YOUTHFUL DOGS TAKE IT UP TO FALCONS

IT was an astoundingly youthful South Fremantle line-up on Sunday who fought valiantly against West Perth but ultimately the reigning premiers had too much at stake to score the eventual 36-point victory.

With Chad Pearson, Jordan Gallucci, Brendon Ah Chee, Matthew Parker, Brock Higgins already sidelined for South Fremantle, Dylan Main, Jake Florenca, Manfred Kelly and Brandon Donaldson also went out of the Bulldogs team coming into the Sunday match up with West Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

As a result, there were three debutants for South Fremantle and an increasingly youthful team, but it was really only the third quarter where West Perth got on top with the four goals to one.

Outside of that and it was a tight contest at Fremantle Community Bank Oval before West Perth went on to score the 14.7 (91) to 8.7 (55) win.

There were new faces for South Fremantle all over the field but nowhere more so in the forward-line with Main, Gallucci and Donaldson not playing, and Jimmy Miller needed in the ruck and Zac Strom in defence. 

There were three debutants on the day for the Bulldogs and the signs from Ashton Ferreira, Mitch Sinnott and Ed Graham were exciting. Graham stepped up to be the main target in the forward-line and kicked two goals from 11 touches and three marks.

Ferreira looked a player well and truly composed and ready for league football with 26 possessions, eight marks and seven inside-50 entries with Sinnott also adding 13 touches.

Second-gamer Aaron Drage was superb once more in a midfield without Jake Florenca, Brendon Ah Chee and Matthew Parker for South Fremantle, and had 30 possessions and five tackles.

Roan O'Hehir continued his emergence for South Fremantle too with another 28 disposals, eight tackles and two goals while Caleb Stephens collected 26 touches, Glenn Byron 24, Toby McQuilkin 21 and Zac Strom 19 to go with 11 marks, 11 hit outs and a goal.

West Perth goal sneak Keegan Knott was back into the line-up and started well with the first goal in the game before his regular partner in crime Tyler Keitel added another soon after to give the Falcons the perfect start.

South Fremantle responded and it was one of a host of new faces doing it with Ed Graham kicking a goal debut at the 11-minute mark. His teammate Roan O'Hehir then snapped truly soon after to put the Bulldogs in front.

Keitel responded with his second before Jacob Dragovic and Noah Pegoraro added another for their respective teams leading into quarter-time with the Falcons leading by four points.

West Perth then got a quick early goal to start the second quarter thanks to Pegoraro and 10 minutes later they had another thanks to Sasha Kernutt with the lead out to as much as 17 points.

South Fremantle, though, did get a goal back before half-time through Graham to cut the deficit to nine points at the main break.

West Perth then took further control in the third quarter beginning with a goal a minute in to Darcy Dixon. Nathan Murray, Pegoraro and then Dixon again also added goals to see the Falcons lead get out to 34 points before a late goal to Aiden Hall for the Bulldogs just prior to three quarter-time.

The game opened up a little more in the last quarter with both teams combining for seven goals with West Perth adding another four to South Fremantle's three on the way to the eventual 36-point win that keeps the reigning premiers alive in the finals race with two rounds remaining.

Round 18 of the Colts on Sunday saw West Perth hold on in a thriller to beat South Fremantle 8.17 (65) to 9.8 (62). The Bulldogs kicked the only three goals of the final quarter but fell just three points short in the finish.

Hamish Cooper kicked two goals for South Fremantle while Toby Whan finished with 28 possessions, Jacob Whan 20, Zane Triscari 20, Tarkyn Etherington 19, Tyler Rowe 18, Fred Rodriguez 18 and Aiden Carroll 18.

Then Round 18 of the Reserves ended up with West Perth dominating on the way to the 17.14 (116) to 1.5 (11) win.

South Fremantle's lone goal was kicked by Kaden Harbour with George Wessels finishing with 35 possessions and 14 tackles. Toby Dodds also had 31 touches, Riley Vidovich 25, Harbour 22 and Jaren Carr 16.

WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON 2023 – ROUND 18

SOUTH FREMANTLE        3.2    4.6    5.7    8.7    (55)
WEST PERTH            4.0    6.3    10.5    14.7    (91)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Graham, O'Hehir 2; Dragovich, Z Strom, Hall, Bourne.
Best: O'Hehir, Drage, Ferreira, McQuilkin, Stephens, Byron, Hall, Z Strom.
WEST PERTH – Goals: Keitel, Pegoraro, Dixon 3; Kernutt 2; Meadows, Knott, Murray.
Best: Meadows, Hinder, Nelson, A Lynch, Pegoraro, Peirce, Keitel, Murray.