Bulldogs continue domination of Sharks in ANZAC Derby

SOUTH Fremantle put together its best performance of the 2018 WAFL season to continue its recent domination of East Fremantle to win Sunday's ANZAC Derby by 94 points at East Fremantle Oval.

 

South Fremantle came into the derby having lost to Subiaco by 58 points in its opening game after the Round 1 bye and then having to fight hard to overcome West Perth at HBF Arena, while East Fremantle had beaten Perth narrowly but lost to Peel Thunder and Claremont either side of that.

 

So the form lines were similar entering the 10th consecutive ANZAC Derby but it was South Fremantle who made the early statement at East Fremantle Oval and didn’t let up the rest of the afternoon.

 

It took only three minutes for Blaine Johnson to kick the opening goal of the game for South Fremantle. 

 

While the Bulldogs couldn’t put the Sharks fully away with nine behinds in the opening quarter and 14 for the first half, they were in complete control of the contest and with seven goals in the third term, and another five to nil in the last they almost pulled off another triple-figure thumping.

 

It wasn’t quite the 145-point win from the WA Day Foundation Derby last year, but reminiscent of it with South Fremantle coming away with the 18.24 (132) to 5.8 (38) triumph to retain the Sir Hughie Edwards Cup.

 

The victory also means that South Fremantle has won the past five derbies overall with East Fremantle and also been on the winning end of their last nine visits to East Fremantle Oval.

 

It was an amazingly dominant South Fremantle display with the Bulldogs finishing with 64 more possessions than East Fremantle, 42 scoring shots to 13 and more remarkably, 71 inside-50 entries to 19.

 

Brandon Donaldson spent the first two weeks of the 2018 season in the reserves but he sure made a statement on Sunday that he doesn’t want to lose his spot in the league team again. He finished the game with three goals to go with 29 possessions and four marks.

 

It was a day for South Fremantle's small forwards as they took advantage of their 71 inside-50 entries. Ashton Hams is spending more time forward so far in 2018 and it's paying off with him kicking four goals from 20 disposals, nine marks and seven inside-50 entries.

 

Blaine Johnson also kicked another three goals for the Bulldogs while Mason Shaw booted two to go with 17 possessions and 11 marks.

 

Captain Dylan Main led the Bulldogs into a derby for the first time and delivered 20 possessions, seven tackles and two goals.

 

Jacob Dragovich also gathered 29 disposals, Shane Hockey 28, Haiden Schloithe 25 (11 inside 50s, eight tackles), Marlion Pickett 21 and Blayne Wilson 20 (seven marks).

 

Brock Higgins finished with 14 touches and 33 hit outs in a good ruck battle with East Fremantle captain Jonathon Griffin who had 13 touches, five tackles, 29 hit outs and a goal.

 

It took just three minutes for South Fremantle to kick the first goal of the contest through Blaine Johnson before they added a couple of behinds. East Fremantle did take advantage of a rare foray forward thanks to Alex Howson, but from then on it was all South Fremantle.

 

The Bulldogs ended up having 13 shots on goal in the opening term but struggled to find the major opening. But eventually Johnson kicked his second, Brandon Donaldson snapped through his first and then Hams kicked straight after three behinds.

 

That put the Bulldogs up by 25 points at the first break but it took 16 minutes of the second quarter for the first goal. South Fremantle had been peppering the goals but just couldn’t find a way to add another major.

 

Eventually Hams did at the 16-minute mark with Donaldson also adding his second to put the Bulldogs 41 points up. The Sharks did find a spark just before half-time with goals to Jack Perham and Jonathon Griffin to bring the deficit back to 29 points at half-time.

 

Any hope of an East Fremantle comeback was quickly diminished to start the third quarter with quick South Fremantle goals to Hams and Ben Saunders.

 

The Sharks got one goal back to Sean Henson at the 10-minute mark to make the margin 37 points. But the Bulldogs got the next two again through Dylan Main and Mason Shaw to be out to a 48-point advantage.

 

East Fremantle's last goal of the game came at the 20-minute mark of the third quarter when George Hampson kicked truly.

 

From there, South Fremantle nailed the last three goals of the third term thanks to Shane Hockey, Jacob Dragovich and Johnson to be out to a 10-goal lead at three quarter-time.

 

It was then a complete domination in the last quarter with East Fremantle only managing the three behinds while South Fremantle piled on another 5.7 with only their inaccuracy limiting the final winning margin at 94 points.

 

South Fremantle's reserves were also victorious on Sunday at East Fremantle Oval, beating East Fremantle 11.7 (73) to 8.7 (55).

 

Clinton Yarran kicked three goals for South Fremantle's reserves and Andre Coutinho two.

 

Adam McIntosh finished with 19 possessions for the Bulldogs, Kyle Russell 17, Bruno Faulkner 14 and Billy Timewell 14. Jake Solomon had 48 hit outs in the ruck.

 

The ANZAC Derby at East Fremantle Oval on Sunday got underway with the colts contest and it was South Fremantle on top from the start to end up winning the game 11.8 (74) to 4.12 (36).

 

The Bulldogs kicked the only four goals of the opening quarter to lead by 23 points at quarter-time and then still by 15 points at half-time, 10 points at three quarter-time and then with the only four goals of the last term, went on to win by 38 points.

 

Tom Weston kicked four goals for South Fremantle from nine kicks with Eric Botha also booting two majors from six kicks and five marks.

 

Luke Moore gathered 23 possessions for South Fremantle as well to go with nine marks, six tackles and five inside-50 entries.

 

South Fremantle has a short turnaround to make the trip to Albany on Saturday to take on Claremont.

 

 

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Hams 4; Donaldson, Johnson 3; Main, Shaw 2; Dragovich, Hockey, Saunders, Parker.

Best: Donaldson, Hams, Hockey, Schloithe, Pickett, Dragovich, Main, Wilson.

EAST FREMANTLE – Goals: Henson, Perham, Hampson, Griffin, Howson.

Best: Schofield, Jansen, Snadden, Winton, D Anthony, Henson.