Bulldogs again overrun by Thunder to end 2015 season

IT was a familiar story for South Fremantle in 2015 in the final game of the season against Peel Thunder at Bendigo Bank Stadium with the Bulldogs blooding another debutant and having some momentum early in the last quarter but ending up overrun to lose by 39 points.

South Fremantle had fallen out of finals contention despite an overall improved 2015 season, but the Bulldogs took on the finals bound Peel in Mandurah and with the first two goals of the last quarter had some momentum.

However, once again South Fremantle couldn’t maintain that intensity and Peel ended up kicking the last five goals of the game to record the 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69) victory.

South Fremantle now finishes the 2015 season with an 8-12 record to be in seventh position but will look to have the injured Blayne Wilson, Steven Verrier, Brock Higgins and Jacob Martinez back for the start of 2015.

Dual premiership veteran Craig White won't be there, though, with him playing his 192nd and last WAFL game with South Fremantle on Saturday while it appears that Kyle Hams and James Sellar have also played their last games for the Bulldogs.

Whether or not they have played their last game with South Fremantle remains to be seen, but Kyle and Ashton Hams couldn’t have done more for the Bulldogs on Saturday combining for 64 possessions, 23 marks and six entries inside the forward 50.

Haiden Schloithe played one of his better games of the season finishing with 26 disposals, six marks, five inside 50s and two goals while Marlion Pickett was good both off half-back and forward ending up with 24 touches, seven marks and three goals.

Jarrod Parry was also a strong performer for South Fremantle with 24 possessions and seven marks while James Sellar finished with 19 disposals and eight marks, Matthew Ah Siu 19 touches and a goal, Ryan Cook 18 possessions and nine marks, and Kade Stewart 18 disposals.

Kade Stewart's older brother Tim made his debut and was a strong performer in the midfield for the Bulldogs with 23 possessions and five tackles.

It took just 18 seconds for Peel to get the perfect start to the game with a goal to Max Duffy, but South Fremantle was able to steady after that but couldn’t quite convert with Cory Dell'Olio missing when run into an open goal, and captain Cook missing a set shot.

However, the Bulldogs got their first major through Ah Siu and then added another shortly after to Schloithe to hold a seven-point lead, before the Thunder got a goal back and took a one-point advantage into quarter-time.

Three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second term then saw Peel open up a bit of a break on the Bulldogs before the visitors stayed in touch with goals to Josh Pullman and Pickett, but the Thunder still held a 13-point advantage at the main break.

South Fremantle was having trouble keeping Peel's dynamic small forward duo Leroy Jetta and Gerald Ugle in check, though, and the pair lit it up with two goals apiece in the third quarter as the Thunder opened up a 32-point lead.

South Fremantle got back within 25 points by three quarter-time when Pickett added his third goal for the game after being moved forward, and then the Bulldogs had some momentum with quick goals to Schloithe and Dell'Olio to open the final quarter.

However, once again the Bulldogs ran out of gas and were overrun by a finals bound team with Peel kicking the game last five goals, including three more for Jetta to give him seven for the day against his old side.

South Fremantle's reserves finished their season with a thumping 20.15 (135) to 5.4 (34) win over Peel Thunder at Bendigo Bank Stadium with the Bulldogs finishing the season four games clear on top of the ladder.

South Fremantle's reserves will now have the week off in the first week of the finals awaiting the winner of Sunday's clash between Subiaco and Swan Districts before the Bulldogs play off in a second semi-final on Sunday September 13.

The Bulldogs had 9.4 on the scoreboard on Saturday before the Thunder managed a solitary behind, and then another 11 goals to five in the second half saw them come away with the 101-point win.