Bulldogs run out of bark against Demons

SOUTH Fremantle ran out of gas after leading by 20 points early in the last quarter against Perth on Saturday at Lathlain Park to lose by six points in a first defeat at the hands of the Demons in over four years.

 

That last win for Perth over South Fremantle was way back in Round 2, 2014 when Kris Miller was celebrating his 300th WAFL appearance under lights at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

 

Perth produced a stunning comeback from 44 points down that night to score a stirring win. It didn't quite spark a rise up the ladder the Demons were hoping then, but they will be hoping to build on the momentum from Saturday's performance now.

 

South Fremantle looked to have the game won leading by 20 points when Mason Shaw kicked his sixth goal at the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

 

But Perth took advantage of a tiring South Fremantle coming off the five-day break to kick the game's last four goals and claim the uplifting 15.8 (98) to 14.8 (92) victory.

 

It snapped an eight-game losing run against South Fremantle for Perth and was also their first victory against the Bulldogs at Lathlain Park since Round 24, 2013.

 

Mason Shaw had previously kicked five goals in a game on five occasions, including twice against Perth, but he had a career-best performance on Saturday with South Fremantle desperately needing him with Ben Saunders still out injured and Blaine Johnson goalless for a fourth consecutive week.

 

Shaw finished the afternoon kicking six goals from seven kicks and five marks.

 

Matthew Parker also kicked three goals for the Bulldogs and Cory Dell'Olio two.

 

Brock Higgins did a power of work again in the ruck for South Fremantle finishing with 17 possessions, 44 hit outs, four tackles and three marks.

 

Marlion Pickett continued his stunning form as a midfielder for the Bulldogs with 27 possessions, seven inside-50 entries and four marks while Dylan Main (26 touches, eight marks) and Shane Hockey (22 disposals) made strong returns after missing the WA Day Foundation Derby win.

 

Ryan Cook also had 23 touches and 13 marks for South Fremantle while Nick Suban finished with 21 possessions and six tackles, Steven Edwards 19 disposals and Shaun Bewick 17.

 

Jason Maskos made a strong return to the league side doing a good job keeping Perth's leading goalkicker from 2017, Cody Ninyette, goalless while having 16 possessions and five tackles himself.

 

South Fremantle had won the last eight games against Perth and things started in ominous fashion to start the game on Saturday at Lathlain Park with two quick goals to Mason Shaw and Matthew Parker.

 

Lachlan Dennis began his career-best afternoon with two quick goals for Perth but the Bulldogs responded with Parker and Shaw kicking their second goals respectively for the first time and their side was up by 20 points at quarter-time.

 

It took less than two minutes for Perth to start the second quarter with a good goal on the run from defender Michael Sinclair who had run off Shaw. Daniel Horan soon kicked a good goal too with the second kick of his career on debut before South Fremantle responded through Cory Dell'Olio.

 

But the Demons had picked up the momentum and finished the second quarter with goals to Dennis, Blake Johnson, Michael Bennell and Anton Scotney to hold an 11-point lead at the long break.

 

Perth then extended that advantage to 23 points with goals in the opening 10 minutes of the third quarter to Scotney and Corey Byrne. But South Fremantle was always going to hit back and the Bulldogs did so in stunning fashion with five goals in less than eight minutes.

 

It started with a third goal to Shaw for the day and he soon added a fourth and fifth forcing Perth to move Mitch Lague onto him. Shane Hockey and Dell'Olio added goals too for the Bulldogs and they led by seven points, and still by two at three quarter-time despite a Demons goal to Brant Colledge.

 

A third goal to Parker, another to Jacob Dragovich and then a sixth to Shaw put South Fremantle up by 20 points five minutes into the last quarter and they appeared set for a ninth consecutive victory against Perth.

 

But with the Bulldogs tiring off the five-day break and Perth an inspired outfit, they dominated the game's last 20 minutes and kicked the last four goals with Dennis adding two of them, and one each to Laine Wilkins and Kristian Cary to claim the six-point win.

 

South Fremantle proved too strong in the reserves contest against Perth at Lathlain Park on Saturday with the Bulldogs beating the Demons 11.14 (80) to 5.5 (35).

 

After an even opening quarter, South Fremantle kicked away in the second quarter with three goals to one to lead by 14 points at half-time.

 

The Bulldogs added another three goals to two in the third term and then three goals to nil in the last quarter to claim the 45-point victory.

 

Zane Sumich kicked three goals for South Fremantle and Jacob Warne two from seven kicks.

 

Jake Florenca racked up 27 possessions for the Bulldogs, Adam McIntosh 26 (seven marks, seven inside 50s), Josh Collard 21, Andre Coutinho 19, Daniel Burke 18, Caleb Datson 18 and Zac De San Miguel 18 along with six marks, six tackles and six inside-50 entries.

 

Blair Della Franca finished with 14 disposals, 38 hit outs, five tackles, four marks and four inside 50s in the ruck.

 

South Fremantle colts retained touch with the top five following a thumping 67-point victory against Perth at Lathlain Park on Saturday.

 

With Perth missing some important players due to WA State 18s duties, South Fremantle's colts were able to take full advantage and put together some of their more impressive form of the 2018 despite coming off just a five-day break.

 

South Fremantle's colts had lost to East Fremantle by 14 points at home on WA Day while Perth had also struggled last Saturday losing to Swan Districts by 44 points.

 

Then Perth didn’t manage a single score in the first quarter back at home on Saturday while South Fremantle kicked two goals. It was another five goals to two for the Bulldogs in the second quarter to lead by 35 points at the main break.

 

South Fremantle then further kicked away in the last term with four goals to one to claim the 13.18 (96) to 4.5 (29) victory.

 

Luke Moore was the star of the game for South Fremantle kicking seven goals from 13 possessions and seven marks. Lachlan Feeney also booted three goals for the Bulldogs.

 

Tom Blechynden picked up 20 possessions for South Fremantle, Enrique Aiken-Featherstone 19, Jack Musika 15, James Russell 15, Matthew Ward 15 and Thomas Weston 15 to go with 15 hit outs.

 

South Fremantle returns home to Fremantle Community Bank Oval this Saturday to play Peel Thunder for the first time in 2018.

 

 

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Shaw 6; Parker 3; Dell'Olio 2; Dragovich, Hockey, Main.

Best: Pickett, Main, Higgins, Shaw, Maskos, Cook, Suban, Edwards.

PERTH – Goals: Dennis 5; Scotney 2; Wilkins, Byrne, Sinclair, Colledge, Cary, Horan, Johnson, Bennell.

Best: Colledge, Dennis, Jones, Yeo, Giobbi, Sinclair, McFarlane, Henderson.