By Ken Casellas

The successful return to football after an absence of 11 months by talented forward Alex Manuel was the most significant feature of Claremont’s 50-point victory over South Fremantle in the reserves match at Fremantle Oval on Saturday.

The 24-year-old right-footer has made a full recovery from surgery to his right knee and he moved freely in the first half of the contest before, as planned, he was rested for the second half when the Tigers slipped into top gear and added 8.8 to South’s two goals to improve their record to 14 wins and a solitary loss this season.

Manuel was quickly into the thick of things and after the Bulldogs had scored the opening two goals, he earned a free-kick and a 50m penalty to boot his side’s first goal ten minutes into the match.

He also was feeling so sprightly that he successfully contested a ruck duel deep in attack when Kaiden Gilbert was off the field recovering from a rib injury.

Manuel, who took two marks, had seven kicks and made four handpasses, said he pulled up feeling good and was looking forward to a lengthier time on the field against Swan Districts next Saturday.

Heartening features of Claremont’s performance was the encouraging form of teenagers Tom Baldwin and Ronin O’Connor, each of whom was making his third appearance in the reserves competition after graduating from the colts.

Baldwin, recruited from the Royals club in Albany, is a strong, aggressive and straight forward footballer who excelled both in defence and attack, while the rangy O’Connor (yet another splendid player from the Marist club) showed excellent composure and skill on a half-back flank.

Claremont made a desultory start and were outplayed by a more polished and switched on home side which deserved its lead, 4.0 to 1.2, at quarter time.

Tom Blechynden got the ball rolling for the Bulldogs when he was awarded a free-kick and then a 50m penalty six minutes after the opening siren. He made no mistake from point-blank range. And three minutes later Travis Abbott booted the first of his three goals for the term, the third coming after an undisciplined push in the back to earn him a free-kick after his initial shot went through for a behind.

The Tigers lifted their rating in the second quarter when they added 3.6 and restricted Souths to just three behinds. Jess Laurie was showing the way in defence and it was a sortie originated by Laurie which ended with winger Callan England scoring a goal two minutes into the term.

Rylie Morgan gained the clearance at the resultant centre bounce and this was followed with a scrimmage in the right forward pocket where Isaac Barton was awarded a free-kick which he converted into his side’s third goal.

For the next 13 minutes Claremont worked hard to lock the ball in their forward line, but after several bounce-downs and boundary throw-ins the only additions to the score were a couple of behinds to the hard-working Ben Rushforth and one to Manuel after he had taken a mark in the left pocket following a high kick into attack from Jordan Law.

Eventually, a move involving Manuel, Barton and Rushforth resulted in the ball ending up in the goalsquare where Gilbert popped through a fourth major for the Tigers who were looking more efficient and dangerous with their players casting aside some of the selfish play which was evident in the opening stanza.

Souths levelled the scores early in the third quarter when Jacob Warne made the most of a free-kick for an infringement when contesting a boundary throw-in from the right pocket.

The contest then turned into a stalemate for several minutes as turnovers abounded. Midfielder Tom Curren was prominent, and he denied the Bulldogs with a strong intercept mark on the half-back line. Eventually an excellent passage of play involving Morgan, Josh Bennett, Lewis Daisley and Rushforth resulted in a mark to Curren, whose pass landed on the chest of leading full-forward Corey Hitchcock.

Hitchcock’s goal extended Claremont’s lead to nine points, and soon after that Bennett was rewarded for his fierce attack on the ball with a free-kick for a high tackle. Bennett’s pass was marked by Hitchcock --- and then the rain began to tumble down.

A dubious 50m penalty to South’s Kyle Hamersley resulted in a goal to the home side. However, the Tigers maintained control and their wingers Tom Ledger, England and Ben Edwards and midfielders Curren, Morgan, Jake Murphy and Jacob Sideris were prolific ball-winners. Laurie continued as an inspirational leader of a tight defensive unit and the powerful Jordon Reid was in form control of the ruck contests.  

A strong tackle by Ledger late in the quarter earned him a free-kick which initiated a move which ended with a behind to Baldwin. And then a move initiated by Ledger and involving England and Murphy finished with a snapped goal by the busy Sideris.

It was all the Tigers in the final quarter when they added 5.3 and held South Fremantle scoreless. Law, who impresses with his spirited tackling and the pressure he exerts as a defensive forward, got the ball rolling early in the quarter with a free-kick to a leading Barton for the side’s eighth major.

Claremont then played a lot of keeping’s-off football and at one stage they denied the Bulldogs a touch of the football for a couple of minutes while a succession of 12 short passes finally ended with a bounce-down just outside the side’s 50m attacking zone. This circular workout involved Bennett, Morgan, Sideris, Laurie, Lewis Davis, Daisley, O’Connor, Davis (again), Ledger, Reid, Sideris (again) and Ledger (again).

Eighteen minutes into the quarter another defensive mark to Laurie led to an attacking move involving Baldwin and Morgan (whose pass found Barton). Barton then centred the ball and Jake Anderson held a juggled mark and booted his side’s ninth goal. Morgan then gained the centre clearance and passed to Anderson for another goal.

A pass from Rushforth was marked by Hitchcock for his third goal and a dash down the right flank by Ledger ended with Hitchcock handpassing to Gilbert, whose snap was sailing through for a goal as the final siren sounded.

South Fremantle’s players were pushed off the ball too easily in the second half as the Tigers flexed their muscles. It was a good solid workout before next Saturday’s clash against Swan Districts, leading into the tougher finals football.

Claremont 12.17 (89) beat South Fremantle 6.3 (39)

Scorers---CLAREMONT: C. Hitchcock 3.0; I. Barton, K. Gilbert 2.1; J. Anderson 2.0; A. Manuel 1.1; C. England, J. Sideris 1.0; B. Rushforth, T. Ledger 0.3; T. Baldwin, R. Morgan, J. Murphy 0.2; T. Curren, L. Davis 0.1. SOUTH FREMANTLE: T. Abbott 3.1; T. Blechynden, K. Hamersley, J. Warne 1.0; S. Fitzgerald 0.1; 1pt forced.

Best---CLAREMONT: C. England, J. Laurie, R. Morgan, T. Baldwin, T. Curren, T. Ledger, B. Rushforth, J. Sideris, J. Reid. SOUTH FREMANTLE: T. Blechyden, K. Hamersley, Z. de San Miguel, J. Depane, T. McQuilkin, T. Abbott.