Bulldogs go down to Eagle-powered Royals

SOUTH Fremantle has fallen to its third straight loss to open the 2014 WAFL season with a West Coast Eagles-strengthened East Perth cruising to a 75-point victory at Fremantle Oval on Friday night.

Coming off a 38-point loss in Round 1 to Subiaco in a game where South Fremantle had more possessions, inside-50 entries and shots on goal, and then in Round 2 led Perth by 44 points before losing by five, the Bulldogs had every reason to think a first win of 2014 was just around the corner.

However, East Perth had other ideas on Friday night at Fremantle Oval and with a team featuring 12 West Coast-listed players and another four players who have played AFL football, the Royals ended up winning 20.8 (128) to 8.5 (53).

It was a tough loss for the Bulldogs to take but they now have a chance to get on the board in 2014 next Saturday against Swan Districts at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval ahead of matches against West Perth, East Fremantle and Claremont before the Round 8 bye.

Former Eagle Ashton Hams did all he could against the side he would have been playing for had he not taken the decision to retire from the AFL at the end of 2013, and the dual South Fremantle premiership player finished with 33 possessions and nine clearances.

Haiden Schloithe also worked tirelessly in the Bulldogs midfield with 28 possessions, eight clearances and a goal with captain Ryan Cook finishing with 22 disposals, five clearances, four inside 50s and a goal.

Mitch Carter came in for his first league appearance of 2014 and did well off half-back with 20 disposals while fellow defenders Adam McIntosh (18 touches), Nick Borovac (13), Dylan Ross (13) and Craig White (13) did all they could while under-siege.

South Fremantle only managed to go inside-50 on 37 occasions so the forward-line was starved of opportunities, but Josh Pullman played his best game for the Bulldogs and kicked his first two goals for the club from 13 possessions and four marks.

With James Sellar out with a knee injury, former Royal Brock Higgins had a huge task coming up against Paul Johnson and Scott Lycett in the ruck, but battled manfully finishing with 15 possessions, 20 hit outs and seven inside-50 entries.

South Fremantle fans also would have had a difficult time watching dual colts premiership player Adam Carter also play well for East Perth with 23 possessions and nine marks.

The Bulldogs got off to a perfect start with captain Cook kicking the first goal of the game and in a scrappy opening quarter, East Perth held on to just a two-point advantage by quarter-time.

However, the Royals then kicked two goals in the first three minutes of the second quarter through Josh Smith and Lycett, and went on to add four more before half-time to lead by a comfortable 32 points at the main break with South Fremantle's only second term goal courtesy of a Schloithe snap.

It took just 30 seconds for the Royals to get on the board in the third quarter when Mitch Fraser kicked truly and when Lycett, Fraser McInnes and Josh Hill followed suit, East Perth's advantage was out to 51 points heading into time-on in the third term.

East Perth still led by 50 points at three quarter-time and despite two last quarter goals for South Fremantle to Pullman and another to Marlon Pickett with his first, and only, kick of the night, the Royals ran away with the contest with seven more goals of their own to run out 75-point victors.

SOUTH FREMANTLE 2.2 3.2 5.4 8.5 (53)

EAST PERTH 2.4 8.4 13.6 20.8 (128)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Pullman 2; Pickett, Saunders, B Verrier, Schloithe, Guglielmana, Cook.

Best: Hams, Schloithe, M Carter, McIntosh, Higgins, Borovac, Cook.

EAST PERTH – Goals: J Smith 4; Hill 3; Sheed, McInnes, Lycett 2; A Smith, Blee, Fraser, Wulff, Hutchings, Dobson, Butler.

Best: Wulff, Sheed, Hutchings, Anderson, Blee, Butler, Johnson, McGovern.

By Chris Pike