Round 16 Preview v Swan Districts

SOUTH Fremantle has had two weeks to get over a heartbreaking loss to Perth and to take stock of a four-game losing streak to prepare to host Swan Districts at Fremantle Community Bank Oval this Saturday.

Just over a month ago and South Fremantle was the form team of the competition having won seven matches in-a-row before losing a top-of-the-table clash with Subiaco which began a four-match losing streak.

The Bulldogs lost a fourth straight match two weeks ago prior to the last week's bye when Perth kicked a goal to win after the siren at Lathlain Park.

Now South Fremantle has had the bye last weekend and some time to work on things to get back on track after those four successive losses and the first opportunity presents this Saturday up against the bottom placed Swan Districts who are on their own six-game losing streak.

With both teams coming into the clash having lost four and six matches in-a-row respectively, they will be running out on to Fremantle Community Bank Oval desperate to taste that winning feeling once more.

Prior to the bye, Swan Districts was overrun by East Fremantle in the last quarter to lose by 29 points at East Fremantle Oval which made it six consecutive losses since a victory over the West Coast Eagles back in Round 7.

South Fremantle, meanwhile, has had two weeks to stew over a second heartbreaking loss to Perth in 2019. After losing to the Demons by three points back in Round 2, South Fremantle looked to have the game won two weeks ago up 13 points at the 24-minute mark of the last term.

But the Bulldogs would concede the final three goals, including one after the siren and that saw Perth snatch the six-point win to hand South Fremantle a four consecutive defeat.

South Fremantle does remain in third position on the ladder at 8-5 thanks to a seven-game winning streak before the losses at the hands of Subiaco, West Coast, Claremont and Perth. 

But for the Bulldogs to stay third and maintain hopes of still finishing in the top two they will need a win on Saturday on home turf against Swan Districts.

The two teams started the season playing one another in Round 1 at Steel Blue Oval and that game went down to the wire with Swan Districts having a shot after the siren to win, but Josh Simpson's shot was off target.

Over the course of the season, South Fremantle does look the superior team sitting second with points scored at 83.5 points a game while Swan Districts are averaging 59.5. The Bulldogs concede 72.1 points a game and Swans 75.5.

South Fremantle averages 335 possessions a game and 17 more than its opposition while Swan Districts is averaging just 283 a game and 51 fewer.

Swan Districts' best hopes of a competitive showing will be to start well. While Swans have been outscored by 128 points over last quarters this season, they have only been outscored by 89 points across first halves and in fact are winning their third quarters over the season.

South Fremantle, meanwhile, is winning its first quarters by 23 points and second terms by 61 but then they are outscored by 20 points in third quarters. The Bulldogs have dominated last quarters, though, outscoring their opponents by 85 points.

South Fremantle is coming off the after-the-siren loss to Perth two weeks ago and from that team, Shaun Bewick returns from an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined since WA Day. Glenn Byron also returns for his first game at league level since Round 1.

Zac De San Miguel and Seaton Thompson are the two players to make way in the South Fremantle line-up.

South Fremantle coach Todd Curley is hoping two weeks of solid training will now help the Bulldogs get back closer to their better form from the first half of the season.

"We've been pretty lucky with the weather lately after some wet sessions there which made it hard to do much," Curley said. 

"But we've now been able to train better with the better weather on training nights so we'd think we can continue along those same lines and keep working on the things. We did use the ball a bit better this week but there's still a lot of growth left in us and we missed a lot of targets.

"Considering we had three more sore blokes out of that game, it's probably good to have a week off and reset. We should have some more availability but it gives us the chance to practice and train as well, and a chance to reset."

From Swan Districts' team that lost to East Fremantle a fortnight ago, Kade Wallrodt, Brayden Hackett, Jesse Turner, Nathan Blakely, Warrick Wilson, Josh Cipro and Brad Fullgrabe have all been added to the squad to take on South Fremantle.

Denzel More, Jack O'Sullivan, Jiah Reidy and Denver Grainger-Barras have been named out of the squad at this stage.

ROUND 16
SOUTH FREMANTLE v SWAN DISTRICTS – FREMANTLE COMMUNITY BANK OVAL, SATURDAY 2.15PM

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