WAFL – RUSCOE KICKS 5 IN EASTER BULLDOGS WIN

South Fremantle’s perfect start to the 2025 WAFL season continued at home on Saturday with the hard earned 11-point Easter victory against Swan Districts with five goals to Trey Roscoe.

The Bulldogs were back home at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday afternoon putting their undefeated record on the line against a Swans team yet to win in 2025, but having played in last year’s preliminary final.

South Fremantle did open up a 34-point lead in the third quarter and then even though Swan Districts got back within five points late in the piece, the Bulldogs held on for the 11.3 (69) to 8.10 (58) victory.

Trey Ruscoe continued the stunning start up forward to his career with South Fremantle by kicking another five goals from eight kicks and four marks with Solomon James chipping in with another crucial two goals.

Previous WJ Hughes Medal winner Jake Florenca continues to show he’s right back to his best form for South Fremantle with another 28 possessions, seven tackles and five marks.

Ethan Hughes has slotted in perfectly across half-back with another 25 possessions and six marks while Chad Pearson had 22 touches and nine marks, and Lewis Rayson 19 disposals and seven marks.

Isiah Winder also had 21 possessions, Chase Bourne 19, Tom Blechynden 17, Jamaine Jones 17, Aaron Drage 16 and Matthew Parker 16 to go with nine tackles and a goal.

It took over seven minutes for the first score of the game and that was a goal the way of Swan Districts thanks to prime on-baller Josh Cipro.

Swans then had the first two goals of the contest when spearhead Leigh Kohlmann kicked truly but then South Fremantle responded with two goals in less than two minutes to Trey Ruscoe.

Matthew Parker and Chase Bourne then got in on the act for the Bulldogs before Ruscoe added a third in the space of 14 minutes for the home team to head into the quarter-time break leading by 19 points.

It took more than 14 minutes again for a goal to come to either side in the second quarter but it went the way of South Fremantle from Isiah Winder with the lead getting out to 25 points for the home side.

Swans had to respond and did kick the only other goal of the quarter thanks to captain Jesse Turner to cut the South Fremantle lead at half-time to 17 points.

South Fremantle made a flying start to the second half starting with an early goal to Aaron Drage before Ruscoe kicked his fourth of the afternoon and then Solomon James made his mark to push the lead out to 34 points.

Swan Districts responded firstly thinks the returning Aidan Clarke in his first game of the season and that did keep the visitors in touch to be down by 23 points at three quarter-time.

Swans got right back into the contest with the first two goals of the last term as well courtesy of Ben Hewett before Ruscoe steadied South Fremantle with his fifth major of the afternoon.

Swans weren’t going away, though, and two quick goals from emerging big man Evan Smith was his biggest impact so far at league level and suddenly it was a six-point ball game.

Swan Districts kept on attacking and games record holder Tony Notte had a shot from 50m that sailed wide and eventually the Bulldogs sealed the 11-point win with a mark deep in attack from James and he kicked his second.

First up on Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval was the colts match up and that saw South Fremantle score the thumping 17.7 (109) to 3.8 (26) victory against Swan Districts.

The Bulldogs made a flying start with six goals to one in the first quarter before another five to one in the second term to be leading by 52 points at half-time.

South Fremantle kicked another six goals to one in the second half on the way to the 83-point victory with Ryda Luke kicking eight goals from his eight kicks.

Toby Whan also kicked two goals to go with 27 possessions while Lucas Robinson picked up 24 disposals and kicked two goals.

Fred Rodriguez came back to the colts team after making his league debut in Round 1 and then playing in the All-Star Game in Melbourne and had 29 possessions with Riley Stannard picking up 25 touches, Jacob Donald 24, Zac Godwin 21, Max Thomas 18 and Byron Foster 18 with 14 hit outs.

The reserves contest was up next at Fremantle Community Bank Oval and it was Swan Districts who beat South Fremantle 10.13 (73) to 9.10 (64).

Swans did open up a handy 29-point lead by half-time thanks to kicking the only four goals of the second quarter, but the Bulldogs hit back with five goals to nil in the third term to be only two points down at three quarter-time.

However, Swan Districts kicked three goals to two in the last term to end up winning a tight affair by nine points.

Ed Graham and Riley Colborne kicked two goals apiece for South Fremantle with Nick Stuhldreier gathering 27 possessions, Jack Green 25 (14 tackles), Callum Copeland 22, Jason Carter 21, Toby Dodds 21 and Connor Carbone 21.

SULLIVAN LOGISTICS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 3

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        5.1          6.2          9.2          11.3        (69)

SWAN DISTRICTS                              2.0          3.3          4.9          8.10        (58)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Ruscoe 5; James 2; Winder, Drage, Bourne, Parker.

Best: Florenca, Hughes, Pearson, Ruscoe, N Strom, Rayson, Winder, Bourne.

SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Hewett, Smith 2; Kohlmann, Clarke, Cipro, Turner.

Best: Chalcraft, Lynch, McLachlan, Cipro, Tester, Turner, Smith.