Rushton Park the birthplace of Tigers stars

By Ken Casellas

Rushton Park in Mandurah is a long way from Claremont Oval, but the ground is proving quite a remarkable launching pad to stardom for several outstanding Claremont footballers.

The latest in a long list of fine Claremont players to make their league debut against Peel Thunder at Rushton Park shone there last Saturday, with 18-year-olds Jake Waterman and Matt Guelfi and 19-year-old Morgan Davies showcasing their talents and playing significant roles in a wonderful 45-point victory.

Waterman stole the show with a superb five-goal performance and when he booted a major with his first kick in league ranks six minutes after the opening siren it revived great memories of sitting heavily rugged up against the cold on the scoreboard wing of Rushton Park on April 22, 2000 when 18-year-old Paul Medhurst notched a goal with his first kick in league football.

Medhurst went on to boot three goals with his first three kicks in this round 4 match before being laid low by a ruptured kidney, which resulted in a night in hospital and being on the sidelines until late in the season when he starred in Claremont’s grand final victory in the reserves competition.

Like Waterman, Medhurst was stationed in a forward pocket in his league debut. It is history now that Medhurst quickly developed into an AFL star, playing 99 matches for Fremantle and 69 for Collingwood.  He scored 166 goals for the Dockers and 108 for the Magpies.

He was Claremont’s and the WAFL competition’s leading goalkicker in 2001 and was Fremantle’s leading goalkicker in 2003 and 2004. He booted six goals for Collingwood against Essendon and was awarded the Anzac Day Medal in 2008, as well as being named in the all-Australian side that year. He ended his career with Claremont and was awarded the Simpson Medal for his effort in scoring six goals in Claremont’s 2012 premiership win over East Fremantle. He scored 169 goals in 65 matches for the Tigers.

So it can be said that Medhurst was the trailblazer for Claremont youngsters making their first WAFL appearance against Peel at Rushton Park.

This list includes such luminaries as Clancy Rudeforth and Andrew Browne, who went on to captain the Tigers league side in long and distinguished careers. Rudeforth’s first league match was against Peel at Rushton Park on April 7, 2001, and Browne’s first league match was on April 6, 2002.

Rudeforth and Browne were teammates in Claremont’s 2011 premiership side over Subiaco. Rudeforth played 168 league matches for the Tigers and two for Western Australia, while Browne made 113 league appearances for Claremont and 29 for the Dockers.

On March 20, 2004 Trinity Handley, Matt Orzel and Trent Martin made their league debuts against Peel at Rushton Park. Handley went on to play 189 senior matches for the Tigers and was a dual premiership player. Orzel notched 119 league matches for Claremont.

In 2007 16-year-olds Tom Swift and Jesse Laurie represented Claremont for the first time when they appeared for the Tigers colts side against Peel at Rushton Park. They developed into outstanding footballers who were teammates in Claremont’s 2011 and 2012 premiership sides.

In 2009 Travis Colyer made his league debut for Claremont against Peel at Rushton Park and scored a goal with one of his first kicks. He was drafted by Essendon in 2009 and so far has made 57 appearances for the Dons.

It was a memorable occasion on March 20, 2010 when Nat Fyfe, Tom Derickx, Ryan Brabazon and Andrew Foster all made their league debut for the Tigers against Peel at Rushton Park. Fyfe scored four goals and Claremont walloped the Thunder by 110 points.

Tigers fans still delight at the marvellous deeds of Fyfe for the Fremantle Dockers, for whom he has played 117 matches. He was named in the all-Australian sides in 2014 and 2015 and last year he won the prestigious Brownlow Medal.

Derickx and Brabazon were drafted by the Sydney Swans and Andrew Foster was a wonderful player in 93 matches for Claremont, including grand final victories in 2011 and 2012.

Jack Beeck and Matt Palfrey appeared in their first league match for Claremont against Peel at Rushton Park on April 26, 2015 and look certain to be club stalwarts for many years.

It was interesting that Waterman wore the No. 19 jumper last Saturday and was a major goalkicker, scoring the side’s first, eighth, twelfth, fourteenth and seventeenth majors. No. 19 has been worn by two of Claremont’s all-time great goalkickers, Wayne Harvey and David Crawford.       

Harvey played 217 matches for the Tigers and scored 389 goals and the left-footed Crawford kicked 255 goals in his 193 WAFL matches for the club.

Waterman scored his first goal against Peel after Jack Bradshaw had passed to Beau Maister, whose unselfish short pass was marked by the debutant. Early in the second quarter Waterman effected a great smother off the boot of an opposing player and gained possession. But his snap was off line and registered a behind.

At the 25-minute mark of the quarter Jared Hardisty drove the ball forward and Waterman soared to pull down a grand pack mark before booting his second goal. Ten minutes into the third term Tom Shanahan kicked the ball forward where Waterman held a splendid contested mark against Ben Hancock at right half-forward. Waterman then chalked up his third major.

Eight minutes later Waterman got his fourth goal after taking another fine contested mark from a long kick forward from Darcy Cameron.

In the final quarter Waterman handpassed to Matt Davies for a point and to Ian Richardson for a goal before he ended the contest the way he started it, with a goal, this time a delightful left-foot snap.   

Guelfi and Morgan Davies certainly were not overshadowed by Waterman. Each provided many examples of their skills. Guelfi, who has played all his colts and reserves football as a wingman and on-baller, accepted the challenge of playing on a half-back flank for the first time in his stride.

A great smother off the boot of Peel’s Blair Bell, foiling a shot at goal in the final quarter, was a highlights of Guelfi’s polished display. Another highlight was his wonderful spoil against Calvin Thorne early in the third term.

Morgan Davies, an exciting left-footer, showed considerable promise on a wing. He received a handpass from Shanahan to have his first kick when the match was nine minutes old and five minutes later he outmarked Thorne and drove the ball forward to Alex Manuel for Claremont’s third goal.

Davies also tackled with great zest throughout the contest and he was under notice in the second quarter with two smothers off the boot of Peel’s Brayden Lawler.

The trip along the Freeway to Mandurah on Saturday was made so much more enjoyable, not only for the resounding victory, but for the great pleasure of watching Waterman, Guelfi and Davies strut their stuff.