WAFL – BIG DERBY WIN IN ZAC’S 200TH

South Fremantle remain clear in top spot and continued their derby dominance with Zac Strom kicking five goals in his 200th game as the Bulldogs beat East Fremantle by 44 points.

The second derby meeting of 2025 took place on Saturday afternoon at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle again asserting their authority over the old foe to open up a 72-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs ended up securing the 18.7 (115) to 11.5 (71) victory to make it 18 of the last 20 derby victories going the way of South Fremantle.

The win also sees the Bulldogs remain clear on top of the WAFL ladder with a 14-1 record and having won 10 straight to be two and-a-half games ahead of the second placed Claremont with just three matches of the season remaining.

Zac Strom celebrated his 200th WAFL game by equalling his career-best with five goals from 17 possessions and five marks.

Brandon Donaldson also kicked four goals for the Bulldogs, Trey Ruscoe three and Roan O’Hehir three to go with 18 possessions and four tackles.

Jake Florenca also gathered another 27 possessions for South Fremantle, Tom Blechynden 26, Isiah Winder 22, Matthew Parker 22, Ethan Hughes 17, Jamaine Jones 17, Lewis Rayson 16 and ruckman Hamish Free 14 to go with 44 hit outs and a goal.

East Fremantle did make the better of the start to the derby before South Fremantle kicked two goals in a minute and-a-half from Roan O’Hehir and Brandon Donaldson.

Milestone man Zac Strom then got on the board too before O’Hehir and Donaldson added a second apiece to see the Bulldogs in control leading by 18 points at quarter-time.

South Fremantle then started the second quarter on fire too with four goals inside the opening 12 minutes from Trey Ruscoe, Matthew Parker, Ruscoe again and then O’Hehir with his third to push the lead out to 42 points.

Donaldson also added his third and fourth goals of the half to see South Fremantle on top by 41 points at the main break before Strom opened up on fire with the first two goals of the second half to see the Bulldogs’ advantage out to 53 points.

Haiden Schloithe and Hamish Free then also kicked goals before Strom added a fourth in his 200th game to give South Fremantle the 66-point lead by three quarter-time.

That was out to 72 to start the final term with a goal to Ruscoe and even though East Fremantle managed the next six goals, Strom finished off with his fifth to end the game in style as the Bulldogs secured the 44-point derby triumph.

Derby day at Fremantle Community Bank Oval began with the colts contest on Saturday morning with South Fremantle beating East Fremantle 6.14 (50) to 5.1 (31).

It was a flying start from East Fremantle with four goals to two behinds in the first quarter but the Bulldogs held the Sharks to just one goal the rest of the contest.

South Fremantle kicked four goals to one in the second term with scores all level between the Fremantle rivals going into the half-time break.

The Bulldogs held the Sharks scoreless in the third term while kicking two goals to be leading by 15 points at three quarter-time before neither team managed a goal in the final stanza with South Fremantle ending up winning by 19 points with six goals to one after quarter-time.

As a result of the win, South Fremantle close in on top position in the colts currently staying clear in second place with a 10-4 record to be just a game behind East Fremantle but with a superior percentage with three rounds and two games to go.

Tom Stewart kicked two goals in the win for South Fremantle with Toby Whan collecting 24 possessions, Lucas Robinson 24, Jacob Donald 22, Fred Rodriguez 16, Millar Rank 13, Zac Godwin 12, Caed Luff 12 and Byron Foster 12 to go with 25 hit outs and four tackles.

That led into the reserves contest at Fremantle Community Bank Oval where South Fremantle kept the winning going beating East Fremantle 13.17 (95) to 4.4 (28).

The Bulldogs made the fast start with two goals to one in the first quarter to be leading by 10 points at quarter-time before then dominating the second term even further holding the Sharks scoreless and adding another four goals.

That saw South Fremantle leading by 40 points at half-time with another three goals to one in the third quarter, and then four to two in the fourth with the Bulldogs going on to record the thumping 67-point victory.

South Fremantle are now three games and percentage clear in second position with just two games of the home and away season remaining while also only percentage behind the top ranked Claremont.

Defender-turned-forward Jordan Boullineau kicked another four goals for South Fremantle with Mitch Geier and Cooper Clarke-Dehring adding two apiece.

Nick Stuhldreier also racked up 35 possessions for the Bulldogs, Robbie Turnbull 27, Toby Dodds 20, Ashton Ferreira 19, Boullineau 18, Josh Louthean 18, Callum Copeland 16 and Josh Branchi 11 to go with 49 hit outs and six tackles in the ruck.

SULLIVAN LOGISTICS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 17

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        5.3          11.4        16.5        18.7        (115)

EAST FREMANTLE                            2.3          4.5          5.5          11.5        (71)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Z Strom 5; Donaldson 4; Ruscoe, O’Hehir 3; Schloithe, Free, Parker.

Best: Z Strom, Blechynden, Parker, Florenca, Donaldson, Free, Winder, O’Hehir.

EAST FREMANTLE – Goals: Hagan 5; Vladich 2; Marsh, Strnadica, Paholski, Spadanuda.

Best: Hagan, Joyce, Jansen, Murdock, Marsh, Rankin, Cleaver.