SWFL 2022: Busselton finish strongly to hand Bunbury their third consecutive loss

Kicking seven goals in a final quarter against SWFL premiership contender Bunbury is anything but easy — however, achieving it against the breeze and with a setting sun in your eyes? Well, that is quite exceptional. Luckily for Busselton coach Daniel Delaney, it was his side who achieved the feat during Sunday’s 15.9 (99) to 6.8 (44) win over the Bulldogs at Sir Stewart Bovell Park. For three quarters, this contest was well and truly up for grabs. The Bulldogs, who were keen to snap a two-game losing streak, burst out of the blocks with a brilliant run and carry goal from Jett Rigby — before the Magpies began to tighten things up. Aside from Liam Creighton and Jed Kemp being able to cause damage in the Magpies forward line, the visitors were able to break even across the remainder of the ground. Easily the dual of the day was between brilliant Busselton defender Zac Pethybridge and electric Bulldogs star Patrick Farrant. Although Farrant was able to still win a lot of the ball, Pethybridge’s disciplined defending kept him quieter than usual. Trailing by 12 points at the final change, and kicking with the aid of a handy breeze to the hockey stadium end, Bunbury were tipped to finish strongly, given their competitiveness up until that point. However aside from Farrant’s behind in the opening minute, the Bulldogs were starved of goalmouth action, as the Magpies broke the game open. Delaney’s men piled on five goals in a scintillating 13-minute burst, although the final two majors in this passage of play were conceded because of uncharacteristic ill-discipline from the Bulldogs. Moments after Jethro Barraclough conceded a 100m penalty because of unsportsmanlike conduct, the Bulldogs defence conceded a 50m penalty in the goal square, after Kemp (who booted five goals) was initially due to kick from an acute angle in the left forward pocket.