SWFL women’s: Bunbury advance to grand final with 41-point qualifying final win over Harvey Bulls

Bunbury used their home ground advantage to full effect in the South West Football League women’s second qualifying final on Sunday, taking down Harvey Bulls by 41 points at Payne Park. Controversially playing the fixture at their own ground despite finishing behind the Bulls on the ladder, the reigning premiers had too much firepower for the minor premiers, claiming an 8.5 (53) to 2.0 (12) victory. The Bulldogs have now punched their ticket back to the grand final and will enjoy a break next weekend, while the Bulls have been plunged into a sudden death preliminary final against Busselton after only their second loss of the year. As they have been all season, Bunbury’s stars were the driving force behind a great performance — Daisy Rigby (three goals), Poppy Stockwell and Sarina Tassone (two) ran amok in the forward line, capitalising on the hard work of Kloe Bassett and Ebony Bilcich at the contest. Harmony Staszewski-Hose and Larissa Tartaglia battled hard in Harvey’s defence and Larissa Versaci and Rachel Wright tried hard to turn the tide in the middle, but their efforts were largely in vein. Bulls star Trinity Brown, who has been one of the competition’s best players this season, spent a large portion of the game cutting an isolated figure in a forward line which lacked supply. While largely being hemmed in their defensive half, the Bulls did start the game in strong fashion, bringing standout tackling pressure and fighting hard at stoppages. Stockwell slotted the only goal of the first term with a moment of individual brilliance, gathering cleanly under pressure on the goal line and snapping truly. The dam wall began to break in the second quarter, when the Bulldogs opened proceedings by stacking on four straight goals to put the margin beyond 30 points. But the Bulls had their best period of the day in the latter stages of the term to prove they were up for the fight, with Versaci finding space inside 50 to kick their first goal of the day and Caitlin Shales following up only moments later. Leading by 20 points at the main break, the Bulldogs gave themselves some breathing room by Rigby soccering through a major only moments after the resumption and the competition’s leading goal-kicker quickly added two more to all but seal the result. Playing mostly for pride in the final term, the Bulls were able to hold the hosts without a goal to end the day, giving them something to build on for next week. A contest largely played in good spirits did become chippier as the day wore on, with both teams largely giving as good as they got.