Powerful Claremont Resist Ambush Threat

John Townsend

Claremont were wary of an ambush against archrivals Subiaco on Saturday.

The surprise exit of opposition coach Beau Wardman raised a substantial question mark about how the Lions players would respond – would they come out snarling and full of bite?

And Claremont’s most recent match before last week’s bye produced a lacklustre loss to South Fremantlethat raised plenty of questions of its own.

But the omens were good as the players arrived at Revo Fitness Stadium.

As two significant past players – the club’s leading goal-kicker Warren Ralph and Sandover medallist Steve Malaxos – made their way into the ground, memories turned to what was possibly their best individual daytogether at the ground.

Claremont beat Subiaco by a record 166 points in July 1983 with Ralph kicking a career-high 16 goals, many of them supplied by Malaxos amid his 45 disposals.

That rout was mirrored in the reserves game on Saturday with Claremont winning by 150 points as they kept Subiaco goal-less.

A good win in the reserves does not necessarily reflect what is to come in the league fixture but it suggested that the home team was primed for a strong effort and Subiaco left flat by the events of the week.

So it proved.

As the danger of an ambush receded, a trio of key figures made such a bright start to the match that the result was almost decided within the opening minutes.

Jye Bolton turned the clock back to his prolific early WAFL seasons, when he won Sandover and Simpson medals for fun, Ollie Eastland imposed himself on the ruck contests in customary fashion and big forward Jaiden Hunter drew the football to him like a magnet.

Hunter’s first four touches produced three goals and an out-on-the-full, Joel Western and Alec Waterman hit the scoreboard and Claremont had a virtually unassailable lead by time-on in the first term before extending it to 87 points, 18.14 (122) to 5.5 (35).

Bolton had a remarkable 15 disposals in that first quarter, including an exquisite dart inside 50 for the leading Hunter, Eastland set up 12 clearances with his 12 taps and the Tigers produced 21-5 inside 50s as the ball was locked in their scoring end.

Subiaco rallied over the next 30 minutes or so, with the increased intensity of Jack Mayo, Liam Hickmott and Taj Schofield creating a contest that took the game up to the Tigers, but the resistance faded once the players returned from half-time.

Among the most pleasing features for Claremont coach Ash Prescott and his selection panel, that made three changes to the team in a bid to get greater urgency from the players, was that the scoreboard made no difference to the commitment and energy.

The Tigers finished the match with 10 unanswered goals but did not have a passenger, a point emphasised by every player winning at least 12 disposals.

Talon Delacey led the scoring with four majors, every one of them scored after the half-time siren, while Kieran Gowdie complemented his fellow twin tower with three goals of his own as he worked up the ground to become the major target.

Strong contributions were made by key backman Max Minear, who has relished his switch from attack, while Declan Hardisty combined miserly defence and a creative streak as the mainstay in a unit that was well-served by Tom Baldwin and Josh Howard.

Captain Dec Mountford returned from a shoulder injury to play his first match since round 3. He was eased into action in the well-oiled backline but had a run on the ball in the second half where he helped quell Schofield and share duties with the Sandover medallists Bolton (35 disposals), Bailey Rogers (31) and Callan England (29).

Mountford will play his 100th game next week after an eventful journey that included three seasons at North Melbourne, a stint as a West Coast COVID top-up and regular final appearances.

CLAREMONT 5.4 8.8 12.12 18.14 122

SUBIACO 0.1 4.4 5.4 5.5 35

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Delacey 4; Hunter, Gowdie 3; Rogers, Western 2; Waterman, Martinis, England, Disisto.

SUBIACO: Mayo 2; Cooley, Golding, Siano.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Bolton, Rogers, Minear, Hardisty, England, Eastland, Gowdie, Delacey, Hunter.

SUBIACO: Mayo, Hickmott, Schofield, Giro, Mullane.