ROUND 1 PREVIEW V SUBIACO

SOUTH Fremantle has the chance to both get a measure of revenge on Subiaco and start their 2022 WAFL season on the perfect note against the Lions on Saturday afternoon at Leederville Oval.

It’s a Grand Final rematch between the last two WAFL premiership teams when Subiaco takes on South Fremantle at Leederville Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Subiaco and South Fremantle have played one another in two of the past three WAFL Grand Finals, they have combined to win the last four premierships and you couldn’t come up with a better way to start the season than them facing off on Saturday at Leederville Oval.

It just happens to be the first WAFL Grand Final rematch held in Round 1 this century as well. The last time a Grand Final rematch took place in Round 1 was a Fremantle Derby back in 1998.

If South Fremantle is going to turn around recent history against Subiaco, they are going to need to find a way to kick a winning score against the Lions. The Bulldogs have only managed an average of 40.3 points a game in the last three meetings with the Lions.

That is the lowest three-game aggregate for South Fremantle against Subiaco since they averaged just 32.3 points over the 1943-44 seasons played during World War II.

South Fremantle coach Todd Curley can’t help but think what might have been back on Grand Final day last year had they taken their first half chances, and if Dylan Main, Blake Schlensog, Brandon Donaldson, Ben Rioli, Zac Dent and Blayne Wilson had been available.

However, that’s in the past now and he’s looking forward to the Round 1 opportunity that presents.

At half-time in the Grand Final we had really dominated the game, but a couple of silly errors gave up easy scores for them. Whether having four or five of our best 18 not there, we probably didn’t have the class to finish the good work we’d done.

“You’re never going to make up for a Grand Final loss, but it’s a great chance to jump out of the blocks. We believe it’s really important to prepare well, start well and bank some early wins. Look it’s a great challenge and it will give us a really good idea of where we’re at.”

It’s only fitting that Subiaco and South Fremantle open the new season against one another on the back of not only playing in last year’s Grand Final, but given they have shared the past four premierships.

Subiaco won the flags of 2018, 2019 and 2021 with the last of those two courtesy of Grand Final victories against South Fremantle while the Bulldogs broke through in 2020 for their first premiership triumph in over a decade.

While the personnel on both teams will be significantly different for this Round 1 clash, Subiaco will be looking to maintain its impressive recent form against South Fremantle while the Bulldogs will be looking to begin turning that around.

The Lions have won the last three meetings between the teams including last year’s Grand Final at Optus Stadium by an average of 36.7 points.

Going back further and Subiaco has won six of the previous eight matches between the two teams, 12 of the past 15 and 18 of the previous 22.

So Subiaco come into the clash in Round 1 at Leederville Oval with an 18-4 record against South Fremantle dating back to 2014 but that doesn’t really describe the competitive battles between the two teams in recent times.

Things at Leederville Oval recently have been even more in favour of Subiaco with the Lions having won 12 of the past 14 matches on their home ground against South Fremantle.

All of that should give the Lions confidence of a strong start to their new season on Saturday no matter who is available while at the same time, the Bulldogs won’t be short on motivation of a first up win over Subiaco to kickstart their 2022 campaign.

ROUND 1 – 2022 WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON
SOUTH FREMANTLE v SUBIACO – LEEDERVILLE OVAL, SATURDAY 2.10PM

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