Bulldogs pull off stunning comeback to return to top

SOUTH Fremantle delivered a stunning comeback from 25 points down early in the last quarter to beat Claremont by eight points at the Showground on Saturday to return to the top of the ladder.

Coming off its first loss of the season to Subiaco the previous week, South Fremantle looked set to lose for the second time in as many weeks on Saturday at the Showground.

Claremont opened up a 25-point advantage at the two-minute mark of the last quarter when Jack Bradshaw kicked his fifth goal, but that only served to bring the Bulldogs to life.

Inspired by captain Ryan Cook, the Bulldogs delivered a scintillating finish to the game to kick the last five goals to come away with the 12.13 (85) to 12.5 (77) victory.

The win improves South Fremantle to a 6-1 record on the season and sees the Bulldogs return to the top of the WAFL ladder following Subiaco's 80-point defeat also on Saturday at the hands of East Fremantle.

The win was all the more impressive for South Fremantle considering full-back Josh Pullman and Ben Saunders both missed through ankle and knee injuries respectively.

In the absence of Pullman, Brad McPhail made his league debut in defence and with support from Blayne Wilson, Marlion Pickett and Adam McIntosh helped to restrict Darcy Cameron, Beau Maister and Haydn Busher to a combined four goals.

Then without Saunders in the forward-line. Blaine Johnson stepped up for his best game of the season with three goals from 19 possessions and seven marks with Mason Shaw also booting three majors from 16 disposals and six marks.

Captain Ryan Cook also delivered his best game of the season in his 99th appearance for the Bulldogs finishing with 30 possessions, nine inside-50 entries, seven tackles and the two last quarter goals.

Shane Hockey continued his strong form in the midfield for South Fremantle with another 28 possessions with Tim Stewart playing his first game of the season and collecting 23 disposals.

Big man Brock Higgins also played his first game of 2016 after a calf injury and three weeks in the reserves, and did well with 21 touches, four marks and 21 hit outs.

McIntosh also collected 20 disposals, nine marks and five tackles for South Fremantle while Ashton Hams collected 19 disposals of which 17 came in the second half as he shook the tag from Claremont's Hugo Breakey.

The Bulldogs got off to a flying start at the Showground with the group desperate to bounce back from their first loss of the season. A goal four minutes in to Johnson and then another to Zac Strom six minutes later saw South Fremantle kick the first two majors of the contest.

However, the Tigers then got going with goals to Tom Ledger, Jared Hardisty, Bradshaw and Cameron to close the first quarter with a 13-point advantage.

The Bulldogs again started the second quarter strongly with an early goal to Shaw, and then after Bradshaw's second for Claremont two goals in less than two minutes to Matthew Gundry and Tim Kelly saw South Fremantle tie the scores up midway through the term.

The Bulldogs then took a nine-point advantage heading towards half-time when Johnson booted his second goal but Claremont closed to within three points at the break when Bradshaw kicked a third.

Once more the Bulldogs booted the opening goal of the third quarter when Johnson continued his best game of the season with a third major to stretch the lead back out to nine points.

But that would be South Fremantle's lone goal of the third term as Claremont took control with the last five goals through Ryan Neates, Bradshaw, Cameron, Busher and Maister to lead by 18 points at the last change.

Claremont looked on track to run away with the win when Bradshaw kicked the first goal of the last term, his fifth of the day, with the Tigers out to a 25-point lead.

However, South Fremantle refused to lie down and delivered an inspired final quarter of football led by the captain to run away with the superb win.

The comeback began with two quick goals to Shaw and Steven Edwards before Cook booted his first of the last quarter at the 12-minute mark to cut Claremont's lead to just one straight kick.

Shaw got his third of the day at the 19-minute mark to tie scores up at 77-apiece, and South Fremantle continued to dominate with a couple of behinds and then the match-winning goal to Cook to secure the eight-point win and return to the top of the WAFL ladder.

South Fremantle's reserves bounced back from its first off the season last week against Subiaco by scoring a hard fought 7.7 (49) to 5.13 (43) victory over Claremont at the Showground.

Jesse Mirco and Jesse Musika kicked two goals apiece for South Fremantle.

Dylan Main responded to being dropped to the reserves with 31 possessions and eight marks for the Bulldogs while Jake Florenca collected 30 disposals, Jacob Martinez 22, Brandon Donaldson 20, Tom Vandeleur 19 and James Laurino 18.

The colts began the day at the Showground with the Tigers handing South Fremantle its second loss of the season, with the reigning premiers winning 11.8 (74) to 4.15 (39).

Zane Sumich kicked two of South Fremantle's four goals with Daniel Cabassi and Jarren Colpitts the other two goal scorers.

Daniel Burke gathered 22 possessions to go with eight marks and six inside-50 entries for the Bulldogs while Deng Maguang picked up 20 disposals, Abel Brown 20, Alexander Cabassi 18, Jimmy Miller 18, Kyle Russell 16 and Brodee Knight 16.

SOUTH FREMANTLE        2.2    6.6    7.10    12.13    (85)
CLAREMONT            4.3    6.3    11.4    12.5    (77)

SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Shaw, Johnson 3; Cook 2; Edwards, Kelly, Gundry, Strom.
Best: Cook, Hockey, Johnson, Higgins, McIntosh, Stewart, Shaw. 
CLAREMONT – Goals: Bradshaw 5; Cameron 2; Ledger, Hardisty, Neates, Busher, Maister.
Best: Bradshaw, Bolton, Breakey, Neates, Ledger, Lim, Beeck.