Last time we met: South Fremantle and Swan Districts

ROUND 11 OPTUS WAFL 2019 PREMIERSHIP SEASON

SOUTH FREMANTLE 8.6 (54) lost to SUBIACO 13.9 (87)

Statements were certainly made in Round 11 of the WAFL on Saturday with Subiaco proving its dominance in the wet in the top-of-the-table clash with South Fremantle.

Subiaco's experience and big bodies held them in good stead once more in the wet conditions on the Saturday as the Lions moved clear on top of the WAFL ladder with a 33-point victory over South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

It was the most anticipated WAFL match of the season on Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval with the Bulldogs and Lions both coming into the contest on 8-1 records with top position on the line.

Add in the fact that South Fremantle had beaten Subiaco back in Round 6 at Leederville Oval to be the only team to manage to beat the Lions since the 2017 Grand Final, and there was plenty to look out for when the teams came together once more.

It would be their only meeting ahead of a potential finals clash and it was Subiaco who handled the wet weather the better from the outset and that proved the difference in the contest.

With a strong core of senior, experienced players built for the wet conditions and having already had good practice in torrential rain two weeks earlier against Perth where they held the Demons to one goal, the Lions were cleaner with the ball and stronger at the contest to set up the commanding win.

South Fremantle did actually start encouragingly with the opening goal of the contest through Brandon Donaldson courtesy of a free-kick. But from there, Subiaco six-gamer Jack Beverley kicked two goals in the space of five minutes to give the Lions a lead they would never again surrender.

Tom Edwards-Baldwin added another major before quarter-time to see Subiaco go into quarter-time leading by 13 points.

It took little more than a minute for Subiaco to add a fourth goal through Ryan Borchet to open the second quarter too. When Borchet added a second, the lead grew to 24 points before South Fremantle captain Dylan Main did get one back for the home side.

The rain then picked up further steam at half-time and the deluge made any chance of a South Fremantle comeback after the break all the more challenging. 

But South Fremantle did pick up some momentum for the first time in the game with goals to Haiden Schloithe, Mason Shaw and then Main to close to within 16 points midway through the third term.

It appeared that the game was on, but Subiaco showed its quality with a stunning run leading into three quarter-time with goals to Max Walters, Clancy Wheeler, Hayden Kennedy, Lachlan Delahunty and Simon Moore to lead by 46 points at the last change.

South Fremantle did have the better of the last term and kicked three goals to one but that only cut Subiaco's eventual win to 13.9 (87) to 8.6 (54).

The win took Subiaco a game and percentage clear on top of the WAFL ladder with a 9-1 record while South Fremantle remains second at 8-2, a game and percentage ahead of the third place Claremont. 

Ryan Borchet was an impressive target up forward despite the conditions for Subiaco kicking thee goals with Jack Beverley booting those couple in the opening quarter.

Subiaco's midfield was tremendous led by former captain Kyal Horsley with Ben Newton also prolific on the wing while Lachlan Delahunty had another strong afternoon despite the conditions hardly suiting a big man. He was instrumental both up forward an in stints in the ruck.

The Lions' defence was also superb led by Angus Litherland who kept the blanket on Kade Stewart while collecting plenty of the ball himself. Jordan Lockyer also shut down the on-fire Mason Shaw while Michael Braut played likely the best game of his 16-game WAFL career.

Hayden Kennedy also did well keeping Brandon Donaldson in check and Drew Rohde did the same with Andrew Haydon.

ROUND 11 OPTUS WAFLW PREMIERSHIP SEASON

SUBIACO 6.6 (42) defeated SWAN DISTRICTS 6.5 (41)

Round 11 in the 2019 Optus WAFL Premiership Season began with Swan Districts and Subiaco doing battle for the second time in three weeks.

Back in the previus encounter, Swans scored the upset over the Lions at Steel Blue Oval but this time around at Leederville Oval, it was Subiaco who hit back but only by the narrowest of margins with the 6.6 (42) to 6.5 (41) victory.

Swan Districts dominated the second half in Saturday's WAFL Women's contest at Leederville Oval but fell agonisingly short of a second consecutive win against the league-leading Subiaco.

Swan Districts did defeat Subiaco three weeks ago in their last appearance in the 2019 Optus WAFLW Premiership Season with Swans having the bye in Round 10 and then with the general break for the State Game against Queensland.

Subiaco had bounced back from that loss to Swan Districts prior to the State Game with a big win over Peel Thunder, but Swans were still trying to back up the performance only this time doing so at Leederville Oval.

The two teams had two scoring shots apiece in the opening quarter but Subiaco took their chances better with two goals to one.

The Lions then kicked away in the second term holding Swans to just the one behind while kicking three goals themselves to be in control at the major break leading by 24 points.

But Swans weren’t going to lie down without a fight back and kicked two goals to one in the third quarter to close the gap to 21 points at three quarter-time.

It was then all the black-and-whites in the fourth term as Swan Districts kicked three goals to one behind from Subiaco but the Lions just hung on for the nail-biting 6.6 (42) to 6.5 (41) victory.

McKenzie Dowrick and Beatrice Devlyn finished up kicking two goals apiece for Subiaco.