Barron Leads by Example | Reserves Semi FInal

By Ken Casellas

Mitch Barron knows only one way to play football --- and that’s running in straight lines with aferocious attack on the ball.

He’s like a human wrecking ball, fearless in his desire to gain possession, and to soften the opposition with his physicality and his unrelenting tackling.

Claremont’s reserves players owe him a debt of gratitude for his inspirational performance in the second semi-final against Subiaco at Rushton Park on Sunday.

He stood out like a beacon in the opening quarter when Subiaco outplayed a somewhat
lethargic Tigers side with players uncharacteristically fumbling and giving away free-kicks with undisciplined efforts.

The 20-year-old Barron, a sturdy 88kg midfielder, gained the clearance from the opening ball-up after Max Rohr had won the knock, and he maintained his high standard to finish the quarter with nine disposals.

If it had not been for the splendid efforts from Barron, the Lions surely would have had a bigger lead than their 4.1 to 0.2 showed on the scoreboard at quarter-time.

To make matters worse Claremont lost the services of George Graham late in the quarter when the big key defender suffered a knee injury.

Claremont responded to the quarter-time urgings from coach Darren Harper and recovered in fine style, scoring five goals in the second term while restricting Subiaco to three behinds.

Claremont scored the first two goals of the third quarter to move to a comfortable three-goal lead after five minutes. But Subiaco fought back to go into the three-quarter-time break with a one-point advantage, leading 8.6 to 8.5.

In a hard-fought final quarter Claremont outscored Subiaco four goals to two to win by ten
points and earn the right to play in the grand final at Optus Stadium in a fortnight’s time.

Barron has excelled with the colts, reserves and league sides, winning the club’s fairest-and-best award for the colts side in 2022 and finishing second to Menno Inverarity in the award for the fairest-and-best player in the reserves side last year.

One of the highlights in the opening quarter of Sunday’s match was half-back flanker Sam
Gilbey’s ferocious tackle on Subiaco’s Lachlan Macrae. Gilbey, ruckman Rohr, half-back flanker Lachie Martinis and winger Inverarity, along with Barron, worked hard in the first quarter.

Then it was half-forward Sam van Rooyen who got the Tigers moving in the second term. He took an excellent high mark 50m out from a Kai Dehavilland kick (following an attacking move involving Ben Evans and Zane Sumich) and booted Claremont’s first goal when the second quarter was just two minutes old. Two minutes later van Rooyen received from Rohr and unselfishly handpassed to Kim Kantilla, who dashed forward for his side’s second major.

At the seven-minute mark, full-forward Sumich took a great diving mark on the boundary line in the left pocket. He was then manhandled by a Subiaco opponent and was awarded a 50m penalty and was able to pop through his side’s third goal.

The fourth goal came four minutes later when centre-half-forward Dylan Mulligan, taking a turn in the ruck, seized the ball on the ground after a boundary throw-in and swivelled and kicked truly.

The Tigers took the lead for the first time nine minutes before half-time when Sullivan Moody marked an errant Subiaco clearing kick and scored his side’s fifth major.

Claremont scored two goals in the first five minutes of the third quarter, with a tumbling
Mulligan snapping truly and then marking a rushed kick forward from Logan Guelfi for his third.

A goal to busy midfielder Bailey Banfield extended Claremont’s lead to 11 points before Subiaco replied with goals to Campbell Henderson and Richard Bartlett to regain a one-point advantage.

A snap from Banfield and a long shot from Sumich registered goals in the opening two minutes of the final quarter. The dangerous Jordan Faraone replied with Subiaco’s ninth goal before the Tigers fought back, with Banfield and Evans combining to get the ball to Riley Disisto.

Disisto was tackled high in the ensuing contest, and he was forced to leave the field under the blood rule, leaving Dehavilland to score a goal.

Five minutes later an outstanding move from deep in defence saw the ball transferred down the field. The attacking sortie began with Zane Verbruggen taking a great defensive mark before Ed Greenaway, Guelfi and Dehavilland combined to get the ball to Moody, who’s kick rolled through for the side’s twelfth and final goal.

Details:
Claremont 12.5 (77) beat Subiaco 10.7 (67)

Scorers---CLAREMONT: D. Mulligan 3.0; S. Moody 2.1; B. Banfield, Z. Sumich 2.0; K. Kantilla 1.1; K. Dehavilland, S. van Rooyen 1.0; 2pts forced. SUBIACO: R. Bartlett 2.2; J. Faraone 2.1; J. Wagenknecht 1.1; C. Abala, B. Golding, C. Henderson, R. Murison, T. Mibus 1.0; 3pts forced.

Best---CLAREMONT: M. Barron, D. Mulligan, M. Rohr, K. Dehavilland, S. Gilbey, L. Martinis, M. Inverarity, B. Banfield. SUBIACO: B. Golding, P. Mullane, C. Bellouard, C. Henderson, R. Bartlett, R. Morgan, R. Murison.