SWFL grand final: Bunbury coach Troy Hollands praises South Bunbury but confident in his side’s chances

Bunbury coach Troy Hollands has heaped praise on their South West Football League grand final opponents South Bunbury but believes his side is capable of toppling the Tigers’ juggernaut. The Bulldogs have tasted defeat at the hands of the Tigers three times this season, letting a lead slip late in the WA Day derby but being comfortably outclassed in both round 18’s reverse fixture and the first qualifying final. Hollands said the Tigers’ depth meant they could not focus too much on trying to shut down individuals and would have to work hard to disrupt their structures. “They’ve been the best side all year, they deserve to be red-hot favourites and we’re definitely underdogs,” he said. “They’ve got so many good players across the ground, it’s hard to focus on any individual. “We’ll rock up there and make sure we put up a really good fight.” The Bulldogs, who finished second on the ladder three wins behind the minor premiers, have endured a much longer road to the finals than their opponents, having to play in both qualifying finals and the preliminary final. Hollands admitted some of his charges were “a little bit sore” following a bruising preliminary final win over Donnybrook but said coming in battle-hardened may prove to be an advantage. “There’s probably no real answer to that question until the game on the weekend. You can look at it both ways. The result will tell the story, I suppose,” he said. “A hard-fought game on the weekend puts us in good stead to roll into a grand final with a bit of belief. Mentally, we’re in a good spot.” The competition’s leading goal-kicker Joel Houghton shapes as a critical player in the Bulldogs’ hopes of upsetting the Tigers, having kicked five goals in the narrow WA Day derby defeat but only managing one across the two clashes between the sides since. Hollands said kicking goals was not Houghton’s only role in the side and said he was confident his spearhead would deliver on the big stage. “He’s obviously been a key factor in our structure for the whole year,” he said, “Last couple of weeks ... he’s getting some opportunities, but he’s just not kicking straight. “I’m sure this weekend he’ll kick us a bag.”