By Dan Scamozzi

An inaccurate and wounded Claremont suffered a frustrating 14-point defeat against Perth at Lathlain Park in round five, in a game where the Tigers were reduced to 20 fit players by quarter-time.

Defender Lachie Martinis was knocked unconscious during a tackle in the opening term before play was stopped for more than 10 minutes as the in-form Tiger was taken from the field on a stretcher and to hospital via ambulance.

The versatile Oliver Eastland took no further part in the game after quarter-time after being concussed during the opening term, as a more efficient Perth prevailed 8.9 (57) to 5.13 (43).

Despite recording 19 more inside 50s and one more scoring shot than the Demons, the Tigers were inefficient going forward and lacked composure as they often bombed the ball long to an outnumbered Tom Lee (five marks, one goal).

This allowed Perth’s full-back Clayton Giblett and intercept defender Michael Sinclair (eight marks) to repel the Tigers, while the visitors were wasteful with their set shots.

However, there was one big positive for the Tigers, with the smooth and exciting Anthony Treacy producing an eye-catching debut which included 17 disposals, five inside 50s and a team-high two goals.

Meanwhile, robust defender Bailey Rogers (24 disposals, five inside 50s) continued his splendid and consistent form as he blanketed Perth’s Matt Rogers (eight disposals, one goal) to finish as Claremont’s best player, and was ably supported by the ever-reliable Anton Hamp, who restricted Sam Garstone to four disposals and one goal.

Hardworking forward Jordan Law continued his promising form as he applied pressure in the front half, while midfielder Jye Bolton recorded game-high tallies of 31 disposals and six inside 50s, and also provided support to ruckman Jeremy Goddard (game-high 53 hit-outs) in the absence of Eastland.

Bolton and Rogers tied for the players’ player award.

Tom Ledger and Treacy were rewarded for their solid form in the Reserves as they replaced injured duo Alec Waterman (ribs/lung) and Bailey Bennett (finger) in the team, as co-captain Ian Richardson elected to kick to the southern end of the ground in the opening term.

A goal from Cody Ninyette gave the Demons an early lead, before Treacy produced a burst of speed towards the forward pocket before gathering the ball and evading a pack of players and brilliantly finishing with the outside of his boot.

Play was then delayed as Martinis was attended to and stretchered from the field, before Perth’s Michael Bennell kicked the first of his four goals.

A great chase and tackle from Tyron Smallwood emphasised the Tigers’ appetite for the contest, before Garstone gave the Demons consecutive goals.

A desperate smother from Richardson followed, before the Demons took a seven-point lead into quarter-time.

The Tigers recorded eight more contested disposals, six more clearances and 14 more inside 50s than the Demons in the opening term but could only manage a wasteful return of 1.5, as coach Darren Harris implored the team not to get out-marked inside 50m and assigned Callan England the role of negating Sinclair.

Bolton made the Demons pay early in the second term when he split the middle from the pocket after being awarded a free kick, before Bennell kicked his second goal for the hosts.

Ferocious tackles from Declan Mountford and Jack Beeck resulted in free kicks for the Tigers, before Richardson kicked truly after the team kept the ball moving forward by any means possible.

This levelled the scores at the end of the first half, before the Demons kicked the only two goals of the third term to take a 15-point lead at the final change.

Harris implored the Tigers to gather their composure, before Richardson set Lee up for the team’s fourth goal in the early stages of the final term.

Bennell then made the Tigers pay for an errant kick across goal with his fourth major, after the Tigers had dominated the opening 15 minutes of the final term but didn’t convert their shots at goal.

A crumbing goal from Treacy gave the Tigers hope and pulled the margin back to nine points just before time-on, however, a late goal from Perth’s Brent Edmonds snuffed out any chance of a late comeback.

The Tigers will aim to end their two-game losing streak when they host Peel Thunder at Claremont Oval in round six on Saturday week.

CLAREMONT 1.5 3.8 3.11 5.13 (43)

PERTH 3.0 4.2 6.8 8.9 (57)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 2 A. Treacy, 1 T. Lee, I. Richardson, J. Bolton.

PERTH: 4 M. Bennell, 1 C. Ninyette, M. Rogers, B. Edmonds, S. Garstone.

BEST

CLAREMONT: B. Rogers, A. Hamp, A. Treacy, J. Law.

PERTH: C. Giblett, M. Sinclair, C. Byrne, M. Bennell, C. Jones, C. Eyres.