Long wait over as Claremont overcome reigning premiers

John Townsend

Claremont had to endure the longest pre-season campaign in WAFL history before extracting a portion of revenge from reigning premiers West Perth on Good Friday.

While coach Ashley Prescott was looking forward to the challenges ahead rather than back 187 days to the bitter grand final defeat, he had plenty to like in the grinding 14-point win in the season-opener.

There were the sparkling debuts from VFL recruits Teia Miles and Jack Maibaum.

There was medal magnet Jye Bolton’s outstanding start to his eighth season at the Tigers.

There was the dominant display from the emerging Jack Buller who, should he eventually find his kicking boots, could become the league’s most dangerous forward.

And most importantly, there was the clear resolve and controlled ferocity in all divisions that underpinned the low-scoring but intense 7.14 (56) to 5.12 (42) victory at Pentanet Stadium.

“Our effort was outstanding,” Prescott said after starting the season in identical fashion to last year with a tough win over the Falcons in Joondalup.

“Yes, we had opportunities to be cleaner in front of goals, but I was rapt to walk away with a win in round one against the reigning premiers on the back of hard work and effort.

“A lot of them started training within a week of the grand final and you could see in the pre-Christmas phase that they had a real desire and hunger.

“They prepared as well as an AFL club that I have seen prepare.

“They are hard core and a pleasure to coach.”

But Prescott, who is in his seventh season in two stints at the club, was adamant that last year’s grand final sharpened the team’s resolve but did nothing to change his coaching approach.

“First and foremost, it is about us executing our game style,” he said.

“It is about playing our game, sticking to the process and having 22 individuals play their roles.

“If you do that, hopefully the scoreboard will reflect in a positive light.”

The scoreboard appeared likely to reflect a substantial Claremont lead in the early part of the match with Buller proving a magnetic target in attack, Ben Edwards making an energetic contribution in the centre-square and Bolton rebounding numerous times from half-back.

But Buller only converted the first of his three strong marks in the forward 50, and sprayed several later shots after hauling in a series of contested marks.

He is being tutored by goal-kicking great Austin Robertson and a break-out game appears imminent.

Claremont moved the ball with pace and precision for much of the first half but failed to get reward for their endeavours with the last disposal into the forward 50 arc proving a stumbling block.

Wearing the No.6 that his father Geoff used for much of his 73-game Claremont career in the late 1980s, Miles quickly proved a skilful acquisition.

Stationed deep in defence where his poise and positioning allowed him to direct traffic with many of his 23 disposals, he was a stand-out feature in a nearly impervious backline.

And Maibaum did a superb shutdown job on the dangerous Tyler Keitel who escaped his clutches long enough to land one goal from several shots but could not otherwise impose himself on the match.

“One thing we have lacked a bit in defence in the last couple of years is that extra experience,” Prescott said.

“Those two have got strong bodies, cool heads, great game understanding and while we have played a lot of young players there, to bring in a couple of mature men who really know their footy is good on game day but great for the whole environment.”

Maibaum does not appear to be a player who will win a large volume of possessions but he was outstanding as a defensive stopper who confirmed why he was named in the VFL’s 2022 team of the season.

With Bolton winning a game-high 28 possessions, 24 of them kicks, and Jack Lewsey putting the clamps on Keegan Knott so effectively that the State forward barely touched the ball and was kept goal-less, Claremont were able to strangle West Perth’s potent attack.

Olly Eastland won the ruck battle while Edwards (22 disposals), Bailey Rogers (19) and Ronin O’Connor (17) were his prime beneficiaries.

Scoring goals proved unusually arduous given the strong performances of the back-line and midfield but Claremont rarely appeared vulnerable despite the small margin.

When Talon Delacey converted a speccy at the top of the goal-square just before time-on in the last term, that margin proved insurmountable.

CLAREMONT 1.6 4.8 6.11 7.14 56

WEST PERTH 0.3 2.5 4.8 5.12 42

CLAREMONT: 1: C England, J Buller, B Rogers, J Bolton, T Delacey, J Carter, R O’Connor.

GOALS – WEST PERTH: 2: M Dobson. 1: T Keitel, C Lynch, B Wilhelm.   

BEST – CLAREMONT: J Bolton, T Miles, B Edwards, J Buller, J Maibaum, J Lewsey, O Eastland.

WEST PERTH: L Meadows, C Lynch, A Black, T Hobley, S Rotham.