WA Football Commission
Sharks through to Preliminary FinalThursday, August 18, 2016 - 4:12 PM
It was only a fortnight ago that South Fremantle defied the odds and came from behind in wet, stormy conditions to triumph with a win against home-town rivals East Fremantle by no more than a single goal.
Sunday afternoon’s elimination final saw the two sides meet again after the short period of time. Unlike their previous meeting, this game was no nail bitter. It was a complete display of domination and class, courtesy of the East Fremantle football club as they handed South a 78 point thumping at Dianella Open Space on Sunday afternoon, eliminating the Bulldogs from the 2016 competition.
From the first whistle the Sharks looked dangerous. Despite countless early entries inside fifty, they simply couldn’t convert on the scoreboard and missed their first seven shots on goal. Their domination never faltered, as the behinds increased, so did their charge forward.
Their goal kicking drought was eventually broken when Samara David won a holding the ball decision, quickly moved and kicked the ball directly into the arms of Jessica Wuetschner, who finally scored their first goal of the match. It was only a matter of seconds following the next centre bounce that she would run into an open goal for her second major for the game.
Larissa Bennell kept South in touch toward the end of the first quarter, marking and goaling on the line moments before siren. They carried this momentum into the second term as they kicked two unanswered goals.
The Sharks inaccuracy and failure to kick a goal in the second quarter cost them a chance at a handy lead, going into the main break only 8 points up.
Still anyone’s game, the finals atmosphere was heating up.
The feeling didn’t last long – from there on in, it started raining goals for East Fremantle.
The ball rarely saw South Fremantle’s forward fifty – the Sharks were simply too good.
The beginning of the third term saw Melissa Caulfield win a free kick from a push in the back, using the opportunity to kick the Sharks first goal since the first quarter. Moments later, Cassie Davidson followed suit with a classy mark directly in front of goal, which turned into another major. All of a sudden – the Sharks looked unstoppable, and unleashed revenge on the team that had beat them only two weeks earlier.
Wuetschner was on fire, slotting goals left, right and centre. She finished with five for the match in arguably a best on ground performance.
The Sharks finished strongly, holding up well in defence to hold South Fremantle to only two behinds after half time.
Whilst South-Fremantle’s 2016 season is now over, East Fremantle will progress into the preliminary final and hope to cause an upset against minor premiers, the Coastal Titans.
Quarter by quarter -
East Fremantle: 2.9 (21) 3.11 (29) 8.15 (63) 14.17 (101)
South Fremantle: 1.0 (6) 3.3 (21) 3.3 (21) 3.5 (23)
- Sandra Argese
