SWFL 2022: Bunbury and Donnybrook to face off in all-important women’s preliminary final clash

A high stakes SWFL women’s preliminary final is set to have spectators on the edge of their seats as Bunbury and Donnybrook face off to book a date with Busselton.

The Bulldogs and Dons will battle for the last spot in the Optus SWFL women’s grand final in the crucial preliminary final at Payne Park on Sunday.

For Bunbury, it will an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing 2.5 (17) to 1.4 (10) semifinal loss to Busselton at Sir Stewart Bovell Park last weekend.

Throughout the regular season, the Bulldogs have proven why they have been considered one of the competition’s top dogs and a favourite to win the premiership following the withdrawal of rivals South Bunbury halfway through the season.

While Bunbury managed to sit comfortably atop the ladder with a 14-2 record, despite having two consecutive byes to finish the home and away season, the Bulldogs were left shocked when Busselton managed to defeat them in last weekend’s semifinal.

However, consistently strong performances from the likes of Indiana West, Kloe Bassett, Sarina Tassone and Abby Gellard, along with many others, will likely see Bunbury throw down the gauntlet to Donnybrook.

The Dons will be looking to continue a dream run to the grand final in their first finals berth since joining the SWFL women’s competition in 2020.

Donnybrook had a bit of a rollercoaster start to their regular season with a number of big wins and tough losses, featuring strong performances from the likes of Matilda Worsfold, Jessica Verbrugge, Taneika Handley and Fleur Parker.

During the second half of the season, Donnybrook kicked into high gear and made a charge for the finals as they capitalised on the handy additions of players such as Bethany Bond and Charli Wicksteed.

After qualifying for the finals for the first time from third place with an 11-5 record, the Dons put in a strong midfield performance during their semifinal win over the Harvey Bulls.

However, if they were to pull off a huge upset over Bunbury, the Dons will need to ensure kicking accuracy in front of goal is not a nagging issue.

Sunday’s preliminary final will be the third time the Bulldogs and the Dons meet this year, with Bunbury previously defeating Donnybrook 5.5 (35) to 1.0 (6) in round eight and 6.9 (45) to 4.4 (28) in round 20.