ALVAREZ SHINES ON WING

By Ken Casellas

Two unerring passes in the first quarter that were marked by Callan England set the tone for Sam Alvarez’s delightful performance on a wing for Claremont in the pre-season scratch match against Subiaco at Leederville Oval on Saturday.

Cool, composed and skilful, Alvarez set the example for efficiency throughout the four quarters of an enjoyable hit-out which was won by Claremont, 9.12 to 8.13.

The 19-year-old Alvarez finished with four marks, three effective handpasses and 16 kicks, of which ten went directly to a teammate who gained possession.

With several league regulars absent, Saturday’s match provided an excellent opportunity for some of the club’s rising young prospects, with small forwards Max Mumme (18) and Zac Mainwaring (20) showing considerable skill and tenacity.

Cameron Anderson (20) revealed his usual blistering pace and was rewarded with three of Claremont’s first five goals. Nineteen-year-old Kieran Gowdie showed that he will develop into a formidable ruckman with a spirited display opposed to the talented and experienced Lachlan Delahunty, the 2019 Sandover medallist. Gowdie’s tremendous snap shot to notch Claremont’s eighth goal was an absolute gem.

Talon Delacey (19) showed promise in the midfield where he used his strength to advantage and was under notice with three excellent tackles.

It was great to see midfielder Bailey Bennett free of injury and in fine pre-season form. He began with a flourish and was the best on ground in the opening quarter.

Left-footer Ben Harding, who has joined the Tigers from the University club, showed promise with a busy performance in the centre, while acting captain Ryan Lim produced a typically strong effort on a wing where his 13 handpasses set up many attacking moves.

It was Lim’s outstanding commitment in defence late in the final quarter that produced the highlights of the afternoon --- two fearless attacks on the ball to make effective spoils to thwart Subiaco in a bid to snatch victory.

Ronin O’Connor, back at Claremont after two years with the Adelaide Crows, showed that he will be a great asset this year with a powerful display on the ball. He is a strong tackler and his deft handpassing in his 17-disposal performance was a feature of his game which lifted the spirits of the Tigers supporters at the ground.

Jack Lewsey was a wonderful general deep in an efficient defence in which Alex Pearce was frequently under notice, along with Jack Beeck, Anthony Davis, Dec Hardisty, Ben Schuhkraft and Louis Passera.

Details:

Claremont 9.12 beat Subiaco 8.13.

Scorers---CLAREMONT: C. Anderson 3.2; Z. Mainwaring 2.0; K. Gowdie, C. Malone, T. Smallwood 1.0; B. Harding 0.3; J. Buller 0.2; S. Alvarez, C. England, T. Delacey, M. Mumme 0.1.