Mellody Steals the Show

By Ken Casellas

Willowy teenager Heath Mellody cast aside the burden of studying for his final term Year 12 exams when he produced an exhilarating brand of football to steal the limelight in a highly entertaining WAFL contest at Lathlain Park on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Mellody, in his second league appearance for Claremont, set the standard for excellence with a devastating first-quarter effort as an inside midfielder which set the Tigers on their way to a splendid 33-point victory over the West Coast Eagles.

Mellody was the dominant performer in the opening term during which he took one mark, had eight kicks (including three inside 50s), two effective handpasses, three clearances and two tackles.

Other Tigers to shine in the dazzling quarter included Ben Elliott, Callan England, Dec Mountford, Talon Delacey, Jack Musika and Kieran Gowdie, and Claremont went to the break with 9.3 on the board to West Coast’s 2.3.

Dark clouds hovered over the ground, and the lights were switched on just before the quarter-time break. But Mellody did not fade and he finished the match with six marks, 18 kicks, 16 handpasses, as well as match-high tallies of ten tackles, seven inside 50s, eight clearances and 16 contested possessions.

Lithe and elusive and possessing explosive speed off the mark, the skilful Mellody has made the transition from colts football and this year’s under-18 championship carnival to league ranks with the minimum of fuss.

He and George Gale, Joey Hopkyns and Benji van Rooyen have graduated to league ranks this year after they were teammates in the Claremont side which won the colts grand final last year.

Mellody was awarded the Larke Medal as the best player in the under-18 carnival this year during which State duties and representing Hale School in the Alcock Cup competition prevented him from playing a single match for the Tigers colts side.

“The big difference in playing league football is the pace of the game and the greater pressure in getting the ball,” he said after Saturday’s match. “It is a lot different to school footy which is a lot more open, and you have more time to think what to do. State footy is also quicker.

“The pressure against West Coast was pretty intense, and I stuffed up a couple of kicks, making me realise I need to be a bit more composed. And that’s something I will need to adjust to.”

Mellody paid tribute to Ben Dyer, his Hale School coach and an assistant to Claremont’s senior coach Ash Prescott, as well as Callan England.

“Ben has been super good and so helpful to me over the past couple of years, while Cal has guided me and got me involved over the past couple of weeks,” he said.

Joining Mellody in Claremont’s league side for the past two matches has been WA under-18’s co-captain George Gale, who has lined up on a wing and gave a sample of his class with a freak

goal from the boundary line 40 metres out in the left pocket late in the second quarter against the Eagles.

Gale, a 17-year-old Scotch College schoolboy, was one of ten individual goalscorers for the Tigers against West Coast, with tall power forward Kieran Gowdie showing the way with five goals, and nippy smaller men Jack Musika and Tyson Headland each scoring three majors.

Claremont led by 42 points early in the third quarter before West Coast reduced the margin to 28 points at three-quarter-time and came out with all guns blazing in the final term when four goals in the space of six minutes saw the Tigers in trouble with a lead of only three points.

Two minutes after Shannon Lucassen’s goal had the home side threatening to take charge it was Mellody who shone in the crisis, accelerating quickly and swooping on the loose ball after Musika had been flattened to score a long-range goal which lifted his side’s spirits.

The Claremont players didn’t lose their composure, and the side scored the final four majors of the contest to seal a wonderful victory before preparing to meet Perth in the qualifying final at Revo Fitness Stadium next Saturday when Bailey Rogers and Dec Hardisty will be fit to return to action. The only bad news for Claremont last Saturday was the shoulder injury sustained by tall defender Clancy Dennis.

Claremont’s victory sealed the Rodriguez Shield for the club for a record 20th time. The shield is awarded to the club with the best combined record of its league, reserves, colts, WAFLW and Rogers Cup teams. Claremont finished with 287 points, with South Fremantle (245.5 points) in second place.

Details:

Claremont 20.10 (130) beat West Coast Eagles 14.13 (97)

Scorers—CLAREMONT: K. Gowdie 5.1; T. Headland, J. Musika 3.1; S. van Rooyen 2.2; T. Delacey 2.1; B. Banfield, B. Elliott, C. England, G. Gale, H. Mellody 1.0; R. Luscombe, O. Sheldrick, A. Waterman 0.1; 1pt forced. WEST COAST EAGLES: C. Datson 3.3; T. Edwards-Baldwin 2.2; J. Hutchinson 2.1; M. Champion, S. Lucassen 2.0; E. Hewett, R. Maric, H. Schoenberg 1.1; T. Dewar, M. Flynn, C. Hall 0.1; 1pt forced.

Best—CLAREMONT: H. Mellody, B. Elliott, C. England, K. Gowdie, O. Eastland, J. Musika, T. Delacey, J. Howard, T. Headland, G. Gale, O. Sheldrick, S. Alvarez. WEST COAST EAGLES: E. Hewett, F. Macrae, J. Hutchinson, C. Datson, L. Grego, T. Dewar, S. Lucassen, H. Schoenbertg.