Falcons await after Peel reality check

John Townsend

Claremont confront recent nemesis West Perth in their most pivotal match of the season this week after a Peel reality check slowed their advance towards the finals.

Fremantle’s emerging 206cm ruckman Max Knobel forced Ollie Eastland to lower his colours for the first time this season while the muscle and impact of the Thunder’s powerful midfield cohort proved the critical difference between the two teams at Rushton Park on Saturday.

Claremont’s trademark fast start underpinned their 19-point advantage early in the second term but the Tigers could not sustain their impact against a team that changed gears before half-time and ended up winning by 35 points, 17.10 (112) to 11.11 (77).

Peel’s eight unanswered goals either side of half-time created a barrier the visiting team found impossible to overcome.

The loss left Claremont half a game outside the top five and almost certainly needing to win their last three matches to qualify for finals.

The task starts at Revo Fitness Stadium on Saturday when the Tigers host last-placed West Perth in the latest chapter of a remarkable recent rivalry.

The nail-biting 2022 grand final provided the greatest anguish over the past decade but Claremont have also suffered defeats of 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10 points during the same period.

There would not be a better day than Saturday for the Tigers to avenge that sequence of disappointments.

But they will be without captain Declan Mountford after he travelled to Paris immediately after the Peel game to watch partner Nina Kennedy attempt to win an Olympic gold medal in the pole-vaulting.

Claremont’s challenge started in the centre circle where Eastland gave away 7cm in height and even more reach to gangling Knobel whose clean taps were exploited by Sandover Medal prospect Will Brodie and returning Docker Matt Johnson.

Eastland’s 24 hit-outs were his lowest return since early last season – though he laid a game-high seven tackles - while Knobel’s precision enabled the Thunder to kick three goals directly from centre ball-ups.

Claremont also struggled to combat Peel’s work in the middle of the ground with the home team producing 17 marks to two between the arcs in the second quarter alone.

Bailey Rogers, Jye Bolton and Callan England were busy throughout, Ben Elliott and Sam Alvarez had their moments, and Anthony Davis’s move to a wing gave the Tigers an aerial conduit to attack, but Claremont were not able to stop Peel’s momentum when the game was on the line.

Alex Manuel extended his lead at the top of the goal-kicking list with three excellent strikes to have 26 majors for the year.

Alec Waterman (21) is his closest challenger but did not hit the scoreboard on Saturday while Jack Musika and Talon Delacey, with two goals each, made the most of limited opportunities.

Delacey’s 100% efficiency with ball in hand was a pleasing element on the day but in a game when Peel had 88 more disposals, 32 more marks and 24 more inside 50s, it was little more than window dressing.

CLAREMONT 4.5 6.7 7.8 11.11 77

PEEL 2.3 7.4 11.9 17.10 112

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Manuel 3; Delacey, Musika 2; Bolton, A Davis, England, Mainwaring.

PEEL: Tuia 4; Taberner 3; Jones, Kuek, Wilson 2; Brodie, Colton, O’Driscoll, Voss.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Rogers, England, Alvarez, Bolton, Manuel, Delacey.

PEEL: Brodie, Knobel, Tuia, Johnson, Worner, O’Driscoll.