TOPIC:

SS with all these players leaving, where has this genuine pace come from, colts players?

Subi one hand on the cup.

Not so sure about that Baz. Going on yesterdays performance maybe, but we haven't played like that since the game a while back vs the tiges so who knows if and for how long we can keep that sort of form going!

If you are a subscriber to the worst checkout the S v souths write up...riveting stuff!

Agreed DG. We seem to be a bit inconsistent with terrific performances against Souths and Claremont then drop off against the likes of WCER, SD and Perth. Our best is very good but we're struggling to produce it each week like we have done in previous years.

Subiaco have turned back the clock to their glory days of last decade to strengthen their grip on the minor premiership and reinforce their best football as the league’s gold standard.

And the Lions accounted for premiers South Fremantle by 44 points without Sandover medallist Lachlan Delahunty, who will return next week after completing quarantine required from a trip to Victoria.

Controlling the tempo and airways at Leederville Oval with a total of 110 marks and 100 more possessions than their opponents, the Lions accounted for the Bulldogs yesterday with one of their most implacable and clinical displays of the past two seasons.

Scores were level at quartertime but that was as close as South Fremantle got as the home team lifted their rating on the way to their 10th win of the season.

South’s dangerous forwards Mason Shaw, Jimmy Miller and Cody Ninyette were blanketed by a remorseless defensive unit, Subiaco’s midfielders swamped their opponents and their forwards received numerous scoring opportunities only to squander a host of chances.

The 10.13 (73) to 4.5 (29) scoreline was an accurate reflection of the gap between the two most recent premiers though full-back Jordan Lockyer said the Lions still had a fair way to go to produce their most fluent football.

“Defence has been our big issue in recent games but today we made that our strong focus,” Lockyer said after keeping Shaw to one goal and no marks inside the forward 50.

“We haven’t played out best footy yet. This was a step in the right direction but we still have work to do.

“We don’t have to say much with a back seven that includes blokes like Angus Litherland and Aaron Heal but it is my job just to make sure everyone is engaged and playing their roles.”

Utility Harry Marsh (28 disposals), Greg Clark (32), wingman Chad Harris (22) and captain Leigh Kitchin (33) were principle movers in the winning team.

Fielding one of their youngest teams of the Todd Curley era, South scored just one goal in the final 75 minutes as Subiaco ensured the contest was squeezed into their own forward line.

South playmaker Haiden Schloithe spent much of the third term camped in his team’s defensive 50m zone where his main task was to repel the ball from the teeth of goals.

And Nick Suban underlined the lack of South’s attacking options when he won the ball forward of centre but, recognising the futility of attempting to outrun the pursuing Lions in the 75m between him and the goals, attempted to scuttle through a long ground ball.

The match started in keeping with the relative ladder positions while the best players on both teams also rose to the occasion.

Heal, the phlegmatic State defender, read the play superbly to claim three early contested intercept marks that stymied promising South thrusts.

His teammate Harry Marsh was dangerous in front of goals, though his kicking was astray to land three behinds from as many shots.

Chad Pearson was a pillar in South’s defence in that period, hauling in a handful of intercept marks and using his piercing kicking to get his team out of danger. The ball was in Subiaco’s scoring zone often enough for Pearson to have a game-high 17 disposals at half-time though his prolific ball-winning also sounded alarm bells for South Fremantle.

Cheers Godinoz that must be from the print version as I can't see fa online version

Yes it was. Article written by JT.

Need to put the win in perspective as Souths had 3 absolute key players out in Strom Main and Higgins. lets wait until we have played the other two flag contenders in Joondy and Cl over the next 2 weeks before JT can claim we have 1 hand on the cup. If we beat those 2 in the same manner as SF, then yes we can safely claim to be clear favourites.

The encouraging thing is that our biggest loss this year was 18 points to Souths in round 5 when we lost Walters and Powell in the first quarter. That suggests to me we can manage games pretty well and restrict any blowouts. It also indicates we're thereabouts even when missing key personnel as like the others, we've had some significant injuries as well.