WAFL 2023 Season Preview – South FremantleFriday, March 31, 2023 - 5:05 PM - by Chris Pike

SOUTH Fremantle has some natural and enforced challenges to overcome entering the 2023 WAFL season, but coach Todd Curley remains optimistic the Bulldogs can be around the mark and play finals for an eighth consecutive season.

South Fremantle finished fourth at the end of the 2022 home and away season before losing the elimination final at home to Peel Thunder in what was their seventh consecutive finals appearance.

It turned out to be their earliest exit in finals during those seven years as well with the stretch including winning a premiership in 2020, making Grand Finals in 2019 and 2021, and then playing in three consecutive preliminary finals in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

By the end of last season, South Fremantle lost premiership heroes Haiden Schloithe, Mason Shaw, Nick Suban and Steve Verrier to retirement with reigning WAFL Team of the Year ruckman Hamish Free drafted to North Melbourne.

It's not all bad news on the personnel front at South Fremantle, though, with the recruitment of Jordan Gallucci and Jackson Broadbent while 2020 premiership pair Brock Higgins and Jacob Dragovich have returned.

South Fremantle was then last month thrown an unexpected curve ball when fined and struck eight premiership points for the 2023 season over a salary cap breach, but now entering his ninth season in charge, Curley is looking forward to their prospects nonetheless.

"It's a new year and it's the first time that we've had that much time after finishing that early, so that's been a bonus for us," Curley told SEN WA.

"We had very few, if any, post-season operations where I think the year before we had about five or six so the majority of the squad has been able to train from the start. 

"It's been a bit of a different summer I guess with an exhibition game that we played up in Darwin back in January, but the guys have enjoyed it. They've trained really well and like all clubs at this time of the year, we're pretty keen to get into it and start the season."

The loss of the four premiership stars in Schloithe, Shaw, Suban and Verrier is significant for South Fremantle, but Curley is looking forward to the increased opportunities it will provide.

That's not only for young players, but the midfield can now see the likes of Jake Florenca, Tom Blechynden and recruit Gallucci take full ownership as the new leaders in that area.

"They've been fantastic players for a long time, there's no doubt about that, and Haiden won our fairest and best last year so was still in fantastic form," Curley said. 

"And Mase has been a fantastic player. He had a lot of injury problems as a junior but hardly missed a game with us until he struggled a bit last year with getting his body right. 

"They will obviously be missed but it will give an opportunity to some new players, and midfielders we are pretty keen to continue to develop. 

"Jake Florenca will be fit and available, and there's a few others like Tom Blechynden who has played as a mid and is a premiership player with us, but he's had a great summer and it looks like he will go to a new level hopefully. 

"Then we've obviously got Jordan Gallucci who has come across and fitted in really well. He's a pretty silky player and he'll play through the midfield. 

"You can never replace those sort of guys in terms of the people they are and the relationships they had at the footy club, but it gives opportunity for other players who maybe haven’t been able to play those kind of rules in the past. 

"They can now step up and be their own people and forge their own careers so we're really excited and looking forward to seeing that happen."

With the retirement of Higgins at the end of 2021 and then the loss of Free to the AFL system after 2022, South Fremantle's ruck stocks were looking decidedly thin entering the 2023 season.

That's why the Bulldogs were so keen to secure the services of Peel Thunder colts premiership ruckman Jackson Broadbent. Curley is now looking forward to what he is able to do at league level as an 18-year-old while Higgins has returned to help him out.

"With Jackson, his name came up straight away when we lost Hamish having just Solomon James as our sole ruckman who had never played at that stage," Curley said.

"We think it's a great opportunity for Jackson and for us bringing him in, and at that time we were having some chats with Brock as well about the potential of him coming back. The discussion was more about coming back as a ruck coach and then train, and just see what happens. 

"Obviously it will be ideal to have Brock around and he'll be able to help Jackson as well, and he has just become a dad as well so he is going to have a fair bit on his plate this year. The expectation has never been for him to come in and play every game for us, and every minute like he did previously. 

"We think that at times we can certainly play two ruckmen so we'll see how it all pans out. Jackson has only turned 18 in December last year so we won't rush him to get ready for Round 1, but when he's ready to play we'll roll him out. 

"It's really exciting for us and for him, and the beauty for him is that he has some real forward craft too which certainly helps as well as what he can do in the ruck."

South Fremantle now begins its 2023 season on Saturday against the West Coast Eagles at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, and Curley can't wait to get things underway.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what our young players can do, but also our experienced boys coming back and I know they are desperate to get back and firstly qualify for finals, and play deep into September," Curley said.

"We're looking forward to getting it all started and it's a good time of the year, but coaches like the players are eager to start playing the proper games and we'll see how we go. Really every club would have realistic expectations and intentions to qualify, and play finals footy. 

"It was certainly super tight last year and there was half a game between top and fourth which is where we finished. Some clubs will jump and some may fall away, but I think it will be pretty tight again."