Round 11 Preview v Subiaco

SOUTH Fremantle is the form team of the competition despite the hurdles the Bulldogs continue to overcome and having already beaten Subiaco once in 2019, another win and they will shoot clear on top of the WAFL ladder on Saturday.

Despite the loss of experienced and quality players coming into the season, South Fremantle has taken all before them so far in 2019 having won eight of its nine matches, including handing Subiaco its only defeat in two years back in Round 6 at Leederville Oval.

The Bulldogs' lone loss along the way was a game that could have easily gone the way against Perth back in Round 2. But since then, South Fremantle has put together a seven-game winning streak coming into Saturday's clash with Subiaco at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Even with the players departed coming into the season and then injuries so far this season to Marlion Pickett, Adam McIntosh, Regan Spooner, Caleb Datson and more recently Haiden Schloithe, Shaun Bewick and Brandon Donaldson, the Bulldogs' form has been superb.

Now Saturday presents a chance to send another significant message against the reigning premier Subiaco who does sit on top of the ladder coming into the game.

All eyes then head to Fremantle Community Bank Oval as South Fremantle hosts Subiaco in a top-of-the-table WAFL clash that could very well be a season-defining encounter for both clubs.

Subiaco has been the dominant team of the last five years having played in five consecutive Grand Finals for premierships in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and Grand Final losses to Peel Thunder in 2016 and 2017.

South Fremantle has been banging on the door for the past three years as well reaching a preliminary final in three consecutive seasons, losing to Subiaco along the way in each of those finals campaigns.

But already earlier this season in Round 6 at Leederville Oval, South Fremantle put in a terrific performance to beat Subiaco by 22 points, ending their 25-game winning run which stretched all the way back to the 2017 Grand Final.

Since then, Subiaco has responded impressively beating Claremont by 24 points, Peel Thunder by 41 points and then Perth by 69 points where they held the Demons to just one goal in terrible conditions two weeks ago.

That has kept the Lions on top of the WAFL ladder with an 8-1 record heading into the clash with South Fremantle.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have kept their winning form going too since that win over Subiaco beating East Perth by a point, East Fremantle by 32 points and Peel by three points to now come into Saturday's contest on a seven-game winning streak and also an 8-1 record.

South Fremantle and Subiaco are the two standout teams after 10 rounds of the 2019 WAFL season with the two among the top three in terms of possessions, with Subiaco racking up 46.3 per game more than their opponents and South Fremantle 32.6 more.

The Bulldogs are the highest-scoring team in the competition putting up 91.6 points per game while Subiaco is ranked second at 87.6. But the Lions are considerably more miserly in defence conceding just 50.8 points a game while the Bulldogs are giving up 66.6.

The two teams are the best starting sides in the competition with Subiaco outscoring its opponents in first quarters by 136 points for the season and South Fremantle by 48. Then in second quarters, Subiaco is ranked second with 81 more points and South Fremantle is third with 75.

Neither side has enjoyed third quarters too much throughout 2019 with the Bulldogs ranked fourth and the Lions only seventh. But then in final terms they are again ranked first and second with Subiaco outscoring its opposition by 114 points and South Fremantle by 90.

Despite the absence of Haiden Schloithe, Brandon Donaldson and Shaun Bewick last week, South Fremantle dug deep to beat Peel in Mandurah as they now prepare to return to Fremantle Community Bank Oval to host the Lions.

South Fremantle is a chance to regain Sandover Medallist and dual fairest and best winner Schloithe from his knee injury while Donaldson looks set to return as well.

There is a forced change in the ruck too with Blair Della Franca coming in for his first game of the season after solid form in the reserves while Brock Higgins goes out having copped a one-week suspension for striking Peel's Hayden Ballantyne last week.

Adam McIntosh and Seaton Thompson are also in the mix to return for the Bulldogs while Daniel Cabassi is another to go out.

Subiaco will bring back No. 1 ruckman Tim Sutherland after he sat out the terrible conditions a fortnight ago against Perth at Leederville Oval.

Ben Reid looks set to make his debut as well while Tom Edwards-Baldwin and Jacob Miller are the others added to the squad. Daniel Leach is the only player named out at this stage.

ROUND 11
SOUTH FREMANTLE v SUBIACO – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM

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