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Round 10 Match Report – Perth v South FremantleTuesday, June 12, 2018 - 10:53 AM - by Chris Pike
PERTH had not beaten South Fremantle since spoiling the 300-game celebration of Kris Miller but that all changed at Lathlain Park on Saturday with the Demons finishing all over the Bulldogs for a spirited six-point victory.
That last win for Perth over South Fremantle was way back in Round 2, 2014 when Miller was celebrating his 300th WAFL appearance under lights at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.
Perth produced a stunning comeback from 44 points down that night to score a stirring win. It didn't quite spark a rise up the ladder the Demons were hoping then, but they will be hoping to build on the momentum from Saturday's performance now.
South Fremantle looked to have the game won leading by 20 points when Mason Shaw kicked his sixth goal at the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
But Perth took advantage of a tiring South Fremantle coming off the five-day break to kick the game's last four goals and claim the uplifting 15.8 (98) to 14.8 (92) victory.
It snapped an eight-game losing run against South Fremantle for Perth and was also their first victory against the Bulldogs at Lathlain Park since Round 24, 2013.
Lachlan Dennis has always looked capable of being a handy forward option as a mid-size target for Perth since arriving in 2015 after a couple of years out of the WAFL system having started at East Fremantle's colts.
Without Spencer White and Sam Garstone, he's had to play taller and he delivered a career-best showing on Saturday kicking five goals from 12 kicks, four marks and four tackles.
It was his coolness under pressure to never look like missing his set shots that was most impressive but he had still only kicked 14 goals in 25 games previously.
Anton Scotney also kicked two important goals for Perth either side of half-time while the Demons had another eight individual goal scorers.
Captain Clint Jones worked tirelessly for the Demons against his former team with 32 possessions, seven inside 50s and six marks while Brant Colledge continued his strong form with 29 disposals, five inside 50s and a goal.
Corey Yeo also finished with 26 possessions, Laine Wilkins 18, Corey Byrne 17 and Mitch Browne 17 while Mitch Henderson also had it 17 times while doing while restricting reigning Sandover Medallist Haiden Schloithe to 13 touches.
The presence of Michael Sinclair (22 possessions, 10 marks) and Devin McFarlane (21 disposals, nine marks, five tackles) down back was significant especially with the experience and kicking skills to set up play.
Ben Giobbi was also impressively keeping South Fremantle's Blaine Johnson goalless for a fourth consecutive week while having 17 possessions himself.
Mason Shaw had previously kicked five goals in a game on five occasions, including twice against Perth, but he had a career-best performance on Saturday with South Fremantle desperately needing him with Ben Saunders still out injured and Blaine Johnson goalless for a fourth consecutive week.
Shaw finished the afternoon kicking six goals from seven kicks and five marks.
Matthew Parker also kicked three goals for the Bulldogs and Cory Dell'Olio two.
Brock Higgins did a power of work again in the ruck for South Fremantle finishing with 17 possessions, 44 hit outs, four tackles and three marks.
Marlion Pickett continued his stunning form as a midfielder for the Bulldogs with 27 possessions, seven inside-50 entries and four marks while Dylan Main (26 touches, eight marks) and Shane Hockey (22 disposals) made strong returns after missing the WA Day Foundation Derby win.
Ryan Cook also had 23 touches and 13 marks for South Fremantle while Nick Suban finished with 21 possessions and six tackles, Steven Edwards 19 disposals and Shaun Bewick 17.
Jason Maskos made a strong return to the league side doing a good job keeping Perth's leading goalkicker from 2017, Cody Ninyette, goalless while having 16 possessions and five tackles himself.
South Fremantle had won the last eight games against Perth and things started in ominous fashion to start the game on Saturday at Lathlain Park with two quick goals to Mason Shaw and Matthew Parker.
Lachlan Dennis began his career-best afternoon with two quick goals for Perth but the Bulldogs responded with Parker and Shaw kicking their second goals respectively for the first time and their side was up by 20 points at quarter-time.
It took less than two minutes for Perth to start the second quarter with a good goal on the run from defender Michael Sinclair who had run off Shaw. Daniel Horan soon kicked a good goal too with the second kick of his career on debut before South Fremantle responded through Cory Dell'Olio.
But the Demons had picked up the momentum and finished the second quarter with goals to Dennis, Blake Johnson, Michael Bennell and Anton Scotney to hold an 11-point lead at the long break.
Perth then extended that advantage to 23 points with goals in the opening 10 minutes of the third quarter to Scotney and Corey Byrne. But South Fremantle was always going to hit back and the Bulldogs did so in stunning fashion with five goals in less than eight minutes.
It started with a third goal to Shaw for the day and he soon added a fourth and fifth forcing Perth to move Mitch Lague onto him. Shane Hockey and Dell'Olio added goals too for the Bulldogs and they led by seven points, and still by two at three quarter-time despite a Demons goal to Brant Colledge.
A third goal to Parker, another to Jacob Dragovich and then a sixth to Shaw put South Fremantle up by 20 points five minutes into the last quarter and they appeared set for a ninth consecutive victory against Perth.
But with the Bulldogs tiring off the five-day break and Perth an inspired outfit, they dominated the game's last 20 minutes and kicked the last four goals with Dennis adding two of them, and one each to Laine Wilkins and Kristian Cary to claim the six-point win.
South Fremantle proved too strong in the reserves contest against Perth at Lathlain Park on Saturday with the Bulldogs beating the Demons 11.14 (80) to 5.5 (35).
After an even opening quarter, South Fremantle kicked away in the second quarter with three goals to one to lead by 14 points at half-time.
The Bulldogs added another three goals to two in the third term and then three goals to nil in the last quarter to claim the 45-point victory.
Zane Sumich kicked three goals for South Fremantle and Jacob Warne two from seven kicks.
Jake Florenca racked up 27 possessions for the Bulldogs, Adam McIntosh 26 (seven marks, seven inside 50s), Josh Collard 21, Andre Coutinho 19, Daniel Burke 18, Caleb Datson 18 and Zac De San Miguel 18 along with six marks, six tackles and six inside-50 entries.
Blair Della Franca finished with 14 disposals, 38 hit outs, five tackles, four marks and four inside 50s in the ruck.
Marshall Jones was Perth's only multiple goal scorer kicking two of the Demons' five goals.
Kurtis Chester gathered 26 possessions for Perth, Brent Edmonds 21, Jake Schleicher 19, Lennon Marlin 18 and Taran Etto 16 to go with 10 tackles and a goal.
Perth will be back to Lathlain Park this Saturday and has a good chance to make it consecutive wins hosting the bottom placed East Fremantle in the Channel 7 broadcast game from 2.40pm.
South Fremantle returns home to Fremantle Community Bank Oval this Saturday to play Peel Thunder for the first time in 2018.
PERTH 2.1 8.4 11.5 15.8 (98)
SOUTH FREMANTLE 5.3 6.5 11.7 14.8 (92)
PERTH – Goals: Dennis 5; Scotney 2; Wilkins, Byrne, Sinclair, Colledge, Cary, Horan, Johnson, Bennell.
Best: Colledge, Dennis, Jones, Yeo, Giobbi, Sinclair, McFarlane, Henderson.
SOUTH FREMANTLE – Goals: Shaw 6; Parker 3; Dell'Olio 2; Dragovich, Hockey, Main.
Best: Pickett, Main, Higgins, Shaw, Maskos, Cook, Suban, Edwards.
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