WINNING STREAK COMES TO AN END

SOUTH Fremantle couldn’t quite extend its winning streak to six this WAFL season with a 44-point loss in Mandurah to Peel Thunder despite the best efforts of Isiah Winder.

The WAFL season took a break last week for the State game against the SANFL at Optus Stadium with Peel and South Fremantle then resuming in hot form against one another at Lane Group Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Thunder ended up prevailing 12.14 (86) to 6.6 (42) with South Fremantle suffering a first loss of the season since the opening round against East Perth.

The Bulldogs now still sit in third position on the WAFL ladder with a 5-2 record with the two losses coming up against the top two teams in the competition after eight rounds.

Despite not ending up being selected for last week’s WAFL State game against the SANFL, Isiah Winder continued his dazzling form for South Fremantle on Saturday.

Despite the final result, he was outstanding with 32 possessions, six marks, four tackles and two goals.

He was South Fremantle’s only multiple goalscorer in the game but Matthew Parker also racked up 30 disposals, Haiden Schloithe 26, Tom Blechynden 24 and Ashton Ferreira 16.

There were plenty of strong performers down back as well for the Bulldogs with captain Chad Pearson finishing with 23 touches and eight marks, Lewis Rayson 20 disposals and six marks, Toby McQuilkin 18 touches and four marks, and Jordan Boullineau 17 possessions and five marks.

Peel made the perfect start to the contest on their home deck with two goals inside six minutes to Fremantle forward Patrick Voss.

The Bulldogs did get an answering goal thanks to the in-form Isiah Winder and then the only other goal of the opening quarter went the way of South Fremantle thanks to Haiden Schloithe.

That meant the Thunder were leading by just two points at quarter-time but a third goal already to Voss to start the second term pushed the home side out to an eight-point advantage again.

His Dockers teammate Sam Sturt extended that lead out to 14 points as well but again it was Winder who got a goal back to keep the Bulldogs in touch.

However, that would be the only goal for South Fremantle in the second term with Peel adding another two before half-time to go into the main break leading by 19 points.

The Thunder were then able to add an early goal in the third quarter before a string of behinds to both teams across the next 18 minutes. Both teams got a late goal before three quarter-time with South Fremantle’s courtesy of Josh Branchi.

Peel was still leading by 27 points at the last change, though, and the home team then managed to kick four goals to two from South Fremantle in the last quarter before ending up winning by 44 points.

It was the colts match up that got proceedings underway in Mandurah on Saturday morning with a thrilling contest ending up seeing Peel Thunder beat South Fremantle 7.8 (50) to 6.11 (47).

The Bulldogs led for most of the contest and were back out to a 10-point lead at the 17-minute mark of the final quarter, but the Thunder kicked the last two goals to snatch the three-point victory.

Orlando Keleman and Hudson Pivac kicked two goals apiece for South Fremantle with Toby Whan racking up 28 possessions, Tyler Rowe 25, Mitchell Geier 22 and Millar Rank 22.

Then following the league encounter at Lane Group Stadium on Saturday evening, the reserves contest took place with another heartbreaking Bulldogs loss with Peel prevailing 11.8 (74) to 10.11 (71).

George Wessels produced a big performance for South Fremantle with 26 possessions, seven tackles and two goals.

Jack Blechynden, Callum Copeland and Cooper Osborne also kicked two goals apiece for the Bulldogs with Robbie Turnbull gathering 27 possessions, Kaden Harbour 20, Lachlan Turley 20 and Jarrod Salmeri 18.

WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 8
SOUTH FREMANTLE        2.1    3.2    4.4    6.6    (42)
PEEL THUNDER            2.3    6.3    8.7    12.14    (86)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Winder 2; Schloithe, Kelly, Branchi, Mitchell.
Best: Winder, Schloithe, Parker, Pearson, McQuilkin, Boullineau, Blechynden.

PEEL THUNDER – Goals: Voss 5; Delean 2; Hancock, Simpson, Sturt, Brodie, Sears.
Best: Erasmus, Voss, Blight, Brodie, Grey, Sellwood, Worner, Reidy.