Williams, The Quiet Achiever

Brad Holmes, Peel Thunder’s leading goalkicker in the past two seasons, has always posed plenty of problems for Claremont and he again loomed as a danger man when he lined up in a forward pocket alongside emerging full-forward Matthew Taberner against the Tigers at Claremont Oval on Saturday.

Claremont coach Marc Webb gave John Williams the task of keeping Holmes under wraps, and it was a challenge which was accepted with enthusiasm.

Williams, a highly professional and disciplined footballer, shuns the limelight and he went about his business with unobtrusive efficiency to emerge as a star performer for the Tigers who produced a solid but unspectacular performance to defeat the Thunder by 53 points to improve their record this season to 11 wins from 12 matches to maintain their substantial lead over West Perth on top of the premiership ladder.

Williams is not a flashy player, but one who goes about his work with cool efficiency. He relishes in doing the basic requirements of a defender, sticking to his opponent like glue and using spoiling tactics with great effect. He finished the contest with a match-high tally of nine spoils, four more than half-back teammate Jesse Laurie, in second place.

Peel managed to penetrate their 50m attacking zone only 12 times in the first half, during which Williams restricted Holmes to just one ineffective kick. Holmes ended the match with just seven disposals and failed to score. For sheer efficiency, Williams deserves top billing.

Thomson also performed grandly on Taberner, keeping him to two goals. Thomson was in sparkling form and was a stand-out performer in the opening quarter when he had four kicks and an effective handpass and twice got the ball inside his side’s attacking 50m zone.

Claremont stamped their authority in the first quarter in which they scored 6.5 from 19 inside 50s while holding the visitors scoreless. Claremont led 9.8 to 2.3 at half-time and increased their margin to 54 points early in the third term before a Peel revival reduced the deficit to 30 points at three-quarter time.

The Tigers then regained firm control and added 4.2 in the final quarter and held Peel to just three behinds.

In a bruising contest the Tigers lost wingman Nick Winmar and midfielder Andrew Foster in the third quarter, with each player suffering concussion after heavy knocks. Scans revealed that Foster had a hairline fracture of the cheekbone and he will be out of action for four to five weeks. 

Claremont’s opening-quarter charge was led by dominant ruckmen Mark Seaby and Mitch Andrews, the brilliant Foster, lively half-forward flankers Ian Richardson and Matt Davies and effervescent midfielders Jake Murphy, Ben Daniher and Sam Fong.

Davies, the strongly-built left-footer in his first season of league football, continues to impress. The 21-year-old had the daunting task of playing on Peel captain Brendon Jones, a seasoned veteran of 169 WAFL matches. Davies produced four quarters of spirited football, finishing with nine marks, 15 kicks and 11 effective handpasses, including four clearances and six inside 50s.

Jones also was an efficient player for his side, with eight marks, 21 kicks and 11 effective handpasses.

It took the Tigers only 81 seconds to post their opening goal, a typically sparkling snap from Richardson after he had gathered a long kick forward from Winmar, who made the most of a free-kick following a hurried Peel kick out of bounds on the full.

Four minutes later Seaby received a free-kick and he handpassed to Tom Taylor, who passed to Jack Bradshaw for the first of his three majors. Seaby was in grand form. Soon afterwards he gained possession at half-back, got a handpass away and the ball was transferred to Richardson, whose pass found Andrews.

Andrews then passed to the hard-running Seaby at centre-half-forward and his kick saw full-forward Chad Jones hold a strong before he booted the first of his three goals. The fourth goal was a snap from Liam Smith, following some good work from Thomson and Bradshaw.

Thomson started a move which ended with Claremont’s fifth goal. Also involved in this splendid passage of play were Fong, Murphy, Richardson, Davies and Andrews, with the Andrews kick going to defender David Crawford, who had drifted downfield and floated in front of the pack to take a mark close to goal.

Davies then made the most of a free-kick for an out-of-bounds on-the-full infringement by threading through a delightful goal with his natural left foot from the boundary line at left half-forward. Then a shot from the hard-working Daniher hit a goalpost to register the first of two posters to the left-footer.

Peel opened their account with two forced behinds early in the second quarter before they got their first major, following a mark to Taberner nine minutes into the term. 

Claremont replied with a goal to Jones after Andrews combined with Murphy to get the ball to Matt Goyder, who passed accurately to the full-forward. Smith then handpassed to Richardson, who drove the ball forward to Seaby, whose handpass to Pat McGinnity saw the hard-working midfielder snap truly.

A 55m bomb from Matt Orzel gave Peel their second major, but the Tigers replied 90 seconds later with Bradshaw bringing up his second goal after receiving a pass from Davies. Claremont then went into the half-time break, leading 9.8 to 2.3.

This margin was extended to 54 points nine minutes into the third term, following goals to Daniher (after he had marked a Peel clearing kick) and a snap from captain Andrew Browne, following a handpass from Bradshaw to Foster, whose wonderful long left-handed handpass set up Browne. This score was the direct result of a great effort by McGinnity to spoil what appeared to be a certain Peel mark.

Unfortunately, Claremont then lost the services of Winmar and Foster and the side did not add to its score in the final 23 minutes of the term, during which time the visitors slammed home four goals to go into the three-quarter-time break only 30 points in arrears.

The final quarter was 7min. 25sec. old when the Tigers scored a steadying goal, a wonderful set shot by Richardson 50m out on the boundary line at left half-forward. Soon afterwards Seaby bobbed up, taking a splendid saving mark deep in defence. A minute later a Crawford torpedo punt found Anton Hamp, who drove the ball forward to Richardson. But only a point resulted.

The next goal came nine minutes later when Murphy gained possession at a bounce-down at half-forward and handpassed to defender Keifer Yu. Seaby gained the knock at the resultant centre bounce-down and McGinnity drove the ball forward to enable Jones to boot his third goal. Then a tumbling Bradshaw snapped truly for Claremont’s final goal.

by Ken Casellas

Details:

Claremont 15.12 (102) beat Peel Thunder 7.7 (49).

Scorers---CLAREMONT: J. Bradshaw 3.2; C. Jones 3.0: I. Richardson 2.2; B. Daniher 1.3; A. Browne, D. Crawford, M. Davies, P. McGinnity, L. Smith, K. Yu 1.0; M. Seaby 0.1; 4pts forced. PEEL: J. Hawksley 3.0; M. Orzel, M. Taberner 2.0; K. Thornton 0.2; C. Luff 0.1; 4pts forced.

Best---CLAREMONT: J. Williams, M. Seaby, M. Davies, P. McGinnity, T. Taylor, J. Murphy, S. Fong, B. Daniher, A. Foster, A. Browne. PEEL: P. Bower, M. Motlop, B. Jones, T. Sheridan, V. Michie, M. Orzel, T. Smith.