RD 19 PREVIEW | v SUBIACO

SOUTH Fremantle has the chance to celebrate its last home game of the 2023 WAFL season with a win on Saturday while also being able to end the minor premiership hopes in the process.

With two rounds of the WAFL season remaining, South Fremantle will play at Fremantle Community Bank Oval for the last time on Saturday afternoon by taking on the second placed Subiaco.

The league fixture will begin at 2.10pm on Saturday afternoon with the day getting underway with the colts at 9.10am and the reserves at 11.40am.

South Fremantle has lost its past three matches including going down at home to West Perth by 36 points last Sunday with a team that included debutants Ashton Ferreira, Ed Graham and Mitch Sinnott.

The game is the last home game of the season for the Bulldogs and they have the chance to end the minor premiership aspirations of Subiaco if they are able to secure the upset victory.

It has been a mixed bag between the two teams in recent times including Subiaco scoring a 12-point win against South Fremantle back in Round 5 of this season at Leederville Oval.

In that win, South Fremantle managed just the one goal in the first half and Subiaco ended up winning by 12 points with Ryan Borchet kicking three goals and Ben Sokol two.

Liam Hickmott gathered 30 possessions for the Lions, Wil Hickmott 26, Taj Schofield 24 and Stefan Giro 20.

Jordan Gallucci kicked three goals for South Fremantle while Chad Pearson collected 28 touches, Toby McQuilkin 26, Glenn Byron 25, Tom Blechynden 24 and Brandon Donaldson 20.

Prior to that and South Fremantle won both match ups of 2022 on the way to another finals appearance with Subiaco falling short on the back of the premiership in 2021 which included wins against the Bulldogs in both the second semi-final and the Grand Final.

Since Subiaco also beat South Fremantle in the Grand Final of 2019, the two teams have enjoyed four wins against one another in the eight encounters in that time heading into Saturday’s match up at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle will be looking to finish the season at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on a winning note on Saturday in the last home game of 2023.

The Bulldogs do welcome back star midfielder Jake Florenca for the clash with Subiaco but will still be missing Brock Higgins, Brandon Donaldson, Brendon Ah Chee, Matt Parker, Dylan Main, Jordan Gallucci and Chad Pearson.

South Fremantle loses another key player from the back-line from last week’s game too with Jordan Boullineau going out of the side for the Bulldogs injured.

Subiaco is looking to make it a four consecutive victory to maintain hopes of a minor premiership heading into that final game against East Fremantle.

Given the Lions are on a three-game winning run, there’s no need for changes from coach Beau Wardman with just the addition of Kody Eaton, Corey Hitchcock, Corey Robinson and Jordan Snadden to the side that beat West Coast last Sunday.