WAFLW – BULLDOGS DELIVER TIGERS FIRST DEFEAT

South Fremantle’s remarkable late season form in the WAFLW continued on Saturday with the Bulldogs handing Claremont a first defeat of 2025 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle have now won three straight matches to be a game and percentage clear in fourth position on the WAFLW ladder.

Three weeks ago and South Fremantle handed Subiaco a first defeat of the 2025 season before backing up beating East Perth last Friday night ahead of Saturday’s NAIDOC Round contest with Claremont at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

The Tigers arrived as the reigning premiers and not having lost a game in 2025, but the Bulldogs changed all that on Saturday afternoon with the only three goals of the second half on the way to the 5.5 (35) to 3.5 (23) victory.

South Fremantle’s goals came from Shannyn Pomersbach, Annalie Polimeno, Eva Flynn, Tara Stribley and Madizen Wilkins.

Hannah Burt racked up 24 possessions in the win for the Bulldogs with Tahlea Mulder collecting 24 disposals to go with 12 tackles.

Hunter Cronin also picked up 13 touches, Eva Flynn 13, Liusaidh Gilchrist 12, Jess Watts 12, Madizen Wilkins 11, Tara Stribley 11 and Melinda Bobby 10.

Neither team managed a goal in the first quarter with the only two scores being behinds to Claremont.

It only took 40 seconds for that to change in the second quarter with South Fremantle scoring the first goal of the game thanks to Annalie Polimeno.

Claremont responded shortly after thanks to Megan Green and the game started to open up including another goal before half-time for the Bulldogs to Shannyn Pomersbach but it was the Tigers leading by six points at the main break.

South Fremantle then made a blistering start to the second half with goals to Madizen Wilkins and Tara Stribley which led to the Bulldogs holding an eight-point lead by three quarter-time.

South Fremantle then kicked the only goal of the last term to Eva Flynn to secure the win and hand the Tigers their first defeat of 2025.

The Rogers Cup contest then took place on Sunday afternoon back at Fremantle Community Bank Oval and it was a tight affair that saw Claremont end up prevailing over South Fremantle 6.5 (41) to 4.8 (32).

There was a goal apiece in the first quarter but the Bulldogs still had managed just the one goal to half-time with Claremont going into the main break leading by six points.

South Fremantle managed two goals in the third quarter to get back within four points by three quarter-time before Claremont kicked two goals to one in the last term to end up claiming the nine-point victory.

Nicole Taylor-Thorpe kicked two goals for South Fremantle with a goal apiece to Khesan Starr and Zarlya Yarran.

SULLIVAN LOGISTICS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON – NAIDOC ROUND

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        0.0          2.2          4.4          5.5          (35)

CLAREMONT                                      0.2          3.2          3.2          3.5          (23)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Pomersbach, Wilkins, Stribley, Flynn, Polimeno.

Best: Mulder, Burt, Flynn, Watts, Wilkins, Stribley, Cronin, Gilchrist.

CLAREMONT – Goals: Green, Anderson, Musika.

Best: Harken, Viney, Sergeant, Orme, C Ortlepp, Maynard.