Boxwood Hills/Scotch College schoolboy Isaac Baum made a triumphant return to action after a 14-week absence when he enlivened Claremont’s forward lines and played a significant role in the side’s convincing 60-point victory over Subiaco in the preliminary final at Claremont Oval on Sunday morning.

The contest was in the balance when Subiaco started the third quarter 14 points behind, but with the use of a fresh breeze. It was then that the 17-year-old Baum imposed himself on the match with a spirited display as a small forward.

He made position cleverly, led astutely and was a dominant performer in the third term during which he took five marks, had four kicks and made three effective handpasses. He was missing from Claremont’s previous ten matches, due to PSA football commitments, and was making only his fifth appearance in colts ranks.

His previous appearance for the Tigers was at Joondalup in round ten on June 8 when he kicked four of his side’s eight goals and in a hard-fought seven-point victory over West Perth.

It was largely due to Darcy Cameron’s dominance in the ruck duels, the continued brilliance of midfielders Alec Waterman, Jared Hardisty and Jordan Law and Baum’s influence in attack that the Tigers, against the breeze, outscored Subiaco by two points in the third quarter before romping away in the final quarter when they added 7.3 and restricted the Lions to a solitary behind.

Waterman and Hardisty, 17-year-old left-footers, and Law, an 18-year-old right-footer, were outstanding and should take plenty of stopping when the Tigers tackle the talented South Fremantle side in the grand final at Subiaco Oval next Sunday morning.

Waterman took eight marks, had 21 kicks and made 12 effective handpasses. Her also finished with a match-high tally of seven clearances from stoppages and drove the ball inside his side’s 50m attacking zone five times.

Hardisty took five marks, had 11 kicks, made nine effective handpasses as well as applying six tackles and having four inside 50s. Law’s figures were three marks, 13 kicks, six clearances and six inside 50s. Cameron took 13 marks, had 17 kicks, and made seven effective handpasses and 15 ruck knocks. He also had five clearances and five inside 50s.

The Maroons made a flying start with the wind when ruckman Adam Creeper received a free-kick and kicked a goal two minutes after the opening bounce. But the Tigers fought back quickly with half-back flanker Max Bentley and Ryan Lim combining to get the ball forward where excellent pressure by centre-half-forward Ben Higgs and Baum enabled Jack Carruthers to snap a goal.

Subiaco then booted two goals in rapid succession before the Tigers stemmed the flow. Thirteen minutes passed before the next goal, and this came after half-forward Francis Watson applied a strong tackle and earned a free-kick at left half-forward. Then handpasses from Jack Beeck and Law enabled Waterman to boot a major.

Ninety seconds later the lively Watson took a mark and handpassed to Law, who booted the ball forward where Higgs took an excellent mark and scored a gaol which got the Tigers to within five points of the Lions at quarter time. Two minutes before the break Claremont lost the services of forward Harry McCracken, who damaged his troublesome shoulder.

Small forward Jyrin Woods earned a free-kick early in the second term for his great tackle on Subiaco’s Hayden Kennedy. But Subiaco repelled the attack. However, a minute later full-back Tom Barrass took a mark and passed to Waterman, whose pass was marked by Woods. Then the exciting Woods played on and booted a goal from 45m out which gave the Tigers the lead for the first time.

Subiaco quickly regained the lead with a goal to Rhys McAlister. Five minutes later a low pass from Beeck landed on the chest of Eddie Simpson for Claremont’s fifth goal. And Claremont increased their lead two minutes later with a goal to Higgs. Jake Anderson passed to Bailey Rogers and Higgs was able to take a splendid mark in between Subiaco’s Jordan Bestry and Liam Ellis.

Neither side managed to score a goal in the final 12 minutes of the quarter, during which Bentley earned applause for a splendid smother off the boot of Subiaco’s Michael Wood and Watson maintained his strong efforts in attack.

Waterman earned a free-kick at the opening centre bounce in the third term and he passed to Baum, who got the ball to the goalsquare where a shot from Higgs grazed a goalpost. It took ten minutes before Bestry booted Subiaco’s fifth major. Claremont replied two and a half minutes later after Law, Hardisty, Baum and Lim combined to deliver the ball to Anderson, who made the most of a free-kick to bring up full points.

Four minutes later Steven Edwards marked a Subiaco clearing kick and passed accurately to Woods in the right pocket. Woods kicked the ball into the corridor where Joel Fiegert pounced and brought up Claremont’s eighth goal. Then Subiaco replied with goals from Bestry and Aaron Summers before Simpson snapped truly for the Tigers in the final seconds of the quarter.

It was all one-way traffic in the final quarter when the Tigers slammed home seven goals and kept Subiaco to just one behind (to Joshua Deluca). Claremont delivered the ball inside their 50m zone 16 times to Subiaco’s three. Claremont’s first goal of the quarter came after two minutes. Rogers dashed down the left wing and sent an excellent pass to Cameron, whose kick was marked one metre out by Higgs, who played on for his third goal.

A handpass from Law to Rowen Powell resulted in the lithe centre-half-back sending a long pass to Carruthers for his second goal. It took eight minutes for Claremont’s next major. Carruthers marked an errant Subiaco switch kick and passed to Mason Whitehead, whose kick was marked by Baum in the right pocket. Baum’s shot was astray, but Higgs held a fine pack mark next to the right point post. Higgs then sent a clever screw kick sailing through the tall timbers.

The Tigers won the centre break and Higgs gained possession at half-forward and delivered a rushed left-foot kick forward. The ball bounced over the head of a Subiaco defender and into the hands of Baum, who had not trouble in scoring a well-deserved goal.

Ninety seconds later Powell got the ball on to Watson, who passed to Lim, who played on for another major. Law gained the clearance at the centre bounce and good work from Watson and Carruthers paved the way for a goal from long range from Edwards.

Then in the final minute of the match a tackle by Fiegert earned him a free-kick. And he completed an excellent performance with a great goal from the boundary line.

By Ken Casellas

Details:

Claremont 16.13 (109) beat Subiaco 7.7 (49).

Scorers---CLAREMONT: B. Higgs 4.1; J. Carruthers, J. Fiegert, E. Simpson 2.0; I. Baum, R. Lim 1.2; S. Edwards, J. Woods 1.1; J. Anderson, A. waterman 1.0; D. Cameron 0.2; J. Beeck, B. Rogers, F. Watson 0.1; 1pt forced. SUBIACO: J. Bestry 3.1; R. McAlister 2.1; A. Summers 1.1; A. Creeper 1.0; J. Deluca o.2; M. Turner, M. Wood 0.1

Best---CLAREMONT: A. Waterman, J. Hardisty, D. Cameron, I. Baum, J. Law, H. Taylor, B. Higgs, F. Watson, J. Fiegert. SUBIACO: A. Summers, H. Kennedy, J. Bestry, A. Creeper, R. Vermeersch, C. Wilkinson.