Bulldogs go down to Lions in season-opener

SOUTH Fremantle's highly-anticipated 2014 WAFL season didn’t get off to the ideal start on Saturday at Leederville's Medibank Stadium with Subiaco ending up winning by 38 points.

Inaccuracy in front of goal proved costly for the Bulldogs as the game wore on with six straight behinds in the third quarter, and then 2.5 in the last quarter as Subiaco ran out 17.9 (111) to 9.19 (73) victors.

South Fremantle finished the game with 27 more disposals than Subiaco, 17 more entries inside the forward 50 and 28 scoring shots to 25, but converting just nine of those 65 inside-50 entries and 28 shots into goals proved costly in the end.

There were high hopes for the Bulldogs coming into 2014 and certainly one loss doesn’t change any of that, but South Fremantle will now look to bounce back quickly this Friday night at Fremantle Oval against a Perth team that thrashed Claremont by 65 points on Saturday.

Ashton Hams was clearly South Fremantle's best player on Saturday against Subiaco finishing with 32 possessions, eight inside-50 entries and a goal.

Jacob Martinez worked hard for 24 possessions while also laying six strong tackles and kicking a goal.

Haiden Schloithe also worked hard finishing with 25 disposals, seven inside 50s and four tackles while Ryan Cook had 20 touches.

The forward-line was led by Ben Saunders who kicked three goals but he did add four behinds while Adam Guglielmana and Kris Miller worked hard combining for 40 possessions, but also four points between them.

Centre half-forward Josh Pullman also had just two behinds but he continually presented hard finishing with 16 possessions, eight marks and four inside 50s.

South Fremantle's back-line stood up reasonably well led by Adam McIntosh (19 possessions), Craig White (16), Steve Mills (10), Nick Borovac (nine), Jason Maskos (15) and Dylan Ross (13).

Ruckman James Sellar made his WAFL debut and finished with 16 disposals, 27 hit outs, five tackles, four inside 50s and a goal.

Unfortunately, South Fremantle's start to the game set the tone with four straight behinds the first goal came through Saunders.

When Marlon Pickett added another and Hams also kicked one than the Bulldogs led by eight points, but by quarter-time the Lions were up by four.

However, Saunders booted the first two goals of the second quarter and South Fremantle led by seven points, but again by half-time Subiaco was out to a 10-point advantage.

South Fremantle peppered the goals in the third quarter, but managed just the six behinds while Subiaco added four goals as the Lions led by 30 points at three quarter-time.

Goals in the final term to Mugambwa, Martinez and Brock Higgins again gave South Fremantle a sniff, but the Bulldogs never got closer than 22 points before losing by 38.

Meanwhile, South Fremantle's day got off to a perfect start in the colts with the Bulldogs beating the Lions 14.7 (91) to 7.8 (50).

South Fremantle's colts did trail by 10 points at half-time, but kicked 10 goals to two in the second half to run out convincing 41-point winners.

Cameron Loersch kicked four goals for the Bulldogs and Matthew Ah Siu added three and Thomas Wheeler two.

Jacob Dragovich led the way with 30 possessions while Ah Siu gathered 28 touches, Callum Ah Chee 27, Jarrod Pickett 26, Braden Fimmano 23 and William Frampton 19 to go with 22 hit outs and six marks.

And in the reserves, the Bulldogs lost three players through injury and had to bounce back from an 11-point deficit to end up recording a terrific 11.11 (77) to 8.9 (57) victory to begin their premiership defence in style.

South Fremantle's reserves kicked eight goals to three after half-time to end up beating Subiaco by 20 points despite losing Anthony Collica, Josh Branchi and Josh Hall to injury throughout the match.

Traye Bennell and Kaiden Matera booted three goals apiece for the Bulldogs while Lewis Harvey added two.

Brendan Verrier led the way with 27 possessions while Jarrod Parry collected 26 disposals, James Laurino 25, Nick Olds 25, Mitch Carter 23 and Toby Bairstow 22.

SOUTH FREMANTLE 3.5 6.8 6.14 9.19 (73)

SUBIACO 4.3 8.6 12.8 17.9 (111)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Saunders 3; Higgins, Sellar, Martinez, Mugambwa, Pickett, Hams.

Best: Hams, Martinez, Sellar, Schloithe, Guglielmana, Cook, Saunders.

SUBIACO – Goals: Waters 5; Boland 4; Yarran 3; Bristow, Kayler-Thomson, Deluca, Hampson, Moore.

Best: Waters, Phelan, Twomey, Boland, Yarran, Hampson, Bristow.

By Chris Pike