SWFL: Bunbury’s unbeaten premiership defence rolls on with 48-point win over Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault

Bunbury’s unbeaten start to their South West Football League women’s premiership defence rolled on at Brunswick Oval on Sunday with a 48-point win over Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault. The finals-chasing Lions brought serious physical intensity from the first siren to the last but ultimately lacked the quality to match the Bulldogs, who conceded their second-lowest score of the season in a 7.9 (51) to 0.3 (3) victory. A ninth win from nine games this season extended the Bulldogs’ winning streak — which they will take beyond a year if they win their next two games — out to 16 games. Daisy Rigby extended her lead at the top of the competition’s goal-kicking charts with another four for the winners. The State Country representative’s 23 majors through nine games this season includes six games in which she has slotted three or more. Bunbury’s midfield brigade of Caitlin Ward (two goals), Kloe Bassett and Georgia Mahony dominated the on-ball battle to consistently give their forwards good looks. Young guns Zoe Roberts, Arnya Pickston and Dakota Sexton were among the best performers for an up-and-coming Lions outfit, who remain in fifth place in the wake of the result, owning a sizeable gap in percentage and two games in hand over sixth-placed Carey Park. HBL were consistently rewarded with holding the ball free kicks for bringing brilliant tackling pressure throughout the game but struggled to use them to full advantage, including one inside-50 opportunity late in the contest which summed up their day. A more experienced Bulldogs outfit had more success in moving the ball around the ground, which allowed them to capitalise on their scoring chances when they arrived. Ahead by 20 points at the main break, Bunbury added another two goals in the third term to all but make a certainty of the result and two more in the final quarter to apply the finishing touches on another good performance.