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Bulldogs go down to Thunder in Mandurah

Tuesday, July 24, 2018 - 4:45 PM by Chris Pike
SOUTH Fremantle has dropped to third position on the WAFL ladder following a 24-point loss to Peel Thunder at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday ahead of a bye and a season-defining Round 18 clash with West Perth.
 
There were plenty of reasons to win for both Peel and South Fremantle heading into Saturday's contest at Bendigo Bank Stadium, and both teams had a strong recent history of meeting with plenty at stake.
 
While South Fremantle had won five of the past six home and away season matches over Peel, the Thunder had beaten the Bulldogs in last year's qualifying final and the previous year's preliminary final so both deserved to have confidence it could get the job done against the other.
 
But Peel started strongly in the opening quarter kicking five goals to two. While South Fremantle had closed the gap to within two points at the last change, Peel kicked away with four goals to one in the last term to come away with the important 13.12 (90) to 9.12 (66) win.
 
South Fremantle has now lost two straight heading into the bye this weekend and drops from second position to third at the expense of West Perth with a 9-5 record.
 
Marlion Pickett was used in the ruck, as a midfielder and up forward at times throughout the afternoon and finished with 19 possessions, seven tackles, six inside 50s, four marks and two goals.
 
Matthew Parker also kicked two goals for the Bulldogs but ultimately the absence of Ben Saunders, Ashton Hams and Cory Dell'Olio from the forward-line, and Brock Higgins from the ruck proved too much to cover.
 
Jacob Dragovich was again South Fremantle's leading ball winner with 27 possessions to go with seven marks, three tackles, three inside 50s and a goal.
 
Nick Suban gathered 23 possessions for the Bulldogs, Shane Hockey 20, Blayne Wilson 20, Jason Maskos 20, Ryan Cook 19, Haiden Schloithe 18 and Chad Pearson 17.
 
Shaun Bewick battled hard for South Fremantle with 24 possessions and eight tackles in what was his 100th match for the Bulldogs since crossing from West Perth where he had played 30 games previously.
 
It was a cracking start from Peel starting with a goal after a minute to Corey Morris and then another after three minutes to Hugh Dixon. South Fremantle did get on the board shortly after from Matthew Parker who ran into an open goal after good lead up work by Haiden Schloithe.
 
But the Thunder were on song early and kicked two more goals to James Sturrock and Ben Hancock to lead by 25 points after another from Harley Bennell at the 25-minute mark.
 
South Fremantle did manage an important goal late thanks to Daniel Cabassi to close the quarter-time deficit to 19 points before the Thunder again began well in the second term with Dixon's second goal of the game.
 
A couple of quick Bulldogs goals to Marlion Pickett and Adam McIntosh got the visitors back in touch but they couldn’t maintain it.
 
Peel managed a couple of goals to Brayden Lawler and Ben Howlett against the tide to lead by 23 points and still by 17 at half-time despite a late major for South Fremantle to Jacob Dragovich.
 
South Fremantle came out strongly to open the second half with goals to Mason Shaw and Ryan Cook, and it was well and truly game on by three quarter-time with the Thunder only clinging to a two-point advantage.
 
It took just three minutes for Peel to again extend its advantage with a goal to Lawler. When Dixon added his third and Gerald Ugle his first as well, Peel was in control and would go on to record a comfortable 24-point win.
 
South Fremantle might have started and finished slowly in the reserves against Peel Thunder at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday, but in between the Bulldogs dominated to set up the 26-point victory.
 
Peel managed to kick two goals to one in the opening quarter before South Fremantle kicked three goals to just one behind in the second term to head into half-time leading by 12 points.
 
The Bulldogs then added another three goals to just two behinds in the third stanza and despite the Thunder kicking the only goal of the final quarter, South Fremantle went on to win 7.11 (53) to 3.9 (27).
 
Zane Sumich kicked three goals for South Fremantle and Jacob Warne two.
 
Jake Florenca put his hand up for a league recall after the bye for the Bulldogs with another 34 possessions while Kyle Russell gathered 25 disposals, Daniel Burke 22, Travis Abbott 21, Jarrod Parry 20, Seaton Thompson 19 and Trent Reed 19.
 
Blair Della Franca was impressive for South Fremantle too with 22 disposals, 42 tackles, eight tackles and five marks.
 
South Fremantle kicked the only goal of the opening quarter but then Peel kicked its only three goals in the second quarter of the day. The Thunder also ended up kicking 3.7 in a dominant second term to head into half-time in control leading by 15 points.

But the Bulldogs hit back in the third quarter with the only two goals to trail by five points at the final change before also kicking the only two goals of the last term to come away with the 5.11 (41) to 3.19 (37) victory.

The win leaves South Fremantle a game clear in fifth position on the colts ladder while Peel remains second but a game behind the ladder-leading Subiaco.

South Fremantle's goals in the game came from Luke Moore, Matthew Ward, Lachlan Johnson, Braiden Quartermaine and Alec Petkovic.

Ward racked up 27 possessions for the Bulldogs, Regan Spooner 22, Tom Blechynden 21 (12 tackles), Jack Redman 20 and Enrique Aiken-Featherstone 16 (eight tackles).

Jack Fenton finished with eight disposals and 34 hit outs in the ruck.

South Fremantle now has the bye in Round 17 and could fall a game and percentage behind West Perth as a result before then playing the Falcons in a potentially season-defining Round 18 contest at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.
 
SOUTH FREMANTLE 2.3 5.5 8.10 9.12 (66)
PEEL THUNDER 5.4 8.4 9.6 13.12 (90)
 
SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Pickett, Parker 2; Dragovich, McIntosh, Shaw, Cook, Cabassi.
Best: Dragovich, Bewick, Pickett, Suban, Cook, Wilson, Hockey.
PEEL THUNDER – Goals: Lawler, Dixon 3; Ugle 2; Howlett, Morris, H Bennell, Hancock, Sturrock.
Best: Crowden, Howlett, H Bennell, Ugle, Grey, Kirby, Lawler, Pearce.

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