Bulldogs can't quite finish the deal against Swans

SOUTH Fremantle again started strongly but couldn’t keep it going ending up losing to a Swan Districts team by 13 points at Steel Blue Oval that is continuing to surprise many this WAFL season.

The Bulldogs made the journey to Bassendean for the Round 4 contest on Saturday and completely dominated the opening quarter and-a-half, but couldn’t put the score on the board.

By half-time, Swans had opened up a two-point advantage and then did go on to lead by as much as 30 points before the Bulldogs continued to fight hard in the final quarter falling short by 13 points, with the black-and-whites winning 13.16 (94) to 11.15 (81).

South Fremantle now remains winless after four games to open the 2014 season despite having plenty of opportunities against Subiaco in Round 1, leading Perth by 44 points in Round 2 and now having more of the ball again against Swan Districts on Saturday.

However, Swans continue to surprise many this season.

Coming into the campaign, they had lost a bevy of experienced premiership players but they are now playing on great heart and have won two of their three matches with the only loss being a narrow defeat at the hands of a West Coast-strengthened East Perth in Round 2.

Haiden Schloithe did all he possibly could in the midfield for South Fremantle finishing with a career-high 38 possessions to go with 14 marks and two goals.

Tim Kelly also worked hard finishing with 26 touches, seven marks, five inside 50s, four tackles and two goals.

Captain Ryan Cook was another tireless worker ending up with 28 touches, 10 marks, seven inside 50s and a goal.

Shaun Bewick had 22 possessions on the wing while down back, Ashton Hams finished with 29 possessions and Dylan Ross 21.

Brock Higgins again worked hard on his own in the ruck in the absence of James Sellar, Alistair Gillespie and Paul Mugambwa, and finished the match with 15 touches and 28 hit outs as the best ruckman in the game.

Nick Borovac continued his outstanding defensive form to open the 2014 season keeping Swan Districts' veteran forward Tim Geappen to just the one goal and 13 disposals.

South Fremantle coach Paul Hasleby tried some new things and the move of veteran Craig White to the forward-line was one that worked. He led up well providing a strong target from centre half-forward finishing with 11 possessions, seven marks and four inside 50s.

South Fremantle started the game on fire kicking the first goal of the contest through Kelly.

Despite a host of opportunities in front of goal, that was the Bulldogs' only major of the quarter even though South Fremantle dominated the term with 125 possessions to 67, 40 marks to 19 and eight scoring shots to three.

South Fremantle then moved on to 1.9 in the second quarter and it always appeared that Swans would make them pay for that inaccuracy, and that's how it panned out.

The Bulldogs' second goal eventually came through a tumbling punt on the run from outside-50 from Ben Saunders into a vacant goal square with Marlon Pickett and Ben Sokol also kicking good goals before half-time, but Swans led narrowly by two points at the main break.

Swans' lead did get out to five goals during the third quarter before consecutive goals to Josh Pullman and Bewick cut the margin back to 17 points, and then 24 by three quarter-time.

Again, Swan Districts went out to a five-goal advantage during the final term and again goals to Schloithe and Pickett brought the margin back to 17 points, but the Bulldogs just couldn’t nail that next goal to really give them a sniff. Swans held on to win by 13 points in the finish.

South Fremantle's reserves lost to Swan Districts earlier in the day by 12 points despite three goals to Kris Miller, and two each to Traye Bennell and John Sgherza.

However, Sgherza did get injured early in the game as did key defender Steve Mills.

Miller's welcome into the reserves line-up after being demoted from the league side was a close tag all game long from Swan Districts youngster Ben Holman. The 301-game WAFL champion still managed the three goals from 14 possessions despite the close attention.

Jarrod Parry racked up 29 possessions for the Bulldogs in the reserves with Lewis Harvey also collecting 20 disposals, Emmanuel Collard 19 and Jayden D'Vauz 18.

South Fremantle's colts meanwhile was missing a host of key players and as a result Swan Districts ended up winning 12.10 (82) to 8.4 (52).

Cameron Loersch continued his outstanding start to the 2014 season with another four goals for the Bulldogs with Braden Fimmano racking up 26 possessions, Bailey Matera 25 and Billy Collier 21.

SOUTH FREMANTLE 1.7 4.9 7.10 11.15 (81)

SWAN DISTRICTS 1.2 5.5 11.10 13.16 (94)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Schloithe, Kelly, Pickett 2; Bewick, Pullman, Saunders, Sokol, Cook.

Best: Schloithe, Kelly, Hams, Higgins, Borovac, Ross, White.

SWAN DISTRICTS – Goals: Cary 3; Jukes 2; Ugle, Faulkner, Rogers, Boekhorst, Davis, Anderson, Notte, Geappen.

Best: Ames, Davis, G Jetta, Simpson, Notte, Ugle, C Blakely.

By Chris Pike