SWFL men’s: Busselton’s premiership defence all but over after loss to Donnybrook

Busselton’s South West Football League premiership defence is all but over after a 29-point loss to Donnybrook at Boyanup Oval on Saturday. A 7.15 (57) to 4.4 (28) defeat at the hands of the fifth-placed Dons leaves the Magpies two games adrift of the top five with only two games left in the regular season. Even if they win their both their remaining contests, a big gap in percentage between the reigning premiers and Donnybrook means they are highly unlikely to break into the finals mix. Meanwhile, the Dons shored up their own top-five spot with the win, maintaining their one-game and percentage gap on Carey Park. Kicking with the breeze in the opening term, the visitors slotted three goals while keeping the hosts goalless to take an 18-point lead into the first break but that was as good as it got, with the margin having the potential to be much bigger if not for some inaccurate goal-kicking from the Dons. In the absence of injured young gun Cooper Clarke-Dehring, veteran Jeffrey Smith continued a rich vein of form by kicking three goals for the winners, while Jordan Falco impressed again in his third appearance for the year. In Saturday’s other game, Carey Park kept themselves in the mix for a finals spot with a 68-point win over Eaton at Glen Huon Reserve. Celebrating veteran Rory O’Brien’s 100th game for the club, the Panthers blew the game open in the second half to run out 15.12 (102) to 5.4 (34) winners. A strong Boomers first-half effort saw them head for the main interval trailing by just six points but the visitors flexed their muscles in a 10-goal-to-none second half, with Ryan King (four goals) and Harry Jones (three) most prominent in attack. On Sunday, Harvey Bulls’ difficult back-end of the season continued with a 145-point drubbing at the hands of Augusta-Margaret River at Gloucester Park. The hosts set the tone early with a 10-goal-to-none first term and the tide did not turn from there, with the fourth-placed Hawks now only percentage behind third-placed Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault after dishing out a 25.14 (164) to 2.7 (19) thrashing to the battling visitors. Veteran Jack Hick came in with only five goals for the year but led the way for the winners with a haul of 10, while Charlie Wrigglesworth (three goals), Byron George, Kalani Brooks and Mitchell Payne (all two) provided good support. The loss is the Bulls’ third by a margin of greater than 20 goals since round 11 and fifth by more than 15 goals. The final game of the round saw Dunsborough register a 63-point win over Collie at Dunsborough Playing Fields. Without suspended coach Daniel Wiseman, the Sharks moved up to eighth spot on the ladder with a 14.9 (93) to 4.6 (30) win over the battling Eagles, who have now lost 14 games in a row.