COLTS FIRST SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW

COLTS FIRST SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW | v WP 

South Fremantle’s last remaining team in 2026 is the Colts and they put their season on the line this Saturday morning in Mandurah in the first semi-final against West Perth. 

With South Fremantle’s Reserves not quite qualifying for finals in 2026 and then the League team’s premiership defence coming to an end last Sunday against East Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, it’s now the Colts the last surviving outfit representing the Bulldogs. 

And their season goes on the line now on Saturday morning in the first semi-final where South Fremantle will take on West Perth at Mandurah’s Lane Group Stadium with the game getting underway at 9:10am. 

The winner of the first semi-final will keep their season alive in 2026 and advance to next weekend’s preliminary final against either East Fremantle or Claremont while the season will be over for the loser. 

The two teams played one another twice throughout the season and the first meeting was back in Round 4 at Joondalup’s HIF Health Insurance Oval and on that occasion, it was a thumping 19.5 (119) to 7.8 (50) win for South Fremantle against West Perth. 

In that big win for the Bulldogs, Sam Hookham kicked six goals, Jye Hunt four, Jarrah Hayden two, Nick Allen two and Cooper Matera two with Riley Stannard racking up 30 possessions, Chace Vanderhoek 29, Dylan Noble 28 and Jack McAuliffe 24. 

The return encounter at Fremantle Community Bank Oval took place in Round 11 and it was another win for the Bulldogs this time with the 10.12 (72) to 3.10 (28) scoreline. 

On that occasion, Jasper Smith, Sam Coote and Cooper Matera all kicked two goals with Kobe Clucas gathering 33 disposals, Kaidan Freight 28, Chace Vanderhoek 25, Riley Stannard 22, Jack McAuliffe 20 and Aidan Hedge 20. 

South Fremantle finished the season in the Colts in second position with a 13-3 record while West Perth were fifth at 7-8 to go with a draw along the way with Perth. 

Both teams started their finals series last weekend and that saw South Fremantle finish strongly against Claremont in the qualifying final but just falling eight points short in the finish on Saturday at Revo Fitness Stadium. 

West Perth took on Subiaco in the elimination final and kept their season alive with the 16-point victory on Sunday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval. 

Now coming into Saturday morning’s first semi-final, South Fremantle have made three changes with Cooper Matera, Tom Stewart and Fletcher Tinsley back into the line-up. 

Going out for the Bulldogs are Jarrah Hayden, Sam Coote and Jarra Mallard. 

There are two changes for West Perth with Ethan Andrich and Maxim Collins into the team with Seth Ivankovich and Dylan O’Lone going out.