For much of his career with the Claremont colts side Nick Reid has played as a goalkicking forward. But in the past week, first against Subiaco in round ten and then against West Perth at the Showgrounds on Saturday morning, the sturdy left-footer has excelled as a defender.

Playing at centre-half-back against a variety of West Perth forwards, including Jamie Ryder, Nathan Alexandre and Angus Allen, he was the cornerstone of a solid backline which restricted the Cardinals to eight goals.

The Tigers were well and truly off the boil in the first half when they managed just three goals before they lifted their rating to outscore West Perth, seven goals to four, in the second half and record a 15-point victory to consolidate their spot in third position on the premiership table.

Isaac Baum also is relishing a change of roles. He started the season as a forward before moving to a wing and then on Saturday he gave an outstanding performance on the ball, finishing with seven marks, 21 kicks, eight effective handpasses, five clearances from stoppages and four inside 50s.

Baum started with a bang, with six kicks and five handpasses in the opening quarter, but Claremont struggled and trailed, 2.2 to West Perth’s 3.3 at quarter-time. And despite the continued brilliance of Baum and strong service from Jack Prendiville and Scott Trickey, the Tigers scored one goal in the second term to trail by five points at half-time in a low-scoring battle.

Gradually Claremont gained the upper hand in the second half with a side severely depleted by the absence of eight members of the WA under-18 squad.

The Falcons stunned the Tigers with a goal to Alexandre in the opening minute and another to Kaidyen Fullgrabe three minutes later. Claremont steadied, but it took the side 15 minutes to trouble the scorers --- with a goal to Ashley Johnson, who gathered the ball (sent in long by Alex Manuel) in the goal square and popped it through for a major with his first kick in colts football.

It was a West Perth blunder which enabled the Tigers to score their second goal at the 22-minute mark. A West Perth defender booted the ball out on the full and Reid, pressing forward, got the free-kick and passed the ball to full-forward Matt Cairns for the first of his two goals.

The contest failed to reach any great heights in the second term, during which each side managed a solitary goal, one to West Perth’s Tyson Moulton at the nine-minute mark and the second to Trickey five minutes before half-time.

The diminutive Trickey, a member of West Perth’s pre-season colts squad in 2013, was aided by a free-kick and a 50m penalty. After a forced point to Claremont, the West Perth kick-in bounced out of bounds without being touched on Claremont’s right half-forward flank.  A 50m penalty made a certainty of the goal.

A rejuvenated Claremont burst into action after the long break and the home side took the lead (by one point) for the first time in the match one minute after half-time when Manuel gained the knock at a stoppage and Sam Humphry sent the ball forward where Tom Gajewski took the mark and kicked truly.

Two minutes later Cairns and Matt Guelfi combined to send the ball deep into attack for Manuel to boot Claremont’s fifth goal. The sixth came six minutes later after Gajewski had kicked a point. Debutant Ryan Murphy gained possession from the kick-in and his goal extended Claremont’s lead to 15 points.

West Perth replied with a goal to Moulton and Claremont hit back with a goal to Guelfi. This followed a move started by Cairns, taking a mark in defence and then delivering to Gajewski, who took a superb mark on the left wing. Gajewski drove the ball forward where Russell Wynne battled hard and the ball spilt to Adam Volaric, who handpassed to Guelfi.

Late in the quarter a soccered goal to Allen kept West Perth well and truly in the game. Then a three-goal to two final quarter to Claremont sealed the issue. Gajewski was continuing in splendid form and he scored his second and Claremont’s eighth goal early in the final term after a good passage of play, involving Murphy, Prendiville and Jacob Delaporte.

A mark in the goalsquare enabled Ryder to boot West Perth’s seventh goal and reduce Claremont’s lead to seven points. The Tigers were not to be denied and they replied with a goal to Manuel after he marked a pass from Johnson. Only two goals were scored in the final 15 minutes, the first to West Perth’s Moulton and the next to Cairns after he had marked a kick from Wynne.

by Ken Casellas

Details:

Claremont 10.10 (70) beat West Perth 8.7 (55)

Scorers---CLAREMONT: T. Gajewski 2.2; A. Manuel 2.1; M. Cairns 2.0; M. Guelfi, A. Johnson, R. Murphy, S. Trickey 1.0; J. Barty, A. Birch, J. Delaporte, S. Humphry, A. Volaric 0.1; 1pt forced. WEST PERTH: T. Moulton 3.1; A. Allen 2.0; N. Alexandre, K. Fullgrabe, J. Ryder 1.1; W. Michell, J. Sheehan-Nel 0.1; 1pt forced.

Best---CLAREMONT: I. Baum, J. Prendiville, T. Gajewski, N. Reid, S. Humphry, S. Trickey, R. Murphy, M. Cairns. WEST PERTH: C. Hinchcliffe, W. Michell, M. Peirce, T. Moulton, T. Manners, A. Smith.