Comeback win provides perfect Ralph tribute

John Townsend

Lazarus is back and he is bearing the spirit of Warren Ralph.

Three days after Claremont were devastated by the sudden death of the club’s greatest goal-kicker and charismatic past players president, the Tigers farewelled him with a nail-biting victory over East Fremantle that tested every part of their resolve and self-belief.

And it provided the perfect tribute to the 1980s star who won three flags, four Bernie Naylor medals and the standing as the most spectacular exponent of the most glamorous position in the highest-scoring era in football history.

It also provided a memorable landmark for captain Dec Mountford who matched his team-mate Jack Lewsey’s recent feat in marking his 100th match with a powerful win.

Giving up a 32-point second-half lead at East Fremantle Oval could have foreshadowed a result that might have been considered an admirable but understandable loss.

Instead, the team refused to surrender an inch, let alone the match, and responded with one of their most resolute quarters in recent seasons.

When Alec Waterman kicked truly from heavy traffic at the 24-minute mark of the final quarter, it gave Claremont the lead for the first time in the match.

They hung on for the next few minutes to win by five points, 11.9 (75) to 10.10 (70), and both guarantee September action for a club record eighth consecutive season and strengthen their claims to start the campaign with a home final.

Ruckman Ollie Eastland was the catalyst for the swarming last quarter with yet another dominant display in the air and ground.

He had 10 of his 24 disposals, and 10 of his 44 hit outs in that period, as well as being involved twice in an early chain of possessions that extended from Callan England’s kick-in to Joel Western’s goal that ignited the Claremont push.

Claremont’s intensity was underlined by the increased defensive pressure that brought seven of the last eight goals from midway through the third term.

Three of them came from direct turnovers in the last quarter as the Tigers came home strongly.

East Fremantle started brightly and could have been further ahead at the first break but for Max Minear’s strong work in defence and veteran ball magnet Jye Bolton maintaining his impact on the ball.

Jaiden Hunter fed a handball to Lachlan Martinis to bring up the only goal of the term but it took until well into the second term before Claremont were able to hit back on the scoreboard.

Three strikes from England, Talon Delacey and Hunter got the margin back to seven points though the Tigers found it hard to combat Simpson medallist Milan Murdock who found the ball 12 times in the term.

Claremont’s best comeback win at the ground came in 1976 when they overcame a 30-point three-quarter-time margin and it appeared they would have to surpass that record when the Sharks built the lead to 32 approaching time-on.

But a different complexion suddenly came over the game.

Hunter and Bailey Rogers landed vital goals late in the third term and the Tigers had substantial momentum going into the last period.

Inspired by coach Ash Prescott’s assessment that they on the verge of a famous victory, and carrying plenty of motivation to honour Ralph, Claremont produced some of their best football of recent times.

Jack Cleaver soon responded to Western’s goal but it was to be East Fremantle’s last hurrah.

The only issue for Claremont was whittling away at the deficit and while it took considerable labour, the ball remained in their forward line for long periods and Hunter, Mountford and Rogers finally took their opportunities to get the team within a kick.

Claremont surged repeatedly in the final minutes and when Zac Mainwaring found Waterman with a clean handball, the left-footer answered the call with a cool 30m banana that put his team in front for the first time.

Desperate defence was the order of the day for the next few minutes but the siren soon sounded to signal Claremont’s 10th win of the season and tremendous accolades for Ralph and Mountford.

CLAREMONT 1.1 4.3 6.6 11.9 75

EAST FREMANTLE 4.3 6.5 9.9 10.10 70

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Hunter 3; Rogers 2; Mountford, Western, Waterman, Martinis, England, Delacey.

EAST FREMANTLE: J Marsh, Cocking 2; Eardley, Hagan, H Marsh, Paholski, Vladich, Cleaver.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Eastland, Bolton, England, Rogers, Minear, Hunter, Peace.

EAST FREMANTLE: Murdock, Eardley, Jansen, Cleaver, Avery.