Bulldogs overpower Swans to move clear on top

SOUTH Fremantle still managed to kick 19 goals in tough conditions at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday with 14 goals to five in the second half to beat Swan Districts by 47 points to move further clear on top of the WAFL ladder.

The other three Round 10 WAFL matches found the going tough in terms of scoring with the stormy conditions across Perth, but South Fremantle has been the leading scoring team all season and again managed to pile on 19 goals on Saturday.

South Fremantle kicked away from the bottom placed Swan Districts in the second half to win 19.12 (126) to 12.7 (79) and it improves the Bulldogs to an 8-1 record on the season to now be a game and percentage clear ahead of Subiaco on the ladder.

The Bulldogs have the bye this week but are guaranteed of entering the Foundation Derby on WA Day against East Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on top of the ladder.

Blaine Johnson delivered a standout performance for South Fremantle with the form of the former Carlton small forward continuing to build impressively the longer season 2016 rolls on. On Saturday, he finished with a career-best five goals from 20 possessions.

Ben Saunders also got going in the second half for the Bulldogs to kick four goals with Haiden Schloithe booting three from 24 disposals.

Mason Shaw, Dylan Main and Shane Hockey all kicked two goals apiece for South Fremantle as well.

Ashton Hams had a field day through the midfield for the Bulldogs racking up another 43 possessions to go with seven inside-50 entries and six tackles.

Hockey also gathered 27 disposals for South Fremantle, Tim Kelly 23, Ryan Cook 20, Marlion Pickett 19, Matthew Gundry 17, Adam McIntosh 17 and Steven Verrier 17.

Brock Higgins dominated in the ruck as well in his best game of the season for the Bulldogs with 21 possessions and 41 hit outs.

It was a fired up Swan Districts to start the game looking to get its season up and going and the black-and-whites booted the opening goal just two minutes into it from Rudy Riddoch who was back after a stint in the reserves.

The Bulldogs responded with Main kicking truly on his return to the league side with Jacob Dragovich adding another soon after to put the visitors five points in front.

Nelson Ansey got the next goal to regain the lead for Swans before the answer for the Bulldogs from Johnson. Swan Districts booted the last goal of the opening term courtesy of another player recalled from the reserves, Matthew Jukes, to trail by just two points at the first change.

The black-and-whites quickly grabbed the lead to start the second quarter with early goals to Ricky Cary and Ben Whitsed. But the Bulldogs answered back with two in the next five minutes from Johnson and Shaw to regain the lead.

It was then goal for goal up until half-time but a second to Shaw and then Johnson's third just before half-time saw South Fremantle hold a narrow six-point advantage at the main break.

Swans had done well to stick with the Bulldogs in the first half despite the ladder positions, but South Fremantle stepped up a gear early in the third quarter with three goals to Main, Hockey and Saunders in the opening six minutes.

Suddenly the lead was 25 points and then out to 37 just before three quarter-time after Johnson booted his fourth of the day and Schloithe his first.

After Swans kicked two of the first three goals of the last term to be back within 19 points, it was all South Fremantle with the Bulldogs kicking six of the last seven goals of the game in the final 20 minutes.

Schloithe kicked two final quarter goals and Saunders three to set up the 47-point victory that made a mockery of the difficult conditions.

South Fremantle's reserves recorded a strong 8.14 (62) to 3.6 (24) victory over Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday.

Jesse Mirco kicked two goals for South Fremantle while Shaun Bewick racked up 41 possessions, Jacob Martinez 33, Jason Maskos 30, Billy Collier 30, Bailey Matera 19, Josh Collard 18, Tom Vandeleur 18 and ruckman Josh Branchi 18 to go with 25 hit outs and a goal.

South Fremantle's colts got the day off to a perfect start at Steel Blue Oval defeating Swan Districts 4.10 (34) to 3.4 (22) in the tough conditions.

Caleb Datson, Alexander Cabassi, Riley Burke and Antoinette Forrest-Yarran were the goal kickers for South Fremantle.

Daniel Burke compiled 23 possessions for the Bulldogs, Forrest-Yarran 20, Zane Sumich 19, Zac De San Miguel 18, Daniel Cabassi 18 and Seaton Thompson 18 to go with 12 tackles.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        3.5    7.10    12.12    19.12    (126)
SWAN DISTRICTS        3.3    7.4    9.5    12.7    (79)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Johnson 5; Saunders 4; Schloithe 3; Hockey, Main, Shaw 2; Dragovich.
Best: Hams, Johnson, Higgins, Hockey, Schloithe, Guglielmana, Kelly.
SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Rogers 3; Riddoch 2; Cary, Sutton, Jukes, Whitsed, Ansey, Banfield, Faulkner.
Best: Faulkner, Riggio, Jukes, Rogers, Simpson, Howard.