WAFL RD 2 PREVIEW | v PEEL THUNDER

South Fremantle is back at Fremantle Community Bank Oval for the first time in 2025 on Saturday to take on the reigning premiers Peel Thunder while celebrating the club’s 125-year anniversary.

It was a tough battle under lights at Mineral Resources Park last Saturday night against Perth for South Fremantle to open the new season, but the Bulldogs ended up kicking seven goals in the last quarter to score the 13-point win.

South Fremantle will now attempt to keep the momentum going in the first home game at Fremantle Community Bank Oval for the new season when playing reigning premiers Peel Thunder on Saturday afternoon.

The league fixture gets underway from 1:45pm with the day’s action getting underway with the colts contest from 8:30am and then the reserves match up starting at 11:00am.

There was plenty to like in the first up showing last Saturday night for South Fremantle with gun recruits Trey Ruscoe (three goals), Ethan Hughes (22 possessions, 11 marks), Jamaine Jones (12 disposals, three tackles) and Hamish Free (15 touches, 24 hit outs) all impressive.

Matthew Parker (31 possessions), Matthew Ward (27), Isiah Winder (26), Tom Blechynden (22) and Jake Florenca (21, two goals) were all among the standout performances in the victory as well.

Peel comes into Saturday’s match up at Fremantle Community Bank Oval having had a Round 1 draw last Saturday with Claremont to open their premiership defence at Mandurah’s Lane Group Stadium.

South Fremantle will also be looking to avoid a fourth consecutive loss to Peel on Saturday with the Thunder winning both meetings between the sides in 2024, and also winning in Round 12, 2023.

The last win for the Bulldogs against the Thunder was back in Round 3, 2023, with the 44-point victory at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

New South Fremantle coach Craig White will be in charge for his first home game on Saturday afternoon while fully aware of the challenge the reigning premiers from Peel present.

“We’ve reviewed them as a coaching group as an opposition this week obviously and we’re aware that their AFL talent is huge,” White told SEN WA.

“But they’ve got great talent from their Peel players as well like Sellwood, Tuia and some good players in good form going back to last year and so far this year.

“It’s going to be a tough ask and it’s the first game back at Freo Oval which we’re looking forward to. We’re wearing the 125-year heritage guernsey as well which we’re also very much looking forward to.”

Zac Strom should be straight back into the South Fremantle line-up on Saturday to partner Trey Ruscoe in attack after missing the season-opener due to a wedding he attended.

Toby McQuilkin, Aaron Drage, Kyle Russell and Jacob Whan are the other Bulldogs players in the selection mix to take on the Thunder while last week’s debutant Fred Rodriguez goes out to be part of the AFL National Academy who are playing against Richmond in Melbourne this weekend.

There are plenty of changes for Peel coming off their draw last Saturday with Claremont with Archie Caldow, Jack Delean, Neil Erasmus, Nat Fyfe, Josh Mathey, Ollie Murphy, Deian Roberts, Zane Wearing and Brody Wemm all into their squad.

The players named out at this stage from the team that faced Claremont are Sean Darcy, Hayden Young, Oscar McDonald, Liam Reidy and James Aish, but with all those Dockers listed players they could still play if they aren’t in Adelaide with their Fremantle teammates.