SWFL women’s: Bunbury win back-to-back premierships with 27-point grand final victory over Busselton

Bunbury claimed their second consecutive South West Football League women’s premiership with a 27-point grand final victory over Busselton at Hands Oval on Sunday. In front of more than 2000 fans on a day which saw the ground’s new multi-million dollar grandstand building opened to the public, the Bulldogs ultimately had too much quality for the Magpies, riding a dominant second half to a 6.12 (48) to 3.3 (21) victory. The 2022 and 2023 grand finals between the two sides produced absolute thrillers and this year’s season decider looked to be poised similarly with the two teams separated by only one point at the main break, but the winners were able to extend their lead out to 16 points with a three-goal to one third term and hold the Magpies scoreless in the last to seal the flag. Bunbury’s fourth women’s premiership means they now stand alone as the most successful side in the eight-year history of the competition, moving one clear of three-time premiers South Bunbury. Star Bulldog Poppy Stockwell — who joined the club in mid-season from South Fremantle after the conclusion of their WAFLW season — put an exclamation point on her brilliant season by winning the Tronox Medal for the best player afield with a four-goal performance. Kloe Bassett was strong at the contest and Melinda Bobby was solid across half-back for the winners as part of a brilliant team effort in which every player played their part. For the Magpies, star midfielder Beth Beckett got forward to kick two goals and her running mate Katie-Jayne Grieve battled hard at the contest, while Dianna Evans stood tall in defence and Kate Fielding dominated the ruck battle. The old adage that premierships are won in the third term proved true for Bunbury, who responded to a brilliant Havana Milner solo goal borne of some hard running which saw the Magpies reclaim the lead by kicking three of their own. After the Bulldogs knocked on the door for several minutes, Stockwell showed her quality by punching home a set shot from nearly 40m out to put them back in front. The pressure of several deep forward-50 entries began to tell on the Magpies as the term wore on, shown by Phoebe Harris tackling Daisy Rigby without the ball at the top of the goal-square, allowing the competition’s leading goal-kicker to slot her second major of the game. Going deep into attack again late in the term, Stockwell was able to gather a Rigby set shot punched off the goal-line and roll home another goal to give Bunbury a 16-point buffer at the final break. Having kicked only three goals for the day, the Magpies faced the tall task of needing to kick at least three in the final term to win the game and could not do so. But the Bulldogs were not able to completely seal the result, opening the quarter with five straight behinds, until Stockwell slotted another long-range set shot to kick-start the celebrations. The opening stages of the game were dominated by the Magpies, with their intent made clear early by a big tackle from Fielding on Bassett. They were awarded for their ascendancy when Beckett kicked the first goal of the day, finishing off a slick end-to-end transition which featured a brilliant show of evasive skills from Rennie Meadmore on the wing. Stockwell then began to get to work, winning clearances to tee up scoring opportunities for captain Sarina Tassone and Daisy Rigby while having a snap on goal herself, but all three only produced behinds. The Magpies nearly pinched a late goal after transferring the ball from their back half into their attacking 50 but were denied by a succession of cruel bounces, holding a four-point quarter-time lead. Stockwell slotted the Bulldogs’ first goal of the day at the top of the second term with a brilliant snap, working with the tightest of angles while running towards the boundary, and a follow-up from Rigby further extended their lead. But the Magpies, who largely bossed proceedings in the quarter as Grieve got to work in the clinches, were able to pull the margin back before half-time through Beckett, who dodged a would-be tackler and snapped truly from the pocket for her second goal. Meadmore missed a golden chance to take the lead back in the closing stages of the first half, outdoing Bobby in a one-on-one contest in front of goals but playing on and pulling her kick to the near side.