RD 5 PREVIEW | v SUBIACO

SOUTH Fremantle heads to Leederville Oval on Saturday looking for a first away win of the 2023 season and to claim four premiership points for the first time this season in the process.

The Bulldogs have already won twice so far this season against the West Coast Eagles and Peel Thunder at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, but have lost away from home to Claremont and then also at home last week against Swan Districts.

Now South Fremantle heads to Leederville Oval to take on Subiaco on Saturday trying to win away from home for the first time this season, and to also claim four premiership points for the first time having wiped off the off-season penalty with those opening two victories.

The league clash between the Bulldogs and Lions gets underway on Saturday at 2.40pm. The day begins with the colts match up from 9.40am on Saturday morning followed by the reserves contest beginning at 12.10pm.

In-form South Fremantle midfielder Brendon Ah Chee is enjoying a strong start to the season for the Bulldogs both with what he's doing in the midfield and then drifting forward.

Coming off last week's loss to Swan Districts, he's been impressed with the way the team has pinpointed the areas they've needed to improve on coming into Saturday's clash with Subiaco.

"We're just trying to highlight the areas we need to improve on," Ah Chee said.

"On the weekend there were some stuff we were a bit exposed with in some contests or off the ball running so we just need to make those things a focus which we've done at training this week. 

"We're aware of what we need to fix up and now it's just about performing on game day. You have to address those concerns so that when it comes to crunch time during a game especially against opposition like Subiaco you've learned from those lessons. I'm looking forward to it."

Now looking ahead to this Saturday's clash with a Lions team fresh off beating both grand finalists from last season with their wins against Claremont and West Perth, and Ah Chee knows the challenge that lies ahead for the Bulldogs.

"They're a very dangerous Subiaco team and they are probably the in form team of the comp just about having taken some good scalps," Ah Chee added.

"For us it's going to be about what lapsed in last week and learning from those mistakes, and then it just comes down to a bit of contest stuff. Footy largely is a contest game and if you win it at the source, get it forward and lock it in, that's what most teams are trying to do. 

"They've got a lot of young, talented hungry boys who are playing so we need to match that intensity. We have to match it inside, get it going our way and then let our system take control and hopefully can get it done. It's going to be a great contest and a very important game for us."

South Fremantle is ranked seventh offensively at 73.0 points for and fifth defensively at 67.8 points giving up.

Subiaco is the fifth highest scoring team in the competition at 82.5 points a game and sixth defensively with giving up 70.5 points.

South Fremantle is ranked fifth across the season in third and fourth quarters, and sixth in first and second quarters in the first four games of the 2023 season.

The Lions have been the second best performing team of the season over the opening four games of 2023 while they are ranked third for second terms and fourth in last quarters.

However, Subiaco has struggled to start ranked ninth in first quarters having been outscored by 46 points by their opponents.

The two teams have had a fascinating recent history including playing off with one another in the grand finals of 2019 and 2021 where the Lions won by 96 and 44 points respectively.

However, South Fremantle won both clashes against Subiaco last year firstly by eight points at Leederville Oval and then by 88 points in Round 18 at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

That stopped the recent dominance the Lions held over the Bulldogs. As well as those two grand final wins, Subiaco had won 17 of the previous 21 clashes against South Fremantle dating back to 2015.

Subiaco has especially enjoyed things at Leederville Oval against South Fremantle winning 12 of the last 15 clashes between the two at the venue.

However, the Bulldogs did win on the last visit last year for the first time since the COVID shortened season of 2020 when they went on to win the premiership.

South Fremantle is attempting to bounce back from last week's loss at home to Swan Districts and to get its first points on the board for the season up against Subiaco at Leederville Oval on Saturday.

Coming into the squad for the Bulldogs are Jordan Gallucci, Solomon James, Matthew Parker, George Wessels and potential debutant Caleb Stephens.

If Parker plays, it will be his first game with South Fremantle since the 2021 grand final after he made his return in the reserves last week with 27 possessions and six tackles against Swan Districts.

The only out at this stage from the South Fremantle team that lost last week to Swan Districts is Lachlan Taylor who struggled for an impact with just five possessions.

Subiaco is looking to continue its winning form on the back of the wins against Claremont and West Perth. 

Coming into the Lions team to take on South Fremantle at home on Saturday are Isaac Clinch, Jordan Faraone, Jordan Snadden, Jake South and former fairest and best winner Kyle Stainsby.

The only out at this stage from the Subiaco team that beat West Perth last week at Joondalup is experienced 148-game premiership defender Aaron Heal.