LEAGUE SEASON COMES TO AN END

SOUTH Fremantle couldn’t quite overcome Peel Thunder in Sunday's WAFL elimination final with the 2022 coming to an end but the reserves and colts both recorded wins across the weekend.

South Fremantle was playing in a seventh consecutive finals series continuing a remarkable run of success that has seen the Bulldogs play in the previous six preliminary finals, and last three Grand Finals.

They were looking to keep that run going when hosting the elimination final on Sunday against Peel at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, and the Bulldogs were on top of the contest most of the afternoon.

South Fremantle led by as much as 22 points early in the third quarter as well but ultimately Peel kicked the last two goals of the game to claim the 10.10 (70) to 8.13 (61) victory to end the season of the Bulldogs.

South Fremantle captain Dylan Main kicked four goals for the day to be the Bulldogs' only multiple goalkicker. It's just the fifth time he's kicked at least four goals in a game, and only once has he kicked more when he kicked five against East Fremantle in 2018.

Haiden Schloithe couldn’t have done more to try and lift South Fremantle with 27 possessions, six tackles and five inside-50 entries in what was not only the 200th game of his remarkable WAFL career, but also his last.

He confirmed his retirement post-match and will finish with 200 games for the Bulldogs along with winning a Sandover Medal, four fairest and best awards (possibly five) and having played in the 2020 premiership and for Western Australia three times.

Chad Pearson also reached 100 games for South Fremantle and had 21 possession and five marks down back.

Brendon Ah Chee finished with 22 touches, Zac Strom 21, Brandon Donaldson 20, Toby McQuilkin 19 and Steve Verrier 17 to go with six tackles.

It took almost eight minutes for the first goal of the game and it came courtesy of Mason Shaw who found some space inside-50 to mark and then convert for South Fremantle.

Bulldogs captain Dylan Main then gave his team the first two goals of the contest but they hadn’t full taken advantage of a dominant first term kicking 2.6 to the three behinds from the Thunder.

South Fremantle then opened up the second quarter with another three behinds to be 2.9 and to leave the door open for Peel despite the Thunder not kicking a goal until the 13-minute of the term.

It was former Bulldog Guy Barnes who got Peel's first major but almost immediately the Bulldogs responded with skipper Main kicking his second of the day.

Caleb Datson then kicked truly to extend the South Fremantle lead before Josh Treacy kicked Peel's second to keep them in touch and to cut the Bulldogs' half-time lead to 16 points.

South Fremantle then put themselves in a strong position to advance leading by 22 points early in the third quarter when Main kicked his third goal of the elimination final.

Peel was just warming to the task, though, and was far from willing to give up their season. The Thunder kicked three goals in the space of three minutes thanks to Blair Bell, Barnes and Matt Taberner, and suddenly the margin was just four points.

South Fremantle got a steadying goals thanks to Brendon Ah Chee but the Thunder weren’t going away and a goal to Sam Sturt had them back within five points heading towards three quarter-time.

The Thunder would continue their momentum before the break with goals to Taberner and Sturt to have six quick goals to close the quarter and lead by seven points at the final change.

South Fremantle then hit back to start the fourth term with goals to Main and Blake Schlensog to see them regain a five-point lead to set up a big finish.

It took more than 10 minutes for another goal to be kicked and it went the way of Peel thanks to Sturt who booted his third to put the Thunder back in front.

Mitch Crowden then added another at the 24-minute mark and that prove to be the sealer with the Thunder going on to win 10.10 (70) to 8.13 (61) to move into a first semi-final against Claremont and end the season of South Fremantle.

Meanwhile, South Fremantle's reserves took on Claremont in a qualifying final on Saturday at East Fremantle Oval with the Bulldogs narrowly losing 10.7 (67) to 8.6 (54) on the back of the Tigers kicking five goals to two in the last quarter.

Travis Abbott and Nathan Spooner kicked two goals each for South Fremantle while Jaxon Bellchambers gathered 21 possessions, Jarrod Salmeri 20, George Wessels 18 (10 tackles), Aiden Hall 15 and Jacob Sax 15.

South Fremantle's Reserves will now play Subiaco in a first semi-final this Sunday morning at Revo Fitness Stadium (9.00AM)

The South Fremantle colts then hosted East Perth in an elimination final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs kicked the only five goals of the last quarter to end up winning 14.10 (94) to 9.12 (66).

Liam Brandis kicked four goals for South Fremantle and two each to Harry Elphick, Roan O'Hehir and Caden Turnbull.

O'Hehir also gathered 28 possessions, Tom Regan 27, Christian Wilson 26, Chase Bourne 19, Lachlan Turley 17 and Seth Connor 16 while Luke Rockley had 14 touches and 18 hit outs in the ruck.

South Fremantle's Colts will now play Subiaco in a first semi-final this Sunday morning at Revo Fitness Stadium (11.35AM)

WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ELIMINATION FINAL

SOUTH FREMANTLE        2.6    4.9    6.11    8.13 (61)
PEEL THUNDER            0.3    2.5    8.6    10.10 (70)

SOUTH FREMANTLE: Goals – Main 4; Ah Chee, Shaw, Schlensog, Datson.
Best – Schloithe, Pearson, Main, Ah Chee, Z Strom, McQuilkin, Donaldson, N Strom.
PEEL THUNDER: Goals – Sturt 3; Taberner, Barnes 2; Bell, Treacy, Crowden.
Best – Meek, Wilson, Crowden, Hamling, Sturt, Thorne, Bell, Hughes.