SWFL women’s: Busselton bounce back from qualifying final with 10-point semifinal win over South Bunbury

Busselton bounced back from their heavy defeat in the first round of the South West Football League women’s finals to advance to the preliminary final with a 10-point semifinal win over South Bunbury at Boyanup Oval on Saturday. Coming off a record-breaking 70-point thrashing in the first qualifying final, the Magpies avoided a straight-sets exit with a hard-fought 3.2 (20) to 2.1 (13) victory which keeps their campaign alive. With their season on the line, Busselton’s stars came to play — Katie-Jayne Grieve and Beth Beckett were irrepressible through the midfield and Dianna Evans led a superb defensive performance in her 50th game. The loss brings to an end a Tigers season which saw the club return to the women’s finals for the first time since their premiership win in 2021. A phenomenal late-season run saw them win nine of their final 10 games before September. Captain Kiarni Stevens capped off a brilliant season in the defeat with a standout performance at both ends of the ground, while Kaitlin Eades worked hard across half-forward. The Magpies broke the game open in the third term, kicking all three of their goals for the day. Shannon Pross slotted their first not long after the resumption of play, with Rennie Meadmore finding space to follow up in quick succession before Grieve beat multiple opponents to slot another on the stroke of the siren. Sent forward to start the final term, Stevens tightened the gap with a moment of individual brilliance, gathering a loose ball and snapping truly to give the Tigers their second goal of the day, and very nearly set up another only moments later. But the Magpies’ defence was able to hold firm, as it had for much of the day, with the Tigers’ comeback task proving too large in the spring sunshine. Looking to make an early impression after last week’s big loss, the Magpies started fast, with Grieve proving difficult to stop when the ball was there to be won. But they were not able to put their ascendancy on the scoreboard, and it was the Tigers who came up with the day’s first goal in virtually their first forward-50 entry for the day, with Abbey Bain brilliantly finishing a set shot from deep in the pocket. The second term saw something of a role reversal, with Eades prominent as South Bunbury dominated proceedings but could not find an elusive second goal. Jada Scott looked to have broken through by closing the half with a snapped effort which tumbled through the major opening, but the goal was ruled to have come after the siren had sounded.