RD 15 Match Report

Swans fall to Bulldogs at home

SWAN Districts might have fallen short of South Fremantle by 36 points at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday but Swans remain in the top five with a chance to rebound strongly this Saturday.

The black-and-whites couldn’t quite keep up with South Fremantle through the second and third quarters at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday with the 15.5 (95) to 9.5 (59) loss meaning Swans missed a chance to put further pressure on for a top three finish.

However, Swan Districts do remain solid inside the top five despite the result and on track to play finals for the first time under coach Adam Pickering coming into this Saturday's match up with Perth at Steel Blue Oval.

South Fremantle and Swan Districts were meeting for the first time this season and at Steel Blue Oval for the first time since Round 1, 2019, and it was the Bulldogs who proved too strong in the battle of two teams locked inside the top five.

Swans remain in fifth position on the ladder as a result of the loss with a 7-5 record to remain three games clear of the sixth placed Peel Thunder after Round 15.

Lewis Jetta, Jiah Reidy and Brayden Noble all kicked two goals apiece for Swan Districts.

Sam Fisher battled hard in the midfield for Swan Districts with 27 possessions while Jesse Turner gathered 25 disposals, Lachlan Riley 22, Josh Cipro 21, Aidan Clarke 20, Matt Riggio 19 and Jackson Beck 19.

The Swans back-line was under siege most of the afternoon but Brandon Erceg stood up strongly and ended up with 21 possessions and seven marks.

A clever finish from midfielder Tom Blechynden gave South Fremantle the ideal start on their first visit to Bassendean in two and-a-half years.

Blake Schlensog then continued to enjoy his move forward to give South Fremantle the first two goals of the game but Swan Districts was able to pull one back through Jesse Palmer with a smart finish from the boundary just before quarter-time.

South Fremantle's tall forward-line then really began to pay dividends in the opening part of the second quarter. In the space of seven minutes, Jimmy Miller and Mason Shaw combined for three goals and suddenly the Bulldogs were on top by 25 points.

Haiden Schloithe stretched that to a 31-point edge soon after and while Swans did get one back with a terrific finish from Jiah Reidy on the 50m line, South Fremantle remained in control leading by 25 points at the half-time break

A second of the afternoon to Schlensog saw South Fremantle open up a 31-point edge to start the second half and while Swans responded courtesy of Matt Riggio, the Bulldogs were in no mood to take their foot off the gas.

Teenage excitement machine Jesse Motlop kicked his first goal on debut shortly after before Shaw added his third of the day, Schlensog his third and Motlop a second just before three quarter-time with the Bulldogs well on top to the tune of 43 points.

Shaw kicked his fourth and fifth goals, and Schlensog his fourth in a fast opening to the final quarter to see South Fremantle open up a game high 49-point lead before Swan Districts finished the game with the final two goals courtesy of Lewis Jetta.

The day began at Steel Blue Oval with Swan Districts' colts defeating South Fremantle 11.13 (79) to 4.6 (30).

Josh Middleton, James Sullivan, Brodie Morris and Ayden Cartwright all kicked two goals each for Swans while Noah Hannan racked up 31 possessions, Ben Hewett 27, Cartwright 25, Lawson Humphries 23, Ty Sears 23, Bailey Jenkin 21 and Lewis Tester 20.

Then in the reserves match up, South Fremantle defeated Swan Districts 5.10 (40) to 2.6 (18) with Jack Wilson and Jaxon Saylor the goal scorers for Swans. Jacob Sideris gathered 27 possessions, Nelson Waite 26, Greg Ottaviano 19, Callum Garcia 19 and Dylan Ralph 19.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 15

SWAN DISTRICTS                              1.1          2.3          5.4          9.5 (59)

SOUTH FREMANTLE                        2.2          6.4          12.5        15.5 (95)

SWAN DISTRICTS: Goals – Jetta, Reidy, Noble 2; Palmer, Clarke, Riggio.

Best – Fisher, Turner, Cipro, Clarke, Riley, Erceg, Beck, Riggio.     

SOUTH FREMANTLE: Goals – Shaw 5; Schlensog 4; Motlop 2; Schloithe, Blechynden, Miller, Kelly.

Best – Schloithe, Blechynden, Schlensog, Dragovich, Shaw, Suban, Pearson, McQuilkin, N Strom.