Round 15 Preview v Subiaco

SOUTH Fremantle takes on the challenge of the undefeated league-leading Subiaco at Leederville Oval on Saturday with the Bulldogs attempting to hand the Lions their first loss of 2018.

The top two WAFL teams lock horns at Leederville Oval on Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs attempt to become the first team to beat the Lions in 2018.

It should be a tremendous contest and it’s only fitting it will be broadcast live on Channel 7 from 1.30pm with bouncedown to take place at 1.40pm.

The reserves contest takes place from 10.55am at Leederville Oval while the colts will take place after the league fixture from 4.30pm.

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Subiaco comes into the contest as unbackable premiership favourites in the WAFL this season having won all 12 of its games to date this season, and 10 of those in emphatic nature.

That included a 58-point win against South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval back in Round 2 but that was the Bulldogs’ first game of 2018 following the Round 1 bye.

Saturday’s game does shape as a terrific contest, though, even if the Lions haven’t seriously been challenged for four quarters yet this season.

The Lions’ closest end results were an 18-point win against East Perth in Round 11 and then a 22-point win over West Perth in Round 6.

The other 10 wins that Subiaco has recorded have come at an average of 76 points including two by more than 100 points, and another four of at least 80 points.

Subiaco’s potency has been remarkable this season with them averaging 119.3 points a game and having not scored at least 100 points in just three of 12 games. Defensively the Lions are just as impressive conceding just 52.6 points with no team having kicked more than 10 goals against them.

South Fremantle is looking good in second position on the ladder as well having won its past three matches against Peel Thunder, East Perth and Claremont to hold a 9-3 record coming into the clash with Subiaco.

The Lions are averaging 98.6 points a game this season while conceding 74.0 points, both of which sit them second in the league behind Subiaco.

The teams are two of the three best starting sides in the WAFL too with Subiaco outscoring its opponents by 114 points in first quarters and South Fremantle 45.

Subiaco only gets getter from there winning second quarters by 225 points, third terms by 228 and last quarters by 233 to be the best in the league in each of them.

South Fremantle is the second best second quarter team (103 points), second best in third quarters (80) and then second best in last terms (67) as well.

South Fremantle did score a win by 39 points last year in Round 1 against Subiaco, but aside from that the Lions have dominated the Bulldogs in recent times.

Subiaco went on to win by 39 points in Round 9 last year at Leederville Oval and then also recovered from a slow start in the preliminary final to win by 32 points.

The Lions have won the last three against the Bulldogs by an average of 43 points and then taking out South Fremantle’s Round 1 win last year, they have won nine of the past 10 between the two teams with the wins coming at an average of 40.7 points.

South Fremantle coach Todd Curley is confident the Bulldogs can put in a good showing.

“It’s funny we’ve played Claremont three times in our last 10 games and we’ve still only played Subi once, and that other game was a long time ago,” Curley said.

“I thought it was a pretty good game for almost three quarters and then they certainly ran over us late. We are certainly confident that we can get the job done but they’ve been in good form. We’ll turn up and give our best, and hopefully that’s good enough.”

South Fremantle has now strung three wins together to be secure in second position on the ladder so like Subiaco, there’s little reason for coach Todd Curley to be looking to make too many changes.

He is forced to make one change, though, with 199-game veteran Ashton Hams out with a hamstring he strained last Saturday in the win against Claremont.

That delays his 200-game milestone at least a week and he joins Cory Dell’Olio out of the side with Blaine Johnson having departed the club also leaving it a different looking forward-line for South Fremantle, at least in terms of the small forwards.

Glenn Byron, Josh Collard, Zac De San Miguel and Steven Edwards are the players added to the South Fremantle squad for Saturday.

If Collard or De San Miguel are able to earn selection, they will be making their league debuts and it will be quite the welcome to the big time up against the unbeaten, league-leading Subiaco at Leederville Oval on Saturday.

Subiaco delivered its 12th consecutive win this season in emphatic style beating Peel Thunder by 52 points under lights at Leederville Oval last Friday night making positions in the Lions’ team tough to come by.

Clancy Wheeler went off hurt early last Friday night and he won’t be right to play against South Fremantle back at Leederville Oval on Saturday leaving the Lions with one change they are forced to make.

Youngster Tom Edwards-Baldwin appears the most likely inclusion to replace Wheeler.

Then there is Daniel Leach, Jack Beverley and Sean Bradley also in the selection mix but there continues to be no room even in the squad of 25 for the likes of Adam Cockie, Craig Hoskins, Kaidyn Fullgrabe and Chris Bryan.

ROUND 15
SOUTH FREMANTLE v SUBIACO – LEEDERVILLE OVAL, SATURDAY 1.40PM
Broadcast – Channel 7, HFM, Footy Radio

LEAGUE TEAMS, LIVE STATS
RESERVES TEAMS, LIVE STATS
COLTS TEAMS, LIVE STATS