Bulldogs hammer Swans to get back to winning

SOUTH Fremantle might have come into Saturday's game on a four-game losing run, but you would never know it as the Bulldogs hammered Swan Districts by 85 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval to retain the John Todd Cup.

Prior to the bye last week, South Fremantle had lost four matches in succession on the back of a seven-match winning streak, but the break seemed to do the world of good as they produced quite the dominant performance including kicking 13 goals in between Swans' first and second goals of the game.

In the end, South Fremantle ran out emphatic 15.17 (107) to 2.10 (22) winners over the hapless bottom placed Black Ducks.

Usual suspects Mason Shaw and Zac Strom kicked two goals apiece for South Fremantle as did ruckman Brock Higgins to go with 15 possessions and 31 hit outs. It's the first time he's kicked two goals in a game since Round 11 last year and just the fifth time in his 135-game career.

There were a host of standout performers for South Fremantle and none better than Haiden Schloithe despite being well short of 100 per cent. He played on bravely and went on to deliver 32 possessions, 10 marks and a goal.

Nick Suban was especially dominant off half-back in the first half and finished with 31 possessions and nine marks while captain Dylan Main delivered his best game of the season with 32 disposals, nine marks and six tackles.

Jacob Dragovich also gathered 29 possessions for the Bulldogs, Jake Florenca 26, Chad Pearson 25, Steve Verrier 24, Kyle Russell 21 and Blayne Wilson 21.

South Fremantle and Swan Districts came into Saturday's game at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on the two biggest losing streaks in the WAFL at present, but it was the Bulldogs who delivered a dominant performance to return to the winners list.

Coming off a seven-game winning run and then challenging Subiaco for top spot, South Fremantle was on a four-game losing slide while the increasingly youthful Swan Districts were anchored to bottom spot having lost its previous six matches.

It took seven minutes for the first goal of the game and that went the way of South Fremantle thanks to Zac Strom in his 99th WAFL appearance.

Captain Dylan Main then kicked one on the run too before Swan Districts got on the board courtesy of Aidan Clarke.

The Bulldogs managed another one just before quarter-time thanks to Caleb Datson and that saw the home team hold 17-point advantage at the first break.

Things were relatively quiet for the first 19 minutes of the second quarter even though South Fremantle had extended its lead with goals to Brandon Donaldson, Mason Shaw and Chad Pearson.

But once Zac Strom booted his second at the 19-minute mark, it sparked a scintillating run leading into half-time from the Bulldogs that blew the game right open.

Jake Florenca, Brock Higgins, Shaw and Shaun Bewick all kicked goals leading into half-time virtually one after another as South Fremantle finished up with eight goals to three behinds for the quarter to head into the half-time break with a match-winning 64-point lead.

After kicking 8.2 in the second quarter, South Fremantle only managed 1.7 in the third term and with Swan Districts adding seven behinds, the combined one goal and 14 points didn’t create for the most attractive of affairs.

It was more of the same for the first 20 minutes of the last quarter too until Higgins kicked a second goal for South Fremantle.

Kade Stewart and Haiden Schloithe also added goals in quick succession and a 100-point win was on the cards but Swan Districts would kick its second and last goal of the game at the 25-minute mark thanks to Seb Bright to leave the Bulldogs winning by 85 points.

It was quite the dominant showing from South Fremantle who ended up with 96 more possessions than Swan Districts, 72 extra marks, 27 more inside-50 entries and 32 scoring shots to 12 on the way to the 85-point triumph.

The win improves South Fremantle to a 9-5 record on the season to remain in third position and remain a chance of still moving up into second. 

Swan Districts has now lost seven straight to remain two games clear in bottom place at 2-12.

The lone colts contest in Round 16 took place at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Saturday morning with Swan Districts prevailing by 31 points against South Fremantle.

Coming off last year's Grand Final appearance, Swan Districts' colts started the 2019 season on fire winning the opening seven matches. But when that winning run ended at the hands of Claremont, it sparked a run of five consecutive losses heading into Saturday's clash with South Fremantle.

That was a South Fremantle team on its own five-match losing streak having won just the two matches so far this season under new coach Luke Tedesco.

That meant both clubs came into Saturday's clash determined to return to the winners list and it was a tight opening term with two goals apiece and South Fremantle taking a three-point lead into quarter-time.

Swan Districts then took over the contest in the second quarter kicking three goals to nil with the Bulldogs managing just the one behind. That saw the black-and-whites go into the half-time break with a 17-point advantage over South Fremantle.

Swans continued to dominate the contest in the third quarter kicking another five goals and holding South Fremantle to just the three behinds as they opened up a match-winning 45-point lead at the last break.

South Fremantle did at least finish strongly with three goals to one in the last quarter but Swan Districts still won 11.6 (72) to 5.11 (41).

South Fremantle's goal scorers were Jermaine Pickett, Lachlan Johnson, Nash Miller, Aiden Hall and Ira Jetta.

Jetta also racked up 33 possessions for the Bulldogs to go with eight inside-50 entries, six tackles and five marks.

Manfred Kelly collected 24 disposals for South Fremantle, Brodie Plunkett 14, Jaxon Bellchambers 13, Tyson Headland 13, Aiden Hall 13, Liam Bradford 13 and Nash Miller 13 to go with 25 hit outs and four marks.

The reserves contest at Fremantle Community Bank Oval was then a thrilling affair which wasn’t decided until after the siren. With scores locked together with the siren sounding, the ball was in the hands of Mitchell Bain outside 50.

But in the end his shot from almost 60m out didn’t make the distance and the draw was secured with South Fremantle finishing on 10.4 (64) and Swan Districts 9.10 (64).

Jonathon Frampton and Guy Barnes kicked two goals for South Fremantle while Matthew Ward gathered 34 possessions, Tom Blechynden 29, Josh Collard 26, Jye Depane 21, Zac De San Miguel 20, Kyle Hamersley 18 and Deng Maguang 17.

Patrick Farrant put his name back up for a league recall for Swan Districts with three goals to go with 15 possessions and six marks.

Nathan Blakely delivered 26 possessions, 14  hit outs and seven marks in the ruck with Mitchell Bain finishing with 21 disposals, Jiah Reidy 18, Jak Watson 17, Nathan Ireland 16 and Warrick Wilson 16.
 

SOUTH FREMANTLE        3.5    11.7    12.14    15.17    (107)
SWAN DISTRICTS        1.0    1.3    1.10    2.10    (22)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Z Strom, Higgins, Shaw 2; Schloithe, Florenca, Stewart, Bewick, Verrier, Pearson, Donaldson, Main, Datson.
Best: Main, Suban, Schloithe, Pearson, Higgins, Dragovich, Florenca, Verrier.
SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Bright, Clarke.
Best: Notte, Hampson, Turner, Howard, Howlett, Clarke.