John Townsend

Claremont have qualified for their sixth finals campaign in as many seasons with Ashley Prescott at the coaching helm but had to dig deep on Saturday to keep a surging Peel team at bay.

The gutsy 15-point win over the Thunder means the Tigers can now set their sights on the minor premiership with two home-and-away rounds to go and only half a game separating them from top team West Perth.

It took a trademark 55m goal from centreman Jye Bolton to break the back of Peel’s resistance in a low-scoring final term at Revo Fitness Stadium after it appeared that much of the strong work in the first half was about to be undone.

Fired by Ben Edwards’ splendid return to the team, Claremont extended their lead to a seemingly unassailable 44 points when Bailey Rogers converted a spectacular pack mark midway through the third term.

But the Tigers’ mettle and resolve were soon tested by a Thunder team bolstered by 12 Dockers, including four Claremont products.

Sparked by two quick goals from towering Warnbro teenager Luke Polson, the visitors kicked six unanswered goals in 19 minutes on either side of three-quarter time.

That burst sliced the lead to just seven points before Bolton’s raking long bomb, and a ferocious defensive effort from his team-mates, extinguished the danger.

The 13.11 (89) to 11.8 (74) result meant Claremont became the only team this season to complete a full hand of victories against the nine other clubs

And it guaranteed that Prescott would join Jerry Dolan and Stan “Pops” Heal as the only WAFL coaches to reach finals in every one of at least six seasons at a club.

Heal won two flags in his six years at West Perth but it is unlikely anyone will match Dolan’s feat in winning five premierships and making finals 12 times in his 12 seasons at East Fremantle.

Dolan also won a flag and reached the finals in each of five seasons at East Perth.

Claremont started against Peel with the momentum generated in the big win over Perth a week earlier.

Coming off a career-best five-goal haul against the Demons, Tyron Smallwood continued in the same vein with a pair of majors from a combined distance of less than one metre in the opening five minutes.

Then Edwards, who missed the Perth win, imposed himself by landing two accurate strikes from loose play in the forward 50.

Big forward Timm House was involved in both passages of play and was later rewarded for his mostly unheralded work by scoring multiple goals for the first time since round 10.

House, Smallwood and Alex Manuel (one goal) have each kicked 19 goals this season and trail Jack Buller by just four in the quest to secure the leading goal-kicker award.

Built on the strong work of ruckman Ollie Eastland (42 hit-outs and 18 disposals), State midfielders Rogers (29 disposals), Edwards (23) and Bolton (26), as well as dashing displays by wingman Ryan Lim (28 and 10 marks) and defender Lachlan Martinis (29 and 10), Claremont led by five goals at half-time and appeared set for a resounding win.

Things changed rapidly. Polson scored twice after swooping on loose balls, rising star Neil Erasmus struck three times and the gap soon reduced to seven points.

Enter captain Dec Mountford.                                             

Trekking deep into defence from his wing, Mountford set the gold standard for his charges by producing a desperate defensive effort on the goal-line and then running hard through the midfield to provide an option for his team-mates.

Mountford’s example proved infectious and when Bolton drilled his long goal after completing a strong mark outside the 50m arc, the Tigers had done enough to secure their 12th win of the season.

CLAREMONT 4.0 9.4 12.8 13.11 89

PEEL 3.3 4.4 10.7 11.8 74

GOALS – CLAREMONT: 2 B Edwards, T House, T Smallwood. 1 B Rogers, D Mountford, R Lim, J Bolton, A Manuel, T Delacey, Z Mainwaring.

PEEL: 3 N Erasmus. 2 B Bell, L Polson. 1 J Amiss, M Crowden, J Western L Henry.

BEST – CLAREMONT: B Rogers, O Eastland, D Mountford, B Edwards, J Bolton, L Martinis.

PEEL: N Wilson, N Erasmus, L Henry, K Worner, T Thorne.