Round 22 League Report - East Fremantle v Claremont

McCracken ignites the Tigers

By Ken Casellas

The year of 2016 has been notable at the Claremont Football Club for the introduction to league ranks of several gifted young players --- and one of them who has avoided the limelight and has certainly slipped under the radar is Harry McCracken.

It was McCracken, who turned 21 last month, who set the Tigers on fire early in the contest against East Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval on Saturday.

Stationed on a half-forward flank, he was the spark that ignited the Claremont flame, which blazed merrily and was unable to be contained or extinguished by the forlorn Sharks.

Claremont, stacked with enthusiastic youthful talent, outclassed East Fremantle and stormed to a wonderful 99-point victory, with a final scoreline of 22.11 (143) to 6.8 (44).

This was Claremont’s highest total and biggest winning margin since the Tigers amassed 26.10 (166) to defeat West Perth 7.5 (47) by 119 points at Joondalup in round 18 on July 21, 2012. The only Tigers survivors from that day who were in action last Saturday were Ian Richardson, Jake Murphy and Jack Bradshaw.

Bradshaw booted five goals against West Perth and again he was a star, scoring eight goals against the Sharks. At the ripe old age of 23, Bradshaw is one of the veterans of the youthful Claremont outfit which will finish the 2016 season (after next Saturday’s match against Peel Thunder at the Showgrounds) in seventh position.

But the signs are good for a much stronger showing next year.

McCracken is one of 12 young men who have made their league debut with the Tigers this year. The others are 18-year-olds Jake Waterman, CJ Oakley and Bailey Banfield, 19-year-olds Morgan Davies and Matt Guelfi, 20-year-olds Jared Hardisty and Zac Langdon, 21-year-olds Justin Speed, Ben Higgs and Alex Manuel and 22-year-old Cameron Palmer.

Other youngsters who have made their mark in the league side this year are 19-year-old Bailey Rogers, 20-year-olds Ryan Lim, Francis Watson, Matt Palfrey and Rowen Powell and 21-year-olds Darcy Cameron, Jack Beeck and Tom Shanahan.

All those young men have special talents, but what sets McCracken apart from the others is his sparkling speed. He has the pace to burst clear of the opposition and his ability to break the lines makes him a special and extremely valuable player.

East Fremantle had the first use of a fresh breeze on Saturday, but Claremont played the superior football in the opening stanza in which they scored 2.6 and restricted the home side to 2.1. Much of this was due to McCracken, whose speed befuddled the opposition. He had six kicks and made one effective handpass during the opening term in which he got the ball inside his side’s 50m attacking zone three times

McCracken made his league debut in the round six match against Peel at the Showgrounds in April and has retained his place in the side for the rest of the season. He graduated to senior ranks after appearing in 38 colts matches in 2013 and 2014 and 20 matches in the reserves in 2015 and early this season. He won the Claremont fairest-and-best award in the colts in 2014, playing as a half-back flanker.

Last Saturday, McCracken finished with four marks, 14 kicks, two handpasses, two tackles, two goals and got the ball inside his side’s 50m attacking zone six times, a tally equalled by Bradshaw, Banfield and Jye Bolton.

Banfield made a wonderful league debut, with the left-footer taking six marks, having 16 kicks and making eight handpasses. He played mainly on a wing before being used as an inside midfielder in the final quarter. He makes position extremely well and has a strong appetite for the ball.

Veteran Shark Brett Peake opened the goalscoring after receiving a pass from Matthew Watson when the contest was just three minutes old. But Sharks supporters had little to enthuse over for the next couple of hours, during which time Claremont were far more precise with their ball-handling and decision-making.

After an early behind to Bolton, the Tigers looked likely to score their first goal after Hardisty passed to Manuel, whose pass was marked by Waterman. But Waterman’s shot was astray and registered another point.

Bradshaw then showed that this was going to be his day. He pounced on the East Fremantle kick-in and speared a great low pass to Manuel. But Manuel’s shot was off line, veering to the right to bring up another behind. Hopes that Claremont, with 0.3 on the board, were going to repeat the remarkable effort of scoring 19.2 against the Sharks in round five at East Fremantle Oval on April 16, were fading fast.

However, soon afterwards, at the eight-minute mark, Cameron notched Claremont’s first major after marking a pass from McCracken, who had received from Morgan Davies. This was the first of Cameron’s five goals on an afternoon during which he took 12 marks and had 14 kicks as well as providing splendid assistance to the indefatigable Mitch Andrews in the ruck contests.

Bradshaw started his scoring with a behind, with the ball slamming into the right goal post after he had marked a pass from the lively McCracken (who had received a handpass from Andrews, following strong work in defence from Anton Hamp and Tom Ledger).

McCracken was bobbing up everywhere and he drove the ball forward where Langdon was flattened and earned a free-kick. But he was groggy and had to be assisted from the ground. Bradshaw filled in and took Langdon’s free-kick. The ball sailed through the tallest posts in the State to give the Tigers their second goal and Bradshaw his first.

A Cameron handpass to Hardisty took Claremont’s score to a wasteful 2.6 and then Peake notched his second major. The ground was extremely muddy and slippery, making life tough for the contestants.

A long shot from Bradshaw early in the second term lifted Claremont’s total to 2.7 and when Jacon Green replied for the Sharks two minutes later the home side boasted a lead of two points.

Then it was Bradshaw again as he burst on to the loose ball after a boundary throw-in at left half-forward. He snapped an excellent goal and then Lim made the Sharks pay for an errant switch kick. His centering pass found Cameron for his second major.

The Tigers were running wild and a Richardson short pass enabled Bradshaw to boot his third goal. Bradshaw got his fourth three minutes later after Richardson had cleverly flicked the ball off the ground to Bolton, whose pass was marked in the right pocket by the man of the moment. A 50m penalty put Bradshaw directly in front and a couple of metres out.

Richardson and Bradshaw followed with snapped behinds and Watson was shining in defence with several excellent spoils and much clever play. Ruckman James Bristow ended the drought for the Sharks with a goal from long range, but Claremont replied with goals in the time-on period to Cameron and McCracken.

Then in the final moments of the quarter Richardson sent the ball forward where McCracken took a mark. The siren sounded and then McCracken’s shot from long range fell just short, leaving the Tigers leading, 8.9 to 4.3 at half-time.

It was one-way traffic in the third quarter, during which Claremont added 6.1 to East Fremantle’s 2.3. It took 11 minutes before the first goal was posted. Tom Ledger used his left foot with its usual telling effect to get the ball forward to McCracken at left half-forward where McCracken also put the ball hurriedly on to his left boot. Bradshaw was the recipient and he scrambled a soccered goal from close range.

Green then got his second for the Sharks before the Tigers scored the next five goals in the space of 12 minutes. These came from Speed (after a great dash and long kick down the left flank from Watson), Cameron (a wobbler after Hardisty gained another clearance and got the ball to Manual), Bolton (who gained possession at a boundary throw-in and watched his short bounce and roll through), Bradshaw (a long bomb from the left flank) and Andrews (after marking a pass from Langdon and then receiving a 50m penalty).

Six goals in the second term were followed by six in the third and then the floodgates opened with the visitors piling on 8.1 to East Fremantle’s 0.2 in the final quarter.

Langdon started the final-quarter avalanche with a soaring shot 50m out and then McCracken booted a goal from the boundary line at left half-forward after some strong work from Banfield. Cameron benefited from a forward sortie involving Speed, Bolton, Matt Davis and Murphy. He got his fifth major after another fine high-flying mark.

Banfield gained the clearance at the centre bounce and Guelfi’s pass found Manual for another goal. Then came nine goalless minutes before Bradshaw chalked up his seventh, following strong play from Murphy and Hardisty. Again it was Guelfi driving the ball forward, with Speed snapping truly.

Watson and Richardson combined to deliver the ball to Bradshaw for his eighth goal from right half-forward and finally, at the 29^th minute Speed completed his hat-trick of goals with a clever snap.

Thus completed a thorough and clinical demolition of the Sharks and left Tigers fans excited at the prospect of a spirited resurgence in 2017.

Details:

Claremont 22.11 (143) beat East Fremantle 6.8 (44)

Scorers---

CLAREMONT: J. Bradshaw 8.3; D. Cameron 5.1; J. Speed 3.0; H. McCracken 2.0; J. Bolton, A. Manuel 1.1; M. Andrews, Z. Langdon 1.0; J. Hardisty 0.2; I. Richardson, J. Waterman 0.1; 1pt forced.

EAST FREMANTLE: B. Peake 3.2; J. Green 2.2; J. Bristow 1.1; L. Krakouer, M. Watson 0.1; 1pt forced.

Best---

CLAREMONT: J. Bradshaw, H. McCracken, D. Cameron, J. Murphy, J. Bolton, B. Banfield, Morgan Davies, A. Hamp, M. Andrews, F. Watson, J. Hardisty.

EAST FREMANTLE: J. Schofield, R. Lester-Smith, J. Adamini, J. Cuneo, B. Peake, D. Anthony