ROUND 16 PREVIEW V SUBIACO

SOUTH Fremantle could potentially be sitting on top of the WAFL by Sunday night after taking on Subiaco at Leederville Oval that afternoon.

The Bulldogs have now strung three wins together to be in some impressive form coming into Sunday's clash with the Lions at Leederville Oval to close Round 16 of the 2021 Optus WAFL Premiership Season.

The winner of the game could end up sitting a game clear on top of the ladder after 16 rounds depending on how other results go to open the round on Saturday afternoon as well heightening the significance of the match up.

Both Subiaco and South Fremantle come into Sunday's clash at Leederville Oval with 9-3 records after 12 matches in 2021 while the Lions are only holding top spot with the Bulldogs in third thanks to percentage.

The two teams have combined to win the last three WAFL premierships as well with the Lions winning flags in 2018 and 2019 while the Bulldogs broke through to triumph in 2020.

Sunday's game also is a rematch of that 2019 Grand Final when Subiaco beat South Fremantle by 96 points, but the Bulldogs have won the last two meetings over the past two years firstly in 2020 by 50 points at Leederville Oval and earlier this season by 18 points at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle comes into Sunday's game on a three-game winning streak with wins over Perth, Claremont and Swan Districts while Subiaco has won two straight against Perth and the West Coast Eagles for both to enter the contest at 9-3.

While South Fremantle's attack is ranked higher than Subiaco's with 83.7 points a game opposed to 80.7, the Lions have just made themselves remarkably hard to score against so far in 2021.

The Lions are only conceding a league best 57.6 points a game this season but the Bulldogs are actually ranked second best in that area at 69.0 points.

South Fremantle is coming off an impressive 36-point win against Swan Districts but the Bulldogs will once again be without captain Dylan Main, premiership ruckman Brock Higgins and the versatile Ben Rioli against Subiaco on Sunday.

Zac Dent and Zac Strom also picked up injuries last week against Swans and now go out of the South Fremantle line-up this week with Kye Barker, Jaxon Bellchambers, Jarrod Salmeri, Regan Spooner, Jacob Warne and George Wessels the players added to the squad.

Subiaco is coming off a solid 20-point win over the West Coast Eagles and from that team, the Lions have added James Faraone, Ben Golding, Lachlan Henderson, Jack Mayo and Lewis Putt to their extended squad.

Jakob Atkinson is the only player to go out at this stage.

South Fremantle coach Todd Curley is looking forward to the challenge of taking on Subiaco on Sunday at Leederville Oval and to continue to give chances to new and younger players.

"We look forward to taking on Subi. Even from that game last time, we'll probably have half a dozen or more changes from the guys who were available then and they'll probably be the same. We look forward to the challenge," Curley said.

"To be honest the people thinking we're not the same team as last year are probably right, because we're not. If you look at the personnel changeover, we're not the same team but that's exciting too.

"We've had a few injuries to senior players along the way which can be a challenge, but it can also bring great opportunity for the young players that have come in. We think that opportunity will hopefully give us some more depth heading into the back half of the year."

ROUND 16 – 2021 OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON
SOUTH FREMANTLE v SUBIACO – LEEDERVILLE OVAL, SUNDAY 2.10PM

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