Gowdie Heroics Steers Claremont to First Final

John Townsend

Kieran Gowdie produced the best game of his short career to ensure Claremont did not stumble in their bid to play finals for the eighth time in coach Ashley Prescott’s eight seasons at the club.

The Tigers will take on East Fremantle in the elimination final on Sunday after producing a nerveless performance against archrival and potential finals spoiler Subiaco in the last round of the home-andaway season.

East Fremantle finished higher on the ladder by percentage but will travel to Revo Fitness Stadium due to the absence of an available home ground.

Given that the Tigers have been playing virtual elimination finals for the past month, the prospect of another sudden-death match at Leederville Oval on Sunday held few fears for a team playing some of the most intense football in recent Claremont history.

“The last 12 games of the year have been do or die for us,” captain Declan Mountford said after the 49-point win, 14.16 (100) to 7.9 (51).

“We haven’t been able to drop too many because otherwise we just wouldn’t make finals at all.

“It’s resilient group and we know our best is good enough. Everyone here believes that.”

It might have been a danger game with Subiaco farewelling premiership players Leigh Kitchin, Gus Dewar and Ben Sokol after stellar careers but Claremont snuffed out the threat with a brutal opening burst and maintained their urgency throughout.

Once the early spot fires were extinguished, Subiaco were kept goalless for an hour in the middle of the match and were not able to combat Claremont’s combination of old heads and young blood.

“We are playing a really good brand at the minute and one that’s probably suited to finals where we’re tough inside,” Mountford said.

“We have been able to restrict teams to pretty low scores for probably the last eight or nine weeks.

“If you’re tough to score against, just in general football terms, it gives you a chance to win the game.”

Claremont have restricted their opponents to 53 or fewer points nine times this season, including three and six goal scores from minor premiers East Perth and five by second-placed Peel.

The absence of star midfielder Jye Bolton (cork), who missed his first match after 99 consecutive appearances, and impressive first-year defender Josh Howard (back), were barely noticed as a group of unheralded players accepted greater responsibility.

Gowdie was the main mover in a team that had three 18-year-olds make substantial contributions while the old stagers like Mountford, Bailey Rogers and Ollie Eastland ensured the gold standard was maintained.

Gowdie landed three goals for the third time this season but provided a magnetic target in attack who hauled in seven of the 21 marks Claremont claimed inside their forward 50.

The 200cm big man also provided Eastland with splendid support in the ruck, kicked a timely goal late in the first term to snuff out Subiaco’s charge, added to a second quarter burst that killed the contest and ended a streak of misses in the last with his third strike.

Jasper Peace led the teen charge so effectively that he was the players’ player choice for restricting Ryan Borchet to one goal while Hamish Davis kicked three goals in a creative and cool-headed display.

Davis was one of several effective small forwards. Zac Mainwaring opened the scoring after juggling a spectacular diving mark, Tyron Smallwood bobbed up at dangerous moments to be a constant threat and Talon Delacey played with ferocity to add two goals.

Rogers shrugged off an ankle complaint to become the second most prolific player on the ground with 23 disposals, behind only his speedy midfield companion Callan England who won the ball 12 times in the first term and finished with 27.

Claremont had numerous contributors but have significant selection issues that will test Prescott and his match committee this week.

They are good challenges, though. Rebounding backman Martin Frederick is in doubt with a calf issue but Bolton and Howard should be back, Alec Waterman is close to returning from a broken thumb and Lachlan Martinis was lively in the reserves after a three-month foot injury.

CLAREMONT 4.3 8.7 10.13 14.16 100
SUBIACO 2.4 3.5 3.6 7.9 51

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Gowdie, H Davis 3; Delacey 2; Mountford, England, Sheldrick, Smallwood, Manuel, Mainwaring.
SUBIACO: Sokol 3; Borchet, Golding, Hickmott, Kelman.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Gowdie, England, Rogers, Eastland, H Davis, Elliott, Peace, Smallwood.
SUBIACO: Sokol, Dewar, Kitchin, Schofield, Kelman.