SWFL women’s: Bunbury maintain third spot with 45-point win over South Bunbury

Bunbury ended South Bunbury’s South West Football League women’s eight-game winning streak at Hands Oval on Sunday, beating the Tigers by 45 points. In a clash to all but determine which of the sides would secure a double chance in the finals by finishing in third spot, the reigning premiers were far too good for the fourth-placed Tigers, running out 7.10 (52) to 0.7 (7) winners. Two of Bunbury’s brightest stars produced brilliant performances to drive the Bulldogs over the line, with Kloe Bassett unstoppable at the contest and Poppy Stockwell brilliant in the forward line. Megan Bain and Zoe Huggett were the best performers for the Tigers, who were better value for their performance than the scoreboard suggested. Both teams scored only one behind each in the first term but it was evident they had come to play, with quality on display with the ball pinging freely around the wide expanses of Hands Oval. The Bulldogs started the game strongly, hemming the Tigers inside their own half for much of the first term, but were not able to put their ascendancy on the scoreboard, with the final kick of their offensive chains proving troublesome. Stockwell got to work in the second term, showing off her speed and evasive skills and pinpointing her teammates with several inside-50 kicks after working into space. But the Bulldogs still struggled to capitalise on their chances, coming up with only five behinds in the quarter to take a four-point lead into half-time. The hosts finally got their first goal of the day not long into the second half and it came in fortuitous fashion, with a set shot from Daisy Rigby falling short but bouncing at a right angle and evading all Tigers on the goal-line. A first major from the competition’s leading goal-scorer proved to be the opening of the floodgates, with Caitlin Ward quickly following up on the run and Stockwell kicking a goal herself to grow the gap out to 31 points at the final break. Coming into the last quarter with only four goals from their 14 scoring shots, the winners ensured the scoreboard looked more balanced by ending the day with three straight goals, including one each for midfield running mates Bassett and Ebony Bilcich.