BULLDOGS TURN FOCUS TO HOME PRELIM FINAL

SOUTH Fremantle run of outs in second semi-final match ups with Subiaco at Leederville Oval continued on Saturday after a rough first half but the Bulldogs now turn their attention to this Sunday’s preliminary final.

South Fremantle was on a high following the heart stopping one-point qualifying final win against Claremont at Fremantle Community Bank Oval the previous Saturday while the Lions were coming off the week’s break having finished the home and away season on top of the ladder.

The Bulldogs started well enough with the game’s first goal thanks to Manfred Kelly but soon after prime midfielder Jake Florenca was helped from the field with a hip injury and Subiaco began to assert their authority on the contest.

Subiaco would kick the only other seven goals of the half to lead by 34 points at half-time and then see that margin grow to 40 points when the Lions kicked the opening goal of the third quarter.

But South Fremantle fought back to win in a near identity situation the week before and threatened to do that again with four quick goals in the third quarter to build some momentum and confidence.

However, they couldn’t quite keep that going and Subiaco went on to win 11.7 (73) to 8.3 (51).

The result means Subiaco moves straight into the WAFL Grand Final at Optus Stadium having beaten South Fremantle in a fourth second semi-final in the past six years. All of them have taken place at Leederville Oval.

South Fremantle will now take on Claremont once again in this Sunday’s preliminary final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Zac Strom was one of South Fremantle’s precious few four-quarter contributors with 28 possessions with Matthew Parker adding 26 disposals (10 tackles), Jacob Dragovich 20 and Haiden Schloithe 17.

Brock Higgins battled hard in the ruck with 56 hit outs having regained his spot from the qualifying final while Mason Shaw kicked two goals.

South Fremantle was down a man from the opening minutes, though, with Jake Florenca leaving the field with a hip injury.

South Fremantle started the game well and kicked the first goal of the second semi-final when Manfred Kelly swooped on a ball in the forward pocket and kicked truly.

It was just the start the Bulldogs were looking for in an attempt to turnaround the recent finals history against Subiaco, but the Lions soon settled into gear.

Jack Mayo found space at centre half-forward and kicked truly before Harry Marsh and then ex-Bulldog Brandon Matera scored too before a second to Mayo. It was another South Fremantle product, Ben Sokol, who kicked the last goal of the opening term with Subiaco up by 21 points.

The second quarter was one to entire forget for South Fremantle but Subiaco didn’t exactly kick away either which was the only positive to take from it.

The Lions did kick the only two goals while the Bulldogs were scoreless, and while the half-time deficit of 34 points for South Fremantle was challenging, it wasn’t insurmountable.

The scenario was remarkably similar to a week before in the qualifying final when South Fremantle turned around a 40-point deficit to beat Claremont, and the task was the same when the Lions kicked the first goal of the second half to lead by 40 points.

The Bulldogs then started to get rolling beginning with a goal to vice-captain Mason Shaw. Captain Dylan Main then kicked truly too and when Jesse Motlop brought the Bulldogs fans to life, suddenly it was just a 22-point ball game.

Subiaco did get a steadier thanks to Brandon Matera but South Fremantle was feeling the momentum and two more goals to big men Shaw and Jimmy Miller had the margin back to 17 points just before three quarter-time.

However, that would be as close as South Fremantle was able to get with Subiaco kicking the last goals of the term to be up by 26 points at three quarter-time.

The Bulldogs did kick two goals to one in the last quarter with Brandon Donaldson and Zac Strom kicking truly but it was only enough to bring the final margin back to 22 points in favour of the Lions.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – FINALS SERIES
SECOND SEMI-FINAL

SOUTH FREMANTLE        1.3    1.3    6.3    8.3 (51)
SUBIACO            5.0    7.1    10.4    11.7 (73)

SOUTH FREMANTLE: Goals – Shaw 2; Z Strom, Donaldson, Main, Miller, Kelly, Motlop.
Best – Z Strom, Parker, Higgins, Hall, Motlop, Shaw.
SUBIACO: Goals – Sokol 3; Mayo, Brandon Matera 2; Marsh, Atkinson, Braut, Golding.
Best – Clark, Delahunty, Kennedy, Sokol, L Hickmott, Dewar, Heal, W Hickmott.