Round 4 League: Brave Tigers Fall Just Short

A watershed moment occurred at quarter-time of Claremont’s clash with West Coast at Claremont Oval in ANZAC Round on Saturday afternoon.

Having been overwhelmed and outplayed by their bigger and stronger opponents to the tune of 30 points in the opening term, the Tigers had a choice to make.

They could roll over, or roll their sleeves up and get to work by recapturing the traits which had served them so well during the opening three rounds.

Thankfully, they chose the latter, after receiving a measured but robust address from coach Darren Harris at the first change.

Not only did the Tigers get to work, but they completely turned the contest on its head during a brilliant and ferocious second term which yielded five goals from the hosts and none from the visitors.

The response was inspirational and spoke volumes about the playing group, and was fitting given the significance and importance of the round.

Ultimately, the Tigers fell two points short of their AFL-laden opponents, 12.5 (77) to 11.9 (75), in a gripping contest, but will take more positives than negatives from their first loss of the season.

The Tigers recorded 63 more disposals, 23 more marks, six more inside 50s and three more scoring shots, but lacked composure in key moments and were made to pay by their clinical opponents.

Wingman Ryan Lim (25 disposals, game-high 10 marks, two goals) was awarded the Ralph Honner Trophy as Claremont’s best player for embodying the ANZAC spirit and also won the players’ player award for his brilliant performance.

Full-back Anton Hamp (six marks), who rarely loses a contest due to his precise positioning and brilliant reading of the play, continued his outstanding form and repelled several forward entries from West Coast with his pinpoint kicking, while fellow defender Lachie Martinis (21 disposals, five marks) played one of his best games and produced an inspirational blue-collar effort in the opening minute of the second half.

With a 50/50 ball to be won at half-forward and Francis Watson running from the opposite direction, Martinis never deviated from the contest before he and Watson collided heavily, with the former Tiger coming off second best and having to leave the field on a stretcher after suffering a shoulder injury.

Martinis and a number of other Tigers consoled Watson as he approached the interchange, in a display of respect for the opposition.

Small forward Tyron Smallwood also impressed with his blue-collar work rate and pressure in Claremont’s front half, while hard-running wingman Callan England kicked a career-high three goals along with full-forward Tom Lee.

And co-captain Kane Mitchell (30 disposals, 10 tackles) and fellow midfielders Declan Mountford (28 disposals, eight tackles) and Jye Bolton (game-high 36 disposals, seven tackles, game-high nine inside 50s) continued their outstanding form.

Haydn Busher replaced Jack Bradshaw (knee) in the team as the Tigers kicked to the southern end of the ground in the opening term, before West Coast’s Brady Grey kicked the opening goal of the game after receiving a fortunate free kick.

It was all West Coast for the next 10 minutes as the visitors made the Tigers pay for their turnovers and slammed on three more goals, before a desperate tackle from Bailey Rogers saved the hosts.

Repeat efforts in midfield from Mountford then allowed England to kick the Tigers’ first goal, before the visitors slammed on three more.

A brilliant kick to the top of the goal square from co-captain Ian Richardson found Lee and saw the Tiger trim the deficit to 30 points at the first change, before Harris immediately addressed the playing group, imploring the team to win the territory battle, not to get out-marked and return to basics.

Repeat efforts from Martinis in the early stages of the second term were an early sign of things to come from the Tigers, as Lim kicked his first goal after a squaring pass from Lee, with the hosts dominating the opening five minutes of play.

A brilliant and gutsy mark from Hamp soon followed, before Alec Waterman ran into an open goal after a kick-to-advantage from Richardson.

England then hacked the ball out of mid-air on the goal line following some precise passes from defence, with the Tigers’ intent, pressure and tackling suffocating the visitors.

A goal-saving rushed behind from Hamp reiterated the Tigers’ appetite for the contest before Bolton made the visitors pay for their continued harassment of the superstar, and Oliver Eastland kicked truly without the ball returning to the centre during a minute of madness from West Coast.

5.4 to 0.2 was the result of the Tigers’ brilliant response and dominant second term and saw them take a two-point lead at half-time, before Martinis’ blue-collar effort in the opening minute of the second half.

A one-on-one spoil from Ryan Murphy soon followed before Lee was rewarded for a great tackle and kicked his second goal, with Martinis involved again as the Tigers extended their lead.

A ferocious tackle from Mountford on Brendon Ah Chee resulted in the Tiger earning a free kick and delighted the boisterous Tiger Army, before Lim kicked his second and the Tigers’ eighth consecutive goal.

West Coast’s Bailey Williams replied with his second and the visitors’ first goal since the opening term, as the Tigers took an eight-point lead at the final change.

Harris praised the Tigers’ backline and lauded the team’s pressing and blue-collar effort, as a third goal to England gave the team a brilliant start to the final term and extended the lead to 14 points.

West Coast replied with consecutive goals before Lee gave the Tigers some breathing space, before the visitors kicked two more goals to take a four-point lead.

A desperate smother from defender Dec Hardisty (game-high 11 tackles) denied the visitors, however, the Tigers fell just short of their opponents in a pulsating contest played in warm conditions.

The Tigers will aim to return to winning ways when they face Perth at Lathlain Park in round five.

CLAREMONT 2.1 7.5 9.7 11.9 (75)

WEST COAST 7.1 7.3 8.5 12.5 (77)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 3 T. Lee, C. England, 2 R. Lim, 1 A. Waterman, J. Bolton, O. Eastland.

WEST COAST: 3 J. Waterman, B. Williams, 2 F. McInnes, 1 B. Grey, H. Brayshaw, K. Brooksby, M. Allen.

BEST

CLAREMONT: R. Lim, A. Hamp, L. Martinis, T. Smallwood, C. England.

WEST COAST: B. Grey, K. Brooksby, J. Nelson, M. Allen, J. Rotham.