Bulldogs win third straight, break losing run v Swans

SOUTH Fremantle is again finishing a season in tremendous form having now won three straight matches following Saturday’s dominant 46-point victory over the finals bound Swan Districts at Bassendean’s Steel Blue Oval.

The 2014 season has followed the same trend that the 2012 and 2013 campaigns with Paul Hasleby as coach have taken with the Bulldogs getting off to a slow start to fall out of finals contention, but then finding strong form late in the year to build some momentum looking towards the next season.

South Fremantle lost its first four games of the season, found form winning three straight and then saw its finals chances well and truly buried with a six-game losing run between rounds 9 and 15.

However, since the Round 15 loss to Claremont, South Fremantle has been terrific having beaten Perth by 12 points, losing to Subiaco narrowly by nine points, beating East Fremantle by 43 points, beating Peel by one-point and now defeating Swan Districts 18.7 (115) to 9.15 (69).

Not only is the win South Fremantle’s third straight, but also ends a nine-match losing run against Swan Districts.

South Fremantle kicked the only five goals of the first quarter and the opening seven majors of the match before then being able to respond to Swans’ mounting several challenges in the second half and steady to win by 46 points largely on the back of Josh Pullman.

Pullman played 23 league matches with Swan Districts on the back of being a colts premiership captain before spending the last three years playing in Queensland, and then coming back to Western Australia in 2014 and joining South Fremantle.

He has always worked hard at centre half-forward without getting the rewards for effort, but that came on Saturday as the former Swan kicked five goals from 11 possessions and seven marks including a dominant showing in the final term.

Bernie Naylor Medal leader Ben Saunders kicked another four goals from five kicks with Craig White and Jacob Martinez booting two apiece as well.

Ashton Hams put in a dominant performance for the Bulldogs finishing with 43 possessions, 12 marks and eight inside-50 entries while Anthony Collica showed his quality when fit with 27 disposals and 13 marks.

Toby Bairstow continued his strong form as well collecting 26 disposals with Brendan Verrier gathering 24 touches, Haiden Schloithe 23, James Sellar 22 (11 marks), Tim Kelly 21, Adam Guglielmana 19, Jarrod Parry 19, Shaun Bewick 18 and Dylan Ross 17 (nine marks).

Swan Districts has been a poor starting team for much of 2014 particularly in recent weeks and indeed back in Round 13 at Fremantle Oval, and on Saturday South Fremantle took full advantage of that.

Swans went goalless in the first quarter with South Fremantle starting the game on fire with opening term goals to Martinez, Saunders, Alistair Gillespie, White and Pullman as they led by 27 points at quarter-time.

Veteran White then opened up the second quarter with his second goal of the day as the Bulldogs’ lead stretched out to 39 points with Swans’ still goalless.

Swan Districts was still yet to kick a goal when Pullman booted his second of the day as well soon after as South Fremantle’s lead got out to 43 points. It was then still a comfortable 24-point advantage by half-time.

Swan Districts might have had a sniff at half-time, but South Fremantle steadied with the first goal of the second half thanks to Saunders booting his third goal of the afternoon.

Swans then got on a bit of a run to make the game a real contest again, but Bulldogs goals to Martinez, Verrier and then debutant Jarrod Garlett ensured the advantage was still 31 points at three quarter-time.

Swans again got back within 16 points during the last quarter, but the Bulldogs steadied with goals to Saunders and Kelly before Pullman turned on his most dominant period of football for the season since joining South Fremantle in 2014.

Pullman finished the game off kicking his third, fourth and fifth goals to help South Fremantle get out to a 40-point lead before Sellar kicked a goal late with the Bulldogs ending up winning by 46 points.

South Fremantle’s reserves also scored a thumping 19.19 (133) to 7.6 (48) win over Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.

John Sgherza showed just how much he has been missed with his injury troubles this year by kicking six goals from 21 possessions while Paul Mugambwa found some form with 18 disposals, nine marks and three goals for the Bulldogs.

Adam McIntosh racked up 37 possessions, Tim Stewart 35, Lewis Harvey 26, Ben Sokol 23, Myles Bolger 22, Mitch Carter 20 and Marlon Pickett 18 to go with nine marks, six tackles, six inside 50s and a goal.

South Fremantle’s colts couldn’t quite get the day off to the perfect start at Steel Blue Oval with Swan Districts ending up winning 13.13 (91) to 5.5 (35).

Jacob Dragovich kicked two goals to go with 23 possessions for the Bulldogs with Callum Ah Chee also kicking two goals.

Matthew Ah Siu collected 24 possessions for South Fremantle, Billy Collier 23, Braden Fimmano 20, Kade Stewart 17 (11 tackles) and Jake Florenca 17.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        5.1    8.2    12.5    18.7    (115)

SWAN DISTRICTS        0.4    3.8    6.10    9.15    (69)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Pullman 5; Saunders 4; Martinez, White 2; Garlett, Gillespie, B Verrier, Sellar, Kelly.
Best: Hams, Collica, Pullman, B Verrier, Kelly, Sellar, Bairstow, Schloithe.
SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Davis 5; Rogers 2; Ugle, Geappen.
Best: Davis, Boekhorst, Geappen, Faulkner, Elari, Simpson, N Blakely