BOLTON MASTERCLASS STEERS CLAREMONT TO TOP-THREE FINISH

John Townsend

It wasn’t pretty but it got the job done.

Coming off their worst performance of the season and facing an opponent with little to play for, Claremont avoided any pre-finals jitters with a dour work-out against West Coast that confirmed a top three finish for the fourth consecutive season.

The Tigers know they will have to find far greater urgency and intensity when they take on East Fremantle in the qualifying final next week.

But they have been one of the main contenders all season, have beaten all the other finalists – including minor premiers West Perth twice – and are confident their best football is capable of matching all comers.

That was displayed only spasmodically throughout the 23-point win at Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday though the best signs came in the performances of several of the team’s most important members.

The most telling contribution was provided by star centreman Jye Bolton, the WAFL’s most decorated current player, who relished the responsibility to lead from the front.

Bolton has been used in defence and attack for long periods this season, often to provide midfield opportunities for his younger team-mates and to keep him fresh for the business end of the season.

That period has now arrived.

Leading the team in the absence of captain Declan Mountford, who sustained a delayed concussion from the previous weekend, Bolton made an explosive start to the match that set the Tigers on the path to their 10.8 (68) to 6.9 (43) win.

It was notable that the starting centre-square combination – ruckman Ollie Eastland, the two Sandover medallists in Bolton and Bailey Rogers, and their State team-mate Ben Edwards – was the most credentialled available as coach Ashley Prescott turned to his most reliable options.

 Bolton responded with the first goal of the match, a running shot in the opening minutes as he raced into dangerous territory, and won 13 of his 30 disposals by quarter-time to expose the brittle Eagles blend of underachieving AFL-listed players and overwhelmed top-ups.

No player had a greater influence and while Bolton was content to take a back seat in the second half when the result was beyond question, he will enter the finals series in excellent form and ready to have a profound impact.

Forward Alex Manuel also lifted his rating to kick two of his three majors in the opening term while his burgeoning confidence was evident with a superb run-down tackle on a fleeing opponent that lifted his team-mates and won the plaudits of the small crowd.

Revitalising Claremont’s static forward line provides Prescott with one of his biggest challenges though the evenness of the division is underlined by the close tussle to win the leading goal-kicker award.

Jack Buller leads with 23 goals but any one of Manuel (22), Tyron Smallwood (22), Timm House (20) and Rogers (20) could secure the honour by season’s end.

The most pleasing aspect of the game was the vibrant return of rebounding defender Lachlan Martinis whose one-game suspension proved costly in the recent loss to the Sharks.

Martinis’ bounce from half-back, with a game-high 19 kicks, proved critical to Claremont’s best ball movement.

The defensive brigade was superb throughout the match, giving up just six goals from 33 inside-50 entries, with talls Declan Hardisty and Anthony Davis safe and miserly competitors while Jason Carter added considerable class in his first league appearance in three months.

It was the third time in six games that Claremont had surrendered six or fewer goals to indicate that the back-line and midfield are humming on the eve of finals.

Add some more fluency in attack and the Tigers should be in good shape for their finals campaign.

CLAREMONT 4.1 5.4 9.6 10.8 68

WEST COAST 1.2 3.3 4.7 6.9 45

GOALS – CLAREMONT: 3: A Manuel. 2: T Smallwood, O Sheldrick. 1: B Rogers, R Lim, J Bolton.

WEST COAST: 1: Z Langdon, J Nelson, J Williams, P Naish, J Burke, J Edwards.

BEST – CLAREMONT: J Bolton, A Manuel, A Davis, J Carter, R Lim, D Hardisty, L Martinis, C England.

WEST COAST: J Nelson, E Hansen, J Rotham, G Clark, P Naish.