Champs go head-to-head in Claremont’s landmark win

John Townsend

It took 100 seasons and the lowest score ever kicked against them but Claremont’s gruelling effort-based success against recent nemesis Peel has finally provided as many wins as losses in their WAFL history.

The Tigers revealed their class when it was required at waterlogged Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday to restrict the Thunder to just one goal in the 38–point win, 8.6 (54) to 1.10 (16).

It was the lowest score ever kicked against the Tigers, though Peel have an official lowest tally of 0.0 against Claremont after being stripped of their game score of 10.11 (71) for playing an unregistered player in 2004.

There was no bureaucratic intervention required to deliver this landmark victory in the Tigers’ 900th appearance at Claremont Oval.

Spearhead Jaiden Hunter overcame the ground’s Lake Claremont impersonation to land four goals, the backline led magnificently by Declan Hardisty was virtually impregnable and the midfield had an absorbing battle with Peel’s prolific AFL-listed cohort.

The combat between dual Sandover medallist Jye Bolton and dual Brownlow medallist Nathan Fyfe, one a Claremont champion and the other a champion Claremont product, was worth the price of admission alone.

Fyfe won the ball 27 times in his three quarters of effective and energetic action while Bolton got it 28times, kicked a superb goal from long range when Claremont changed gears to end the contest midwaythrough the third quarter, and set a high standard of commitment and impact.

The result also ended the run of heartache against Peel that saw Claremont dominate the opening fixture this season only to finish with a draw while the galling one-point defeat in last year’s first semi-final ended theirprogress towards the premiership and opened the door for the Thunder to win their third.

It took 2080 matches since their first season for Claremont to finally reach equity on their win-loss record.

It was their 1034th victory, matching their 1034 losses, while the 12 draws in their history provide an overallwinning percentage of 49.71%.

Getting that mark to 50% will be one of the unwritten goals during the centenary year celebrations in 2026.

Claremont’s defence stood up strongly in the first half when they scored the only two goals but absorbed considerable pressure from a team containing six players who have played more than 50 AFL matches, including Fyfe (244) and James Aish (186).

Anthony Davis had 14 touches in the first half as he provided his customary rebound while Jack Lewsey and Jasper Peace were particularly effective in negating the Peel threat.

Hunter finally broke the scoreless deadlock midway through the first quarter when he steered a set shot through from the boundary and he added the only other goal in the first half when he converted Talon Delacey’s neat pass into the forward 50.

Claremont were in control for much of the half but had not translated that advantage onto the scoreboard.

Their vulnerability was underlined at the start of the third term when Peel attacked repeatedly and had a series of shots from close range that whittled the lead to just three points.

The danger signs could not have been more prominent and there was little surprise that it was captain Declan Mountford who sparked a counter-attack that changed the momentum of the match.

Mountford chopped off a Fyfe pass into Peel’s forward line, bounced the ball down the field and kicked to Kieren Gowdie who fed Hunter for his third consecutive major.

The goal provided some breathing space before three consecutive centre clearances produced goals that took the game from Peel’s grasp.

The returning Bailey Banfield took advantage of a free and 50m penalty to kick the first goal of his career, the next clearance fell to Bolton’s advantage who drilled his long shot, then Ollie Eastland also received a 50m penalty at the next ball-up and found Delacey inside 50 whose neat kick extended the lead to 26 points.

Claremont started the last term with considerable verve and when Jack Musika crumbed a precise Ollie Eastland tap in the forward pocket, then lively debutant Rory Luscombe handballed to Hunter close to goal, the two majors broke Peel’s resistance.

The last 20 minutes comprised vigorous arm-wrestling in the mud but neither team had any impact on the scoreboard and both may have been relieved when the final siren eventually sounded.

CLAREMONT 1.2 2.4 6.5 8.6 54

PEEL 0.3 0.4 1.9 1.10 16

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Hunter 4; Bolton, Delacey, Musika, Banfield.

PEEL: Sanders.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Bolton, Hunter, Davis, Peace, Minear, Elliott, Hardisty.

PEEL: Fyfe, Reidy, Aish, Brodie, Narkle.