Hasleby pleased to see Bulldogs coming together

SOUTH Fremantle has now won consecutive games for the first time in 2013 and recorded the biggest win in the WAFL last Sunday with coach Paul Hasleby glad to see his team playing with confidence and to the game plan.

The Bulldogs were in control from the outset last Sunday against Peel Thunder at Mandurah’s Bendigo Bank Stadium to end up winning by 93 points to back up the win two weeks prior against Subiaco that was set up with a six-goal to two final quarter.

While there was a disappointing derby loss to East Fremantle prior to that win over Subiaco, before that the Bulldogs beat the second-placed West Perth by 39 points at Arena Joondalup and that was on the back of strong, albeit losing, efforts against Claremont and Perth.

That all adds up to South Fremantle’s form being greatly improved for the most part over the last third of the 2013 season and Hasleby was glad to see his players get the chance to enjoy themselves on Sunday in Mandurah with such a dominant, comfortable and impressive performance.

“It’s good for them to get confidence in everything they have been working on so from that point of view it’s good. It’s also good from a coaching point of view because you can try guys in different positions and throw them around,” Hasleby said.

“We haven’t been able to string two wins together this year until now so the challenge was put to the boys to do that before the game, and as a coach you know they are certainly there to play when you are already four goals up in the first five or six minutes. It was pleasing from that point of view.”

West Coast’s Ashton Hams returned for the Bulldogs last Sunday and was outstanding with six goals and 31 possessions but Hasleby also felt his presence helped Mitch Banner (32 disposals), Ryan Cook (34), Haiden Schloithe (23, two goals), Tim Kelly (24), Jacob Martinez (25, two goals), Reece Adams (17), Brendan Verrier (32) and James Laurino (22) all have strong games as well.

“He makes a massive different to us with that extra midfielder which frees Banner, Cook and Schloithe up,” he said.

“We are actually developing a very good midfield in there and the challenge for us is to see what happens next year and try to keep that group together along.

“With Tim Kelly, Martinez, Adams, Verrier and Laurino as well there is the basis for one of the best midfields in the comp if we can keep them together and keep improving them.”

Adam McIntosh was another star performer for South Fremantle against Peel with the half-back finishing with 26 possessions and a career-best three goals while also holding the dangerous Kristin Thornton to just 12 touches and a goal.

Hasleby was impressed with his performance and of Adam Guglielmana, Craig White, Mitch Carter, Nick Borovac, Warrick Andreoli and Dylan Ross also down back.

“He (McIntosh) is a really good player for us. He can play tall, he can play small and he’s had some big challenges across the year playing on some AFL-listed small forwards. He still has a few aspects he needs to work on but he’s developing into a very good WAFL player,” Hasleby said.

“The boys know the direction they want to go and when they can get some predictability with how they want to move the ball they can take off with confidence from half-back.

“Adam McIntosh drifted forward to kick three goals as a half-back and a lot of our back-line was involved in setting up goals which was a pleasing aspect.”

Hasleby certainly does see the makings of a strong side in his current South Fremantle group now.

The midfield has great depth with Schloithe, Adams, Kris Miller, Banner, Martinez, Cook, Laurino, Kelly and Verrier while the forward-line is dangerous with Ben Saunders, Paul Mugambwa, and Alistair Gillespie with a blend of smalls while the back-line is coming together nicely.

A potential key forward and back is now the focus for the Bulldogs over the off-season.

“We still probably lack a real key position player in both parts of the ground so the challenge for us over the summer period is to find one or two, but Dylan Ross has turned into a very good defender and we have the confidence in Borovac to play on the biggest and smallest going around,” he said.

“McIntosh is down back and Andreoli did a good job this week. With the forward-line, Saundo gives us that target, Gumby is always giving a contest and his pressure is probably the best in the team and ‘Dizzy’ over the last four or five weeks has really started to figure out what footy is all about. It’s all about him applying the intensity and pressure 100 per cent of the time and he’s getting the results.”

Andreoli has returned from St Kilda to South Fremantle this season and struggled to adjust back to WAFL football, but his last two games against Peel and Subiaco have been by far his best of the season showing his good skills out of the back-line and terrific pace.

“When he plays with intensity he is a very good player for us,” Hasleby said.

“He is very good with the ball in hand, he uses it well, and he is very speedy and is a good handball receive player. Because he has been in the AFL system he also gets what we are trying to do so he is quite clever in that aspect as well.”

By Chris Pike