SWFL 2023: Carey Park and Busselton continue winning league form

Carey Park’s positive start to the 2023 SWFL season continued on Sunday after they held off Dunsborough Sharks 9.11 (65) to 9.5 (59) at Kelly Park. In a frenetic game of football, both sides had their chances throughout the afternoon, however the Panthers were able string together longer passages of productive football. The Sharks, who held Bunbury to a draw at home seven days earlier, charged out of the blocks, with Nic Reid and Cameron Dean (five goals) presenting well. Slowly but surely, the Panthers began to gain a foothold in the contest, due to the hard work of several talented youngsters. Aside from Lachlan Emmott’s tremendous dash off the half-back line, Jacob Orsi was also rock-solid in defence. Coupled by Harley and Cooper Sparks beginning to win more of the ball in the corridor, Carey Park eventually broke the game open in the final term, booting three goals in 12 minutes. Despite a late goal from Jake Green trimming the margin to five points, the Sharks were unable to land a match-winning blow in time-on, due to the Panthers’ superior clock management skills. At VC Mitchell Park, Donnybrook regained the Hickman Cup after thrashing Harvey Bulls 15.9 (99) to 6.5 (41). The Dons burst out to a 29-point lead at quarter time and didn’t look back, with Sam Bevan booting four goals. Meanwhile at Glen Huon Reserve, Bunbury had to pull out all stops to edge out Eaton, prevailing 18.8 (116) to 14.18 (102). While Eaton drew the first blood with two quick goals in the match’s early stages, Bunbury would respond with Joel Houghton leading the charge to take the lead. Although Eaton made a break for the lead during the second quarter led by an outstanding midfield performance by Gregory Humphries, dropped marks and missed set shots prevented them from catching Bunbury, who blew the lead out to three goals by half-time. The final quarter saw excitement build around the ground as Eaton began inching their way towards a stunning comeback effort. However, a late goal via Denholm King sealed their fate. Houghton booted six goals for the Bulldogs, while Jesse Gribble also played well. A night earlier at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton piled on six goals in the final term to pull away from South Bunbury 9.14 (68) to 5.6 (36) in an entertaining game.