Sandover Trio Lead Way as Eastland Demonstrates Anzac Spirit

John Townsend

Coach Gerard Neesham’s first season in 1987 was the start of Claremont’s golden run and was marked by two blemishes – a draw with the reigning premier and an 11-point loss.

Claremont are attempting to replicate that golden era under Ashley Prescott but have experienced two blemishes so far this season – a draw with the reigning premier and an 11-point loss.

As history repeats on the scoreboard 38 years apart, the Neesham style – robust defence and fast ball movement to a magnetic key forward – was mirrored by a Claremont team that produced its best half of the season on Anzac Day.

A slow start against a West Coast reserves outfit featuring 16 AFL-listed players and the best crop of young talent in that team’s blighted existence soon gave way to a vibrant hour that produced 12 goals and saw three Sandover medallists generate the impact that delivered their individual honours.

Jye Bolton’s driving kicks into attack were the highpoint of his 34 disposals at 82% efficiency, Bailey Rogers kicked two goals in a minute while gathering 30 possessions and Callan England’s ability to use his pace and clean handling to break lines was evident in his 23 touches in three quarters.

The main beneficiary was key recruit Jaiden Hunter who kicked four of his five goals in the third quarter at Revo Fitness Stadium – and it could have been more with a couple of sets shots going astray – on the way to a 52-point win.

The 19.10 (124) to 10.12 (72) result was the Tigers’ highest score since beating the same team at the same ground two years ago and ensured this has been the heaviest scoring season since their last premiership campaign in 2012.

It is early days, obviously, but the direction and capacity to play more direct and attacking football, allied with the presence of tall targets Hunter and Kieran Gowdie, have produced vibrant results.

The strong win came at a cost, though, with Hunter sustaining a broken finger early in the match and England medial cruciate ligament damage just before three-quarter-time.

Hunter played on and was rewarded with the second five-goal haul of his short career while England hoped his was a low-level sprain and would not cause him to miss any matches.

Ollie Eastland was a popular winner of the Ralph Honner Trophy for upholding the Anzac spirit after his strong work in the ruck negated the vigorous efforts of West Coast’s 76-AFL game big man Bailey Williams.

Honner, a Claremont player in the inaugural season in 1926 and architect of the Kokoda defence against overwhelming odds, is perhaps the most significant Australian to play for the club.

His comments to his men at the end of the Kokoda campaign resonate with the aims of any football team.

“The battle we fought for the track may have just saved your nation,” Honner said.

“Your gallantry, your courage, your fortitude are an inspiration and I want you to know that you are some of the finest soldiers that I have ever seen. “History will remember you, and in the years to come others will wish that they had your conviction.”

Eastland was conviction personified as he threw himself into numerous contests, enabling his team-mates to land 10 goals from stoppages, including a vital five majors from centre ball-ups that built enormous pressures on the Eagles.

The ruckman had 33 hit-outs to Williams’ 25, a remarkable 15 directly the advantage of his team-mates, to help the three Sandover winners combine for nearly half of Claremont’s 49 clearances and each kick telling goals.

The big four players provided a powerful presence at several centre bounces though Bolton also had a significant impact when swung to half-back after West Coast had the better of the first term and Rogers spent considerable time in attack in his second game of the season.

Their work was complemented by the potency of the ever-improving Zac Mainwaring, whose impact with the ball was complemented by his vigour and energy without it, and Talon Delacey whose pace and overhead marking have helped him make a successful shift from attack to a wing.

But both players took their chances in the forward line with three goals apiece.

Mainwaring set the tone in three quarters with the first score of the period while Delacey’s three first-half strikes each came at important moments as West Coast challenged the home team.

CLAREMONT 3.1 7.5 13.10 19.10 124

WEST COAST 3.7 6.9 8.10 10.12 72

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Hunter 5; Delacey, Mainwaring 3; Rogers 2; Bolton, Alvarez, England, Musika, Gowdie, Smallwood.

WEST COAST: Petruccelle, Shanahan, Livingstone 2; Hall, Gross, Datson, Mercer.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Bolton, Eastland, Rogers, Delacey, Mainwaring, England, Musika, Alvarez.

WEST COAST: Gross, Hall, Shanahan, Bazzo, Williams, Johnston.