Season Over But Tiger Cubs Have Bright Future

By John Townsend | Match Reporter

Claremont were “obliterated” in the midfield, barely had a presence in the forward line and were out-muscled in most areas of the ground.

Yet for all the disappointment of the 39-point loss to Subiaco in the first semifinal that ended his team’s season on Sunday, coach Ashley Prescott saw a bright future for a Claremont team with half its members born this century.

The irreplaceable loss of Jack Buller in the midseason draft means that recruiting at least one strong forward will be a priority, with 2020 fairest-and-best Alec Waterman likely to be a key target, while adding midfield muscle is also on the agenda.

“Hard work and time will help the young players but there is no doubt we also have to add to the mix because the teams we have come up against have had a group of older players,” Prescott said.

The fourth-placed finish was the lowest in Prescott’s seven years at Tigerland though his teams have won at least one final in each of those seasons and continue to challenge for the ultimate success.

“We have hung tough all year,” Prescott said as his team overcame a terrible start to get within a kick at the last break only to be over-run in the final term at Leederville Oval.

“We saw the emergence of some of the younger group who showed they are capable of playing finals footy.

“We stuck at it, we came back after being down early and we regenerated.

“The big picture is really exciting though it was disappointing to serve up a first quarter like we did.”

Subiaco were 33 points ahead well into time-on in the first term before Callan England opened Claremont’s scoring.

The midfield brigade barely won a contested possession in the opening stanza, and while Claremont’s remarkable accuracy whittled the deficit to a solitary goal in the next hour, the Lions had a last-quarter spree on their way to the 12.16 (88) to 8.1 (49) win.

Prescott identified the poor start as the key to the result despite it coming as a surprise after a strong week on the training track that followed the intense elimination final win over East Perth.

“They were harder and tougher in the first quarter and we got obliterated in the midfield,” he said.

“You just have to look at the contested possession count to see that.”

But for Anthony Davis, who played a lone hand in defence and ended the match as the best player on the ground, the margin would have been substantially greater in the first final between the western suburb neighbours since their 2011 grand final clash.

Davis had 27 disposals and 13 marks as he produced a bright finish to the best season of his short career.

Ruckman Ollie Eastland battled hard against veteran Zac Clarke to win more hit-outs (36 to 28) and possessions (17 to 16) but could not impose himself on the contest as he has done throughout his own breakthrough season.

The pair of left-footers joined Talon Delacey (12 disposals, a goal and game-high seven tackles) and Zac Mainwaring (two goals), who shared the goalkicking award with 30 apiece, and Sam Alvarez (16 touches) in improving so significantly this year that they had their best seasons.

Jack Lewsey also responded to the responsibility of the acting captaincy in the absence of Dec Mountford by producing one of his best displays as a robust rebounding defender.

But the Tigers were forced to play catch-up from the opening moments and were unable to match an

opponent invariably first to the ball and operating with time and space denied the visitors.

Claremont 2.0 3.1 8.1 8.1 49

Subiaco 5.4 5.10 7.13 12.16 88

Goals – Claremont: England, Mainwaring 2; Bolton, Delacey, Elliott, Sheldrick.

Subiaco: Borchet, Sokol 3; Kitchin, Tholstrup, Robbins, Clarke, Morgan, Alone.

Best – Claremont: Davis, Lewsey, Eastland, England, Alvarez, Elliott.

Subiaco: Giro, L Hickmott, Kitchin, Alone, Clarke, Borchet.