BULLDOGS NOTCH FIRST POINTS OF SEASON

SOUTH Fremantle delivered a dominant third quarter to set up the eventual 29-point win against East Perth on Saturday at Leederville Oval with the Bulldogs registering their first four premiership points of the season.

In the last game of the season before this weekend’s break for the WAFL’s State game against the SANFL in Adelaide on Friday afternoon, neither South Fremantle nor East Perth could get much happening with two goals in the first half.

However, the Bulldogs delivered a standout third quarter piling on five goals to break the game wide open before ending up winning 11.12 (78) to 6.13 (49).

While it’s a third win of the season for South Fremantle, it gives the Bulldogs their first four premiership points.

It wasn’t the most inspiring opening to the contest and it took almost 10 minutes for the first goal to be kicked which went the way of East Perth thanks to Angus Scott.

It then took another 13 minutes for another to be kicked and that went the way of South Fremantle’s Jordan Gallucci and by quarter-time, the Bulldogs were leading by three points after five scoring shots to two.

It took another 13 minutes of the second term for a goal to be kicked and it was East Perth powerhouse Liam Tedesco who took the mark and went back to kick truly to put the Royals back in front.

Again South Fremantle hit back with one just before half-time, this time thanks to Zac Strom and as a result the Bulldogs clung to a three-point lead by the major interval.

The trend continued of it taking some time for both teams to warm into the third quarter but when Manfred Kelly kicked a goal for South Fremantle at the 10-minute mark, it got the Bulldogs rolling.

Brendon Ah Chee, Brandon Donaldson and Caleb Datson also added goals and those first four goals of the half pushed the South Fremantle lead out to 26 points.

East Perth got a brief steadier from Nick Bonomelli, but the Bulldogs closed the quarter with a first career goal to George Wessels and that saw them into the last change leading by 26 points.

South Fremantle then all but put the game out of reach of East Perth with the first two goals of the last quarter thanks to Ah Chee and Strom. From there the Bulldogs went on to score the 29-point to notch their first four premiership points of the season and hand East Perth a third successive loss.

George Wessels came into the South Fremantle team and kicked the first two goals of his WAFL career to go with 12 possessions. Brendon Ah Chee and Zac Strom also kicked two goals apiece for the Bulldogs.

Tom Blechynden continued his strong form this season in the midfield for South Fremantle with another 28 possessions, nine tackles, seven marks and five inside-50 entries.

Matthew Parker also gathered 24 disposals, Brandon Donaldson 20, Ah Chee 18, Dylan Main 18 and second-gamer Caleb Stephens 18.

The Bulldogs’ back-line was again strong conceding just the six goals and Toby McQuilkin finished with 25 possessions, Chad Pearson 22 and Glenn Byron 22 to go with 10 marks.

In Round 6 of the Reserves, the first match took place on Saturday morning at Leederville Oval with South Fremantle beating East Perth 13.8 (86) to 5.14 (44).

Riley Colborne kicked five goals for the Bulldogs and two each to Aiden Hall, Chase Bourne and Mackenzie Nield while Robbie Turnbull gathered 26 possessions, Seth Connor 23, Jaxon Bellchambers 21 and Jaren Carr 20.

Then in Round 6 of the Colts, a thriller took place on Sunday morning at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle coming from behind with two goals in the middle of the last quarter from Ed Graham and Latrell Yarran helping to deliver the 10.8 (68) to 10.7 (67) win against East Perth.

Isaiah Hayden kicked two goals for the Bulldogs while Ashton Ferreira collected 29 disposals, Graham 23, James Rhyder 20, Callum Copeland 19 and Tamate Oakley 18.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        1.4    2.7    7.10    11.12    (78)
EAST PERTH            1.1    2.4    3.9    6.13    (49)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Wessels, Z Strom, Ah Chee 2; Kelly, Donaldson, O’Hehir, Datson, Gallucci.
Best: Blechynden, Pearson, McQuilkin, Ah Chee, Z Strom, Parker, Byron, N Strom.
EAST PERTH – Goals: Tedesco 2; Medhat, Schofield, Scott, Bonomelli.
Best: Brayshaw, Wright, Robertson, Jones, Schumacher, North, Willcocks.