YOUNG BULLDOGS BITE BACK ON DEMONS

MISSING several key players and hunting for form, South Fremantle delivered an impressive showing on Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval to beat Perth by 34 points.

South Fremantle came into the game without the injured Brock Higgins, Dylan Main and Brandon Donaldson while experienced premiership defender Blayne Wilson was working his way back in the reserves from injury along with Zac Dent.

That meant the Bulldogs hosted the Demons on Saturday with two more debutants Aiden Hall and Trent Newton with Toby McQuilkin, Jarrod Salmeri, Manfred Kelly, Travis Abbott, Hamish Free, Regan Spooner and Jarrad Doney all having played only a handful of games.

But the Bulldogs delivered an emphatic performance to bounce back from their loss to East Perth two weeks ago to come away with the 15.5 (95) to 8.13 (61) win over Perth.

The win snaps a run of Perth beating South Fremantle in the last four meetings between the sides with the Bulldogs now just percentage out of second position with a 7-3 record on the season while the Demons are struggling at 4-6.

Reigning Bernie Naylor Medallist Mason Shaw was captain of the Bulldogs for the day in the absence of Dylan Main and he stepped up to kick four goals from seven kicks and six marks.

Manfred Kelly also played the best game of his young league career with three goals for the Bulldogs while Cody Ninyette kicked three goals as well against the team he twice led their goalkicking in.

South Fremantle’s back-line was superb as well with Chad Pearson providing great drive with his 31 possessions and eight marks.

Blake Schlensog repelled Perth attack after attack too with 22 disposals and six marks while Jason Maskos did well quieting the dangerous Kristian Cary and having 16 touches and eight marks himself.

Regan Spooner impressed down back too with 15 possessions and eight marks while Toby McQuilkin stood up well with 12 touches and four tackles.

Then through the middle, Tom Blechynden racked up 27 disposals for South Fremantle, Nick Suban 23, Jacob Dragovich 14 and ruckman Hamish Free 13 to go with 34 hit outs.

South Fremantle also blooded two more debutants and they both stood up well with Trent Newton finishing with nine possessions and three marks, and Aiden Hall 12 touches and a goal.

South Fremantle was keen to make up for those past four losses to Perth over the last couple of years and started strongly with a goal inside 30 seconds to Mason Shaw in a scramble for a loose ball bouncing towards goal.

Four minutes later and Shaw kicked his second before Manfred Kelly got on the board too and South Fremantle had three goals in less than nine minutes.

Perth got on the board when Jayden Quill kicked truly but Zac Strom ran into an open goal and slotted it to keep the Bulldogs to an 18-point edge.

Then following a Kristian Cary goal for Perth, South Fremantle ended the quarter with a third to Shaw and another to Travis Abbott to see the Bulldogs up by 24 points at quarter-time.

The Bulldogs further asserted their dominance over the contest in the second term by holding the Demons to just three behinds.

Meanwhile, Cody Ninyette, Jimmy Miller and debutant Aiden Hall added goals for South Fremantle, and a second to Kelly gave the Bulldogs a dominant 45-point lead at the major break on the back of kicking 10 goals straight.

Kelly managed his third goal to start the second half well for South Fremantle but Perth did manage one back thanks to Jack Steel. However, the Bulldogs kicked the next two with Shaw’s fourth and another to Ben Rioli before the Demons got another back through Mitch Browne.

Ninyette’s second goal for the Bulldogs saw the lead back out to 53 points and it was still 46 by three quarter-time despite Quill kicking a second goal for Perth.

Perth did manage to kick three goals to one in the final quarter but that only cut South Fremantle’s final winning margin to 34 points.

The day got underway at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with South Fremantle’s colts beating Perth 12.12 (84) to 4.6 (30).

Liam Brandis and Chase Bourne kicked two goals apiece for the Bulldogs with Caleb Stephens racking up 34 disposals, Bourne 27, Aaron Drage 24, Lochlan Bloomer 23, Julian Hulten 23 and Toby Dodds 23.

Then in the reserves, Perth was too good for South Fremantle winning 17.16 (118) to 3.3.(21).

South Fremantle’s goals were courtesy of Jacob Warne, Jacob Plunkett and Lachlan Sinnott while Jacob Sax had 24 disposals, Matthew Ward 20, Blayne Wilson 20, Kye Barker 18 and Seaton Thompson 17.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 12

SOUTH FREMANTLE        6.0    10.0    14.2    15.5 (95)
PERTH                2.0    2.3    5.10    8.13 (61)

SOUTH FREMANTLE: Goals – Shaw 4; Ninyette, Kelly 3; Rioli, Z Strom, Miller, Abbott, Hall.
Best – Pearson, Schlensog, Blechynden, Shaw, Suban, Maskos, Kelly.
PERTH: Goals – Browne, Quill 2; Cary, Hayward, Steel, Nicholas.
Best – Grey, Sinclair, Fisher, Browne, Nicholas, Davis, Colledge.