Bulldogs go top after beating Tigers on Good Friday

SOUTH Fremantle surged to the top of the WAFL ladder with its third straight win to open the 2015 WAFL season by beating Claremont in style by 38 points on Good Friday at Fremantle Oval.

The Bulldogs hosted the Tigers on the evening of Good Friday and a terrific crowd of 3250 turned out to witness the eventual 12.19 (91) to 8.5 (53) victory.

That means that South Fremantle has won its opening three games of the 2015 season to be the last unbeaten WAFL team to be sitting on top of the ladder. The Bulldogs have now also won eight straight matches having won the last five of the 2014 season as well.

It was a commanding performance by South Fremantle with them having 31 scoring shots to just 13 from Claremont while racking up 117 more possessions and 22 more entries inside the forward 50.

The win means that coach Todd Curley remains unbeaten after three games in charge of South Fremantle with the Bulldogs now having won three straight matches to open a season for the first time since 2006. They are also on an eight-game winning run dating back to the end of last season.

Ben Saunders, Ashton Hams, James Sellar and Cory Dell'Olio all kicked two goals apiece for the Bulldogs with Dell'Olio playing his first game with South Fremantle since the 2011 first semi-final loss to Subiaco after spending the last three years with Essendon.

Ashton Hams came back into the Bulldogs team after missing the previous week's win over Perth and along with his two goals, he finished with 31 possessions and five inside-50 entries.

Jarrod Parry also played his first game of the season and worked hard for 23 disposals and five tackles while Chris Luff made his South Fremantle debut after crossing from Peel and did well limiting the influence of Kepler Bradley up forward for Claremont.

South Fremantle's defence was outstanding with Adam McIntosh holding Ian Richardson goalless, Dylan Ross keeping Haydn Busher and Brandon Franz scoreless and then Marlon Pickett putting in a tremendous performance as an attacking defender with 25 possessions.

Brock Higgins worked tirelessly in the ruck for the Bulldogs up against Mitch Andrews and Bradley, and finished with 20 possessions, 22 hit outs and five inside 50s.

Brendan Verrier racked up 28 possessions for South Fremantle, Haiden Schloithe 24, Ryan Cook 22, Kyle Hams 21, Shaun Bewick 20, Tim Kelly 19 and Steven Verrier 18.

South Fremantle did kick the first goal of the game through Saunders but the Tigers answered through Jack Bradshaw. The Bulldogs were dominating play but five straight behinds saw them not get full reward and the Tigers stayed in touch with a goal to McAdam.

However, South Fremantle then found its range with Traye Bennell kicking truly and then Dell'Olio marking his return with a trademark snap that saw all his teammates quickly get around him.

Ashton Hams added another before quarter-time that saw South Fremantle lead by 19 points, and then goals in the second term to Sellar and Steven Verrier stretched the margin to 33 and it was still 26 at the long break with Claremont's lone goal coming courtesy of McAdam.

By the time the Bulldogs kicked the first three goals of the second half courtesy of Saunders, Brendan Verrier and Cook, the margin was 46 points and the contest was all but over.

By the time, Dell'Olio kicked his second goal of the night just before the siren the Bulldogs had cruised to the 38-point victory.

South Fremantle's reserves also recorded a Good Friday victory beating Claremont 14.8 (92) to 10.6 (66) at Fremantle Oval.

Claremont was leading by nine points at quarter-time, seven at half-time and then scores were all tied up at three quarter-time, but South Fremantle then kicked five goals to one in the final quarter to win by 26 points.

John Sgherza was the star for the Bulldogs kicking seven goals from his 12 kicks with Ben Sokol also kicking three majors from 18 possessions and nine marks.

Toby Bairstow racked up 30 possessions for South Fremantle, Anthony Collica 27, Tim Stewart 24, Jacob Dragovich 20, Bailey Matera 18 and Adam Carter 17. Josh Branchi did well in the ruck as well with 15 touches and 28 hit outs.

And the remarkable recent history in the colts between South Fremantle and Claremont continued to start off the day at Fremantle Oval on Good Friday with the Tigers ending up winning a thriller, 9.10 (64) to 9.8 (62).

Brandon Colbung, Miles Barritt and Jesse Mudge all kicked two goals apiece for the Bulldogs with Barritt gathering 22 possessions, Brandon Donaldson 19, Abel Brown 19 and Daniel Burke 19.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        4.7    6.11    10.14    12.19    (91)
CLAREMONT            2.0    3.3    6.5    8.5    (53)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Dell'Olio, Sellar, Saunders, A Hams 2; Bennell, Cook, S Verrier, B Verrier.
Best: A Hams, Pickett, B Verrier, Higgins, McIntosh, Parry, Schloithe, Ross.
CLAREMONT – Goals: McAdam 3; Bradshaw 2; Neates, Yu, Bradley. 
Best: Yu, Ledger, Goyder, Bentley, Neates.