Slow start proves costly

By Ken Casellas

The Claremont reserves side paid a heavy price for a slow and desultory start to the elimination final at Leederville Oval on Sunday when East Fremantle’s players were switched on and were far more cohesive and purposeful in the opening quarter.

After two forced behinds to the Sharks in the opening minutes, they steamrolled the Tigers when they scored seven goals straight to go into the quarter-time break with a 38-point lead, 7.2 to 1.0, with Claremont’s only score being a goal to centreman Finn Moloney at the 20-minute mark after receiving a free-kick and a 50-metre penalty.

Claremont fought back gamely for the rest of the match and outscored the opposition 9.3 to 4.8 to lose by 13 points.

The Tigers are never in the mood to offer excuses for defeats, but it was a mountain of injuries that did not help their cause, with nine players who had been influential in the past two months unavailable --- Mitch Barron, Steve Miller, Dylan Mulligan, Timm House, Morgan Davies, Max Mumme, Sam Gilbey, Logan Guelfi and Rohan MacNeill on the sidelines.

Several Claremont players failed to gain a kick or a handpass in the first quarter before they lifted themselves and were far more purposeful in the second term when they had the use of a strong and swirling breeze.

Rover Joel Western, Claremont’s best performer in the first quarter, gained the clearance at the opening throw-up in the second stanza, and winger Anthony Treacy and half-forward flanker Felix Rogers combined to drive the side forward, with Menno Inverarity gaining possession in the right pocket and spearing a pass to Luke Brown, who booted his side’s first goal.

East Fremantle struggled against the breeze and managed only one point (to Matt Williamson) for the quarter, while the Tigers added two more majors for the term, with Corey Mitchell and Treacy the beneficiaries of free-kicks.

The Sharks led, 7.3 to 4.1 at half-time and they had the advantage of the stiff breeze in the third term. Claremont coach Darren Harper wisely switched two of the side’s tallest players, centre-half-forward Brown and wingman Ben Clarke, into defence in a bid to stem the side.

These were extremely successful moves, with Brown and Clarke taking several marks deep in defence to foil the Sharks. And Campbell Rogers and Sean Williams were strong and unyielding on the last line of defence.

East Fremantle were restricted to two goals for the quarter while Claremont’s 4.2 for the quarter left the side only eight points in arrears at three-quarter time. Claremont’s goals came from Treacy, Nic Langsford, Max Willson and Coen Jackman.

Rain tumbled down at the start of the final quarter and each side added two goals, with Claremont’s coming from Treacy from the left pocket and Felix Rogers from a long-range snap.

Western produced an outstanding four-quarter effort of three marks, 20 kicks, seven handpasses, three tackles and four clearances. .

Details:

East Fremantle 11.10 (76) beat Claremont 10.3 (63)

Scorers---EAST FREMANTLE: L. Yeo 3.1; L. Burrows 2.0; E. Paholski, T. Wallis 1.1; J. Davis, C. Holmes, E. Simpson, C. Wood 1.0: M. Williamson 0.2; A. Ball, J. Ritchie 0.1; 3pts forced. CLAREMONT: A. Treacy 3.0; L. Brown, C. Jackman, N. Langsford, C. Mitchell, F. Moloney, F. Rogers, M. Willson 1.0; J. Burton, H. Ravenhill, R. Williams-Jolley 0.1.

Best---EAST FREMANTLE: C. Holmes, E. Simpson, E. Burrows, R. Lester-Smith, M. Williamson, M. Murphy, L. Blakiston, S. Collins. CLAREMONT: J. Western, B. Clarke, A. Treacy, L. Brown, C. Rogers, F. Rogers, F. Moloney, B. Bennett.