Round 4 Preview | v East Fremantle

SOUTH Fremantle is back home at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday to host the first derby of 2019, the now annual ANZAC Round clash with East Fremantle, as the Bulldogs look to consolidate a strong start to the season.

The ANZAC Derby has now become an annual fixture between the Bulldogs and Sharks. That will now continue despite there only being two derbies per season and will keep running alongside the WA Day Foundation Derby.

South Fremantle comes into the clash on Saturday afternoon in commemoration of ANZAC Day having won two of its three games this season as well while East Fremantle has lost its opening three matches under new coach Bill Monaghan.

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South Fremantle might have had plenty of changes from its team that reached a third straight preliminary final last year and lost a bevy of experience, but the Bulldogs have been able to start the season well.

That has included wins over Swan Districts and West Perth, and only a narrow loss to Perth which stacks up well considering the Demons are now 4-0 to start the 2019 season.

It has included players grabbing their increased opportunities for South Fremantle including Jake Florenca and Jacob Dragovich in the midfield who are benefitting from the dominance of ruckman Brock Higgins with Kade Stewart also making a strong return.

The back-line continues to be held up strongly by Noah Strom, Chad Pearson, Blayne Wilson and Jason Maskos with Zac Dent looking right at home too.

Then up forward with Mason Shaw and Zac Strom providing the tall targets, Dion Munkara, Brandon Donaldson and Shaun Bewick have all started the season impressively.

Meanwhile, East Fremantle has lost its first three games of the season against Claremont, Subiaco and Peel Thunder to mean the Sharks are on a 13-match losing run dating back to last year.

South Fremantle has also enjoyed its run in derbies in recent times as well having won its past seven games against East Fremantle, and 10 of the past 11.

Saturday's game will be the 11th straight ANZAC Derby as well that the Bulldogs and Sharks have competed in. That tradition began with a classic at the port back in 2009 with Toby Bairstow kicked the winning goal after a deliberate out of bounds call against Rob Young still talked about to this day.

There have been some classic battles over the past 10 years to commemorate ANZAC Day with winning the last three on the occasion but overall, the Bulldogs have won six and the Sharks four across the last decade.

No matter the form the teams are in, South Fremantle coach Todd Curley expects East Fremantle to throw everything at them on Saturday.

"No doubt and they were pretty good against Peel. They competed pretty well and probably should have won the game," Curley said.

"They've got some class coming back into the team and have some dangerous forwards. It looked like they competed pretty well. Derbies are always a scrap and this one will no doubt be the same I'd say."

From the South Fremantle team that beat West Perth also at Fremantle Community Bank Oval last week, there is just the one forced change with Adam McIntosh going out with a shoulder injury.

Josh Collard makes his return for  his first league appearance since playing in the Round 1 victory against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval.

East Fremantle had its chances but only narrowly lost to Peel Thunder on Good Friday. From that team, Josh Cuneo and Lachlan Bailey go out for the Sharks.

Peel Thunder recruit Michael Tassone and Harry Creasey are the two players to come in for the derby.
 

ROUND 4 – ANZAC DERBY
SOUTH FREMANTLE v EAST FREMANTLE – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM

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