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Lions lead league with Dogs defeat

Lions lead WAFL with Dogs demolition

Subiaco moved to the top of the WAFL premiership ladder after crushing South Fremantle by 89 points at Fremantle Oval today.

The Lions had been league leaders after the first two rounds, only to relinquish top spot to the Bulldogs in the next round after losing to East Perth by 64 points.

South Fremantle re-claimed top spot when outpointing Claremont by 38 points on the same day.

Midfielder Brett Mahoney, forwards Shane Yarran and Brad Stevenson and veteran defender Darren Rumble were shining lights in Subiaco’s 24.13 (157) to 10.8 (68) victory.

Yarran, returning after a one-week suspension, and Stevenson each finished with six goals in masterful displays.

Considered unlucky not to be drafted last year, Yarran booted one goal in the first quarter, two in the second, another in the third and added two more in the final stanza as the Lions raced away for an emphatic victory.

Both teams started slowly in the warm conditions.

Subiaco’s James Garcia’s broke the dead-lock with a goal at the eight-minute mark of the first quarter, the first score of the match.

The teams exchanged goals from that point, Tim Kelly’s straight kick at the 21-minute mark the last scores of the term to reduce Subiaco’s lead to one point at the first change.

Tall utility player James Sellar gave South Fremantle the lead in the opening minutes of the second stanza, the former Adelaide and Melbourne squad member snapping the ball cleverly from the outside of hid right foot.

Subiaco responded with the next four goals, two to Yarran who broke clear of opponent Adam McIntosh

The Lions had opened up a 20-point ascendancy at half time and stretched that to 29 after Clancy Wheeler marked and kicked accurately three minutes into the third quarter.

South Fremantle won both minor grades, taking out the colts 14.11 (95) to 5.7 (37) and the reserves 16.11 (107) to 11.7 (73)

Traye Bennell, dropped from the Bulldogs league side, responded with 20 possessions, seven marks, three tackles, six inside 50s and two goals.

SUBIACO

4.2

8.6

14.9

24.13

157

SOUTH FREMANTLE

4.1

5.4

7.4

10.8

68

GOALS – SUBIACO: Stevenson, Yarran 6; Waters 4; Kitchin, Moore, Wheeler, Robinson, Daniels, Mahoney, Fetherstonhaugh, Garcia. SOUTH FREMANTLE: Saunders 3; Dell’Olio 2; Kelly, Sgherza, Sellar, B Verrier, Pullman.

BEST – SUBIACO: Yarran, Mahoney, Rumble, Stevenson, Robinson, Twomey, Waters. SOUTH FREMANTLE: A Hams, Higgins, B Verrier, Pickett, Guglielmana, Wilson.
UMPIRES: J Wright, A Martin, P Pitchers.
CROWD: 2500 (approx) at Fremantle Oval.