League Report: Tigers lean run continues

After sitting atop of the ladder, albeit after just four rounds, Claremont has been given a reality check in its past three games, culminating in a 17-point loss to Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval last Saturday.

Following losses to Subiaco and South Fremantle, the Tigers were again second best when the game was up for grabs, with the side suffering a 13.4 (82) to 15.9 (99) loss in splendid conditions.

A three-goal-to-one second term had Claremont leading by five points at half-time, before Swans kicked six goals to two in the third term and the first three goals inside four minutes of the final term to put the result beyond doubt, despite a late rally from the Tigers.

The result leaves Claremont with plenty of work to do in order to work out how they can compete for longer periods and respond when the heat is on, while the team need to rectify run-ons from the opposition.

Ball use and execution are also areas in need of improvement, with Swans often capitalising on Claremont turnovers and burning the Tigers in transition.

Ryan Lim (32 disposals, eight marks, two goals) continued his outstanding start to the season and was one of Claremont’s hardest working players, while Morgan Davies (20 disposals, seven tackles) battled manfully.

Jack Bradshaw (four goals) provided Swans’ defence with a constant headache in both the air and at ground level, while Keifer Yu continues to endear himself to the team with his attack on the contest and sweeping plays from defence.

Tom Shanahan, who missed round six due to concussion, won the players’ player award by blanketing the dangerous Jamie Bennell and keeping the free-wheeling Swan to just seven touches, and laid a crunching shepherd on Warrick Wilson in the opening minutes of the game.

Beau Maister (five marks, two goals) competed strongly against Swans’ evergreen co-captain Tallan Ames, however, the Tigers were unable to capitalise on their 16 more inside 50s and too often favoured a wide style of play instead of the corridor.

Swans were led by forwards Matt Rogers (23 disposals, nine marks, seven inside 50s, three goals) and Ricky Cary (five goals) despite losing Ryan Crowley to a first-half knee injury.

A 50m penalty enabled Rogers to kick the first goal of the game, before Cary doubled Swans’ advantage after the hosts made Claremont pay for a turnover at half-forward.

Lim replied for the Tigers from a tight angle after a great tackle and short pass by Alex Manuel, before Taryce Stewart kicked Swans’ third goal to reclaim their 12-point buffer.

Bradshaw then burst to life with a stunning pair of goals, the first of which came from winning the hard ball and snapping truly, before converting from a strong one-on-one mark opposed to Kirk Ugle as Claremont levelled the scores in an entertaining start to the game.

The tackling of Jared Hardisty was an early highlight and would continue to be, however, another goal to Cary resulting from another turnover by the Tigers saw Swans take an eight-point lead at quarter-time.

With Jye Bolton already up to 10 disposals and Hardisty laying four tackles, the sight of captain Jake Murphy in pain in the centre circle following the first bounce of the second term was not what Claremont needed, with the inspirational skipper forced to leave the field with a left knee injury.

A goal to Swans’ Brayden Noble compounded matters for the Tigers and resulted in a 13-point deficit, despite the best efforts of Anton Hamp in defence.

The sight of Murphy returning to the field after a series of runs along the interchange provided a welcome boost for the Tigers, however, the skipper seemed hampered by the injury and would spend the majority of the contest in the forward line.

A goal to Hardisty and two majors from Maister in the space of three minutes resulted from direct ball movement and enabled the veteran Tiger to expose Swans’ defence, with Claremont taking a five-point lead at half-time following their strong finish to the first half.

Cary reclaimed the lead for Swans in the early stages of the third term after the hosts sliced open the Tigers in transition, before Haydn Busher courageously went back with the flight of the ball and got crunched.

A second goal to Rogers followed a Tigers’ turnover out of defence and was quickly followed by a major to Ugle, before Ian Richardson kicked truly after Hardisty partly smothered a ball in the forward line.

Second and fourth goals to Stewart and Cary respectively followed, before Richardson kicked his second after combining with Bradshaw.

A fifth goal to Cary capped off a strong quarter from Swans and had the hosts leading by 23 points at the final change, however, the Tigers would have the advantage of a slight breeze in the final term.

Despite the advantage, three quick goals to Swans effectively killed the contest and left Claremont with a mountain to climb, and despite five consecutive majors, including two to Bradshaw (four), the Tigers suffered their third consecutive defeat.

The team will look to break its winless run when they host Peel Thunder at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in round eight.

CLAREMONT 3.0 6.3 8.3 13.4 (82)

SWAN DISTRICTS 4.2 5.4 11.8 15.9 (99)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 4 J. Bradshaw, 2 R. Lim, B. Maister, I. Richardson, 1 J. Murphy, J. Hardisty, A. Holt.

SWAN DISTRICTS: 5 R. Cary, 3 M. Rogers, T. Stewart, 2 B. Noble, 1 T. Banfield, K. Ugle.

BEST

CLAREMONT: R. Lim, M. Davies, J. Bradshaw, K. Yu.

SWAN DISTRICTS: M. Rogers, K. Ugle, T. Stewart, R. Cary, M. Riggio.