Round 5 Preview v Perth

SOUTH Fremantle is coming off a bye and remains unbeaten in all three WAFL grades ahead of Saturday’s clash with Perth at Lathlain Park.

Perth came up short against one unbeaten WAFL team last Sunday but get another chance at Lathlain Park this Saturday hosting South Fremantle.

South Fremantle has opened the season with a 35-point win over West Perth, 50-point victory over Swan Districts and 40-point win against East Perth leading into a bye last week.

Not only that, but the Bulldogs have won all three games over the Falcons, Swans and Royals in the league, reserves and colts in what has been a remarkable start to the season that they put on the line heading to Lathlain Park on Saturday.

Perth, meanwhile, only managed to kick four goals last Sunday in a 50-point loss to Subiaco but the Demons were vastly more competitive than that scoreline suggests.

Perth competed with Subiaco in all areas aside from kicking on goal and it was the 19 behinds that cost the Demons any chance of finishing closer than the 50 points.

And before that the Demons overrun a Claremont team who played finals last year and had thrashed East Perth in Round 1, so their form stacks up well leading into the clash with South Fremantle.

Also of interest, Clint Jones will be playing his first game against South Fremantle since returning to the WAFL in 2016 with Perth. The midfielder won two fairest and best awards with the Bulldogs and played in the 2005 premiership before embarking on a 149-game AFL career with St Kilda.

He has made some impact on return to the WAFL in his first three games with Perth this year too averaging 36.7 possessions.

South Fremantle has won the last three games over Perth, including two in 2015, with the Demons’ last win being a remarkable comeback victory on a Friday night at Fremantle Community Bank Oval that spoiled the 300-game celebrations of Kris Miller.

That was on the back of the Demons winning all three games over the Bulldogs in 2013.

South Fremantle has won the last two games between the clubs at Lathlain Park following the Demons claiming victory in both meetings on their home deck in 2013.

Bulldogs coach Todd Curley isn’t expecting anything special in terms of a reception for Jones, but is expecting a tough challenge from the Demons.

“I wouldn’t have thought so. There’s not too many guys who played with him. And he is free to make whatever decision he thinks is best for him and his family, and his decision was to play at Perth,” Curley said.

“It will be a big challenge for us after they played pretty well against us in a practice match and won this week. For us we focus on training and preparing to play Perth next week.”

South Fremantle has made just the one change to its team through the first three weeks of the season where they went through unbeaten.

That was Bailey Matera replacing Jacob Martinez in the Round 3 team where the Bulldogs downed the Royals on a Friday night at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

There is continued pressure coming up from the reserves, though, and that’s set to grow in the big men department with ruckman Brock Higgins set to play his first game of the year on Saturday in the reserves having missed the opening month through injury.

Shaun Bewick, Tom Vandeleur and Jacob Dragovich also continue to press for selection following continued strong form in the reserves for the Bulldogs to open 2016.

Bewick racked up another 36 possessions and eight marks two weeks ago against East Perth while Vandeleur had 16 touches, five tackles and a goal, and Dragovich 28 disposals and eight inside-50 entries.

Perth will still be down on big men strength on Saturday against South Fremantle with ruckman Christian Eyres, defender David Johnson and forward Spencer White still missing.

But Stephen Mills had a solid first game for the Demons last week and now will look to do the same against the team that recruited him from Queensland, South Fremantle, this Saturday.

Mills will provide back up to Angus Graham in the ruck and likely spend the rest of the team as a key defender on one of Zac Strom or Mason Shaw.

Brent Latch and Aaron Zucconi will also have important defensive roles for the Demons while they will look for the mid-size and small forwards like Callum Walley, Brennan Stack, Lachlan Dennis, Marshall Jones and Cody Leggett to help them kick a winning score.

Rowan Brookes could come in for his first league game of the season as well after kicking four goals from 15 possessions and seven marks in the reserves last Sunday against Subiaco.

Fraser Millar has been outstanding the first three weeks of the season in the reserves for Perth and could now make his league debut after another 30 possessions, nine marks, four tackles, four inside 50s and a goal on Sunday against Subiaco.

Lennon Marlin is another potential debutant for the Demons following another impressive reserves performance with 19 possessions and nine marks last week against the Lions.

ROUND 5
PERTH (1-2, 7th) v SOUTH FREMANTLE (3-0, 2nd) – LATHLAIN PARK, SATURDAY 2.15PM
Broadcast – KIX Digital

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