four games of the 2015 WAFL season in order to return to finals action.

While the Bulldogs reserves recorded another strong win to remain on top of the ladder, the league side had a day to forget against the Royals with East Perth ending up winning 28.9 (177) to 11.5 (71) at Fremantle Oval.

South Fremantle was in fifth position and East Perth out of the top five coming into the contest, but by Saturday night the two teams had swapped positions with the Bulldogs now facing an uphill battle to return to finals action for the first time since 2011.

The task ahead of South Fremantle in its last four games in the final rounds of the season is taking on the current top three sides starting this Saturday against Subiaco at Medibank Stadium before two games against the third placed Peel Thunder and a battle with the second placed West Perth.

In his 149th appearance for South Fremantle, Ashton Hams worked hard on Saturday for South Fremantle continuing his outstanding season finishing with a game-high 36 possessions to go with eight tackles.

Tim Kelly also worked hard in the midfield collecting 24 disposals to go with five inside-50 entries, five marks, four tackles and a goal while Brendan Verrier compiled 22 touches and Jacob Dragovich 19 to go with five tackles on his return to the league side.

Cory Dell’Olio battled away in the forward-line kicking three goals from 23 possessions and six marks with 189-game veteran Craig While kicking three goals as well and Josh Pullman adding two majors.

The signs were ominous for South Fremantle early when West Coast pair Fraser McInnes and Brant Colledge kicked goals for East Perth in the opening four minutes before the Bulldogs got on the board with a steadier from Dell’Olio.

However, in between that and a goal from second-gamer Callum Ah Chee, East Perth piled on five more goals, including two more to McInnes, with the Royals opening a 31-point quarter-time advantage despite Dell’Olio managing to boot his second goal of the first term.

It took 10 minutes into the second quarter for South Fremantle to add another goal through White, but in that time the Royals added another three goals to see their lead grow to as much as 51 points.

Pullman kicked his first and White his second before half-time for the Bulldogs, but the Royals still managed three more goals to end up 54 points up at the main break with 14 goals to six in the opening half.

Things didn’t get any better in the second half starting with East Perth kicking the first three goals of the third quarter before Pullman nailed his second of the game for South Fremantle.

White kicked his third shortly before three quarter-time to cut the Royals lead back to 65 points at the last change.

Things then got decidedly ugly in the final term as East Perth piled on 10 goals with South Fremantle’s three majors coming from McIntosh, Dell’Olio and Kelly but it didn’t stop the Royals from winning by 106 points.

South Fremantle’s reserves maintained its lead on top of the ladder beating East Perth 13.12 (90) to 10.7 (67) at Fremantle Oval on Saturday.

Kaiden Matera kicked four goals for South Fremantle to continue to put his hand up for a first league appearance since 2013 with Ben Sokol also kicking three goals and John Sgherza two.

Anthony Collica also picked up 27 possessions for the Bulldogs, Matthew Ah Siu 25, James Laurino 23 and Nick Borovac 21 while Jarrod Parry returned from a foot injury to gather 23 disposals to go with seven tackles, seven inside-50 entries and a goal.

Blake Riley kicked three goals for East Perth with Trent Bradshaw booting two while Zac Dent gathered 21 possessions, Will Young 19 and Tom Shanahan 17.

The day started at Fremantle Oval with East Perth beating South Fremantle 10.12 (72) to 8.10 (58) despite the Bulldogs kicking four goals to two in the final quarter.

Jed Kemp kicked four goals for East Perth in the colts victory from six kicks while Cameron Hodgson and Nathan Eaton adding two majors apiece. Stan Wright racked up 32 possessions for the Royals, Mitch Dobson 29, Connor De Campo 25, Alex Di Placido 24 and Kobe Chrisp 23.

Mitch Dzelebdzic kicked six of South Fremantle’s eight goals in the contest with Jamie Foster amassing 37 possessions, Jesse Musika 29, Jake Florenca 22, Abel Brown 21, Jesse Mirco 19, Daniel Burke 19 and Josh Collard 18.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        3.1    6.1    8.4    11.5    (71)
EAST PERTH            8.2    14.7    18.9    28.9    (177)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Dell’Olio, White 3; Pullman 2; McIntosh, Kelly, Ah Chee.
Best: A Hams, Dell’Olio, Kelly, B Verrier, White, Dragovich.
EAST PERTH – Goals: Wulff, McInnes, Lamb 4; McGinnity, Oakley-Nicholls, Lee 3; Johnson, Adamson 2; Colledge, Lucas, Bennell.
Best: Lee, Wulff, Colledge, Main, McGinnity, Johnson, McInnes.