SWFL 2023: South Bunbury and Donnybrook to do battle for redemption, HBL look to consolidate finals berth

They might have pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season back in round nine, but now South Bunbury face an uphill battle to make a late push for a finals berth. The Tigers are set to host Donnybrook at Hands Oval on Sunday in what will be their second-last game of the regular season. Last time the two sides met at VC Mitchell Park, South Bunbury fired back during the second quarter with two goals via Zoe Linton to take the lead, with a further goal from Mikaylah Dawson and strong defence from Kiarni Stevens, Megan Bain and Kaitlin Eades helping to seal the 3.2 (20) to 1.5 (11) win. Since recording the upset victory, South Bunbury have found themselves facing an opportunity to make a late push for the finals, sitting in sixth place on the ladder with a 6-9 record with two games to go. In order to bump Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault to take fifth place and qualify for the finals, the Tigers will need to win their last two games of the regular season. However, they will face an uphill battle to make that finals berth a reality as they face off against the Dons and then Bunbury the following weekend. Donnybrook will be determined to prove themselves as finals contenders after being held scoreless by Bunbury last weekend. While the Dons put the pressure on Bunbury at VC Mitchell Park, the undermanned side felt the effects of fatigue and facing off against a full-strength side. Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault will be looking to continue solidifying their first finals berth since 2019 when they host Collie Eagles at Brunswick Oval on Sunday. After holding off Dunsborough 4.4 (28) to 2.1 (13) last weekend, the Lions look set to return to the finals picture from fifth place with an 8-8 record for the season so far. On the other hand, Collie will look to try to lift themselves from the wooden spoon position and redeem their round 19 efforts against Eaton. Harvey Bulls will be looking to firm up a chance to host the qualifying final as they get set to take on the Dunsborough Sharks at the Dunsborough Playing Fields. The Bulls sit in prime position to host the qualifying final from second place on the ladder with a 14-2 record. While Bunbury are hot on their tail following their recent run of dominant wins, the Bulls boast a higher percentage thanks to winning most of their matches by three goals or more throughout the regular season. Although an inaugural finals berth is not up for grabs, Dunsborough will be looking to finish their second season in the SWFL women’s competition strongly. On Saturday, Eaton will be looking to end their season on a high when they venture to Kelly Park to take on Carey Park. After notching their fifth win of the season with a convincing 9.9 (63) to 0.2 (2) win over Collie last weekend, Eaton have recorded the most wins they’ve had in a single season since joining the women’s competition. While a finals berth is not on the horizon, Eaton will hope to go one better at Kelly Park. On the other hand, Carey Park will be raring to redeem their round 19 efforts against Busselton in their third home game in a row. While they brought the fight to the Magpies and kicked 2.1 during the opening quarter, the Panthers felt the effects of not having any available players on the bench and found themselves struggling to get in front of Busselton.