SWFL women’s: Reigning premiers Bunbury looking to cap off brilliant season with another grand final win

As they hunt a record-breaking fourth flag, reigning premiers Bunbury will come into the South West Football League women’s grand final as warm favourites after a brilliant back half of the season. A win in Sunday’s grand final would see the Bulldogs — who also ended the competition’s first two seasons in 2017 and 2018 as premiers — move clear of a tie with South Bunbury as the side boasting the most premierships in the competition. After having a bye in round one, the Bulldogs started their season in round two with a win in a 2023 grand final rematch, beating Busselton by 31 points on the back of a best-afield display from Kloe Bassett in the midfield and a five-goal haul from Daisy Rigby. But they had their first stumble of the season the following week, being edged out by Harvey Bulls in a two-point thriller at Harvey Oval in an early sign they would not have their premiership defence all their own way. The Bulldogs got back on track with big victories over Carey Park, Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault and Eaton, but then suffered something of a shock loss to cross-town rivals South Bunbury in round seven’s WA Day derby, with the Tigers coming into the clash having won only two of their five games. After following up with a pair of hard-fought wins over Donnybrook and Dunsborough, the next two weeks would see Bunbury send a clear message to the rest of the competition that they were the team to beat. Being bolstered by the inclusions of Ebony Bilcich and Poppy Stockwell after the conclusion of their State league duties, they smashed Collie by 108 points round 11 in one of the biggest margins of the season, with captain Sarina Tassone bagging a six-goal haul. They then followed up with a shock 91-point thrashing of the undefeated Bulls in round 12, in which Tassone slotted another five majors. After a win by forfeit over Collie in the competition’s gather round, Busselton got their long-awaited revenge over Bunbury with a 27-point win at Bovell Park. But the Bulldogs spent the last month of the season demolishing all who came before them, recording massive wins over Carey Park, Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault, South Bunbury and Donnybrook where they scored 278 points while conceding just 27. Harvey Bulls did not lose another game for the rest of the year to secure the minor premiership, leaving the Bulldogs to finish in second, ahead of Busselton on percentage. In the first qualifying final, they produced an absolutely dominant performance, setting records for the competition’s biggest score and greatest margin of victory in a 70-point thrashing of the Magpies. Their follow-up effort in the first qualifying final against Harvey Bulls was just as impressive, securing the first spot in the season decider and a week off before the big game with a dominant 41-point victory.