FLORENCA'S SPECTACULAR RETURN GIVES BOOST

SOUTH Fremantle received a significant boost to its midfield on Sunday with the spectacular return of Jake Florenca as pressure heats up for spots in the Bulldogs team ahead of a sixth straight finals run.

The 2020 WAFL season was one to treasure for South Fremantle with the Bulldogs winning a first premiership since 2009, but every flag triumph has a hard luck story and that just happened to be Florenca.

Having banged down the door and waited patiently for a regular league opportunity between 2016 and 2018, Florenca cemented himself as a consistent member of the South Fremantle midfield in the Grand Final year of 2019.

He then took his game to another level throughout the 2020 season, averaging almost 20 possessions a game and being a strong contributor to the South Fremantle team that finished the home and away season as minor premiers.

The 24-year-old was then playing well again in the preliminary final that South Fremantle would go on to win against West Perth with 21 possessions, eight marks and eight tackles before disaster struck and he ruptured his Achilles tendon.

Not only did that mean Florenca missed the premiership triumph a week later with his importance to the team highlighted when he finished runner-up in fairest and best voting, but it was going to leave him sidelined for most of 2021.

However, Florenca threw himself into his rehabilitation admirably and was tearing down the training track ahead of his return in the reserves back in the Round 18 derby at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

He got through that game impressively with 19 disposals and nine tackles, and then with another full week of training under his belt over the bye the following week, he was straight into the league team for Sunday's clash with West Perth at Joondalup.

He made a stunning return too kicking a brilliant goal in the first quarter to go along with 11 possessions on his way to 29 disposals, eight marks and eight tackles for the afternoon.

South Fremantle coach Todd Curley was delighted to welcome him back and to not only perform so well, but to come through unscathed too.

"He's done an enormous amount of work, he's done everything right and he's a good player. That's why we brought him back in," Curley said. 

"We were rapt to see him back out there and the boys obviously loved having him out there. And in his first game back, he really contributed and the main thing was that he got through it OK as well, so there was a lot to like about it."

Curley can only imagine the heartbreak Florenca suffered last year to miss out on the premiership having played such a big role in helping South Fremantle get to the Grand Final, but he can't help but be impressed with how hard he has fought to get his way back into the team ahead of the 2021 finals.

"I can't talk for him directly, but I assume it would have been heartbreaking for him what happened last year. You try and make him feel like he is still part of it as much as you can, but unfortunately no matter what he still didn’t play on the day," Curley said.

"He has come back driven that's for sure, but he's always been driven to be his best and he has worked really hard to get himself back. He is in really good shape and it was a fantastic reward for him to get back, get through and play well."

There's no question that the return of Florenca is a significant boost to South Fremantle's midfield ahead of the finals, but what it does do is add another selection dilemma for the Bulldogs coaching staff.

With Brock Higgins returning in the reserves on Sunday he will become available against Swan Districts this Saturday while Kye Barker, Matthew Ward, Glenn Byron, Travis Abbott, Josh Collard, Seaton Thompson, Jarrod Salmeri and Trent Newton will all keep pushing for selection.

Then there is premiership star Ben Rioli who is still holding out hope of overcoming an ankle injury to play again in 2021.

"Hopefully we continue to get healthy boys available and it makes it hard for selection coming into the finals. We'll just keep picking the best 22 we think can get the job done each week," Curley said.

"Ben won't play the next couple of games that's for sure. His recovery has been a bit slower than we'd like, and he'd like, and he is a bit frustrated. Ankles can improve quick and then not improve for a while, and take a while to get to 100 per cent. 

"We are hoping now it can improve quickly from here, but he has to get back and do the work, and be confident to be ready to go. If he gets back and is available to be in the best team then we'll pick him, but he's certainly a player we have missed."