SWFLW 2023: Reigning women’s premiers Busselton to square off against genuine threat Bunbury

Reigning premiers Busselton and Bunbury played exceptionally well heading into the SWFL women’s finals series. And while the league leading Magpies patiently waited on Friday night at Kelly Park, the Bulldogs convincingly took care of the second-placed Harvey Bulls 8.10 (58) to 0.1 (1) in the qualifying final. Heading into Sunday’s second semifinal at VC Mitchell Park, Stephen Bilcich’s Bunbury have won seven games in a row, which included Busselton’s only defeat during the home and away campaign. It’s very much been a season of two halves for the Bulldogs. Although they looked promising and won games prior to July, the influx of returning home-grown WAFLW players to their side — Ruby Mahony, Kloe Bassett, Indiana West and Daisy Rigby — has added a noticeable element of flair and polish to their fine-tuned operation. Quite often, certain personal trademarks of a coach can be evident in their side’s play out on the ground. As was the case during his lengthy WAFL career with East Fremantle, Bilcich’s side play with a lot of passion, are team-based with their delivery and are not afraid to win the football under pressure. The same statement can be applied to Busselton under Rennie Meadmore, who has also instilled a family-like environment in her squad. A proactive communicator, Meadmore has maintained stability in her team throughout the year whenever possible due to player point constraints and has ensured no one cuts any corners. Sunday’s game will also be a landmark moment for the women’s competition when Bronwyn Walker, a foundation Bunbury women’s player, celebrates her 100th game, becoming the first player in league history to do so. On Saturday at Kelly Park, the Bulls will aim to reverse their qualifying final defeat when they take on Donnybrook in the first semifinal, who defeated Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault in the elimination final. Heavily depleted in their loss against the Bulldogs, it is understood a few household names could return for the Bulls, who have lost seven consecutive women’s finals. In an unwanted trend, the Bulls have not tasted victory in September since the 2018 preliminary final — which is the most recent campaign where they were not eliminated in straight sets.