Falcons End 71 -Year Drought

Perhaps it appeared all too easy. Claremont went into Sunday’s second semi-final at Claremont Oval as red-hot favourites against West Perth.

The Tigers had won 27 of their previous 31 matches. They had beaten the Falcons at their previous five encounters --- by margins of 85, 45, 119, 19 and 21 points, an average winning margin of 57 points.

West Perth were distinct underdogs who had finished the qualifying rounds with barely a whimper, losing their final two matches by 73 points to East Fremantle and 18 points to Swan Districts.

And Claremont had not lost to West Perth in a final-round contest for 71 years. Since West Perth had triumphed over Claremont by 51 points in the 1942 grand final the Tigers had met the Cardinals in five final-round matches for victories by margins of 38, 30, 11, 86 and 85 points.

Some over-confident Claremont supporters arrived for the game in self-congratulatory mode. This was going to be a piece of cake. Maybe, just maybe, there was a fragment of complacency in the Tigers ranks. Perhaps, subconsciously, there was a feeling of looking too far ahead.

Well, the truth of the matter emerged that facts, figures and statistics are meaningless. History means nothing. It all boils down to the mental state of the participants on the day.

The West Perth players arrived on a mission. They were miffed that considerable publicity sent a clear message that this contest was merely a stepping stone for the Tigers to charge straight into the grand final. They were out to prove a point.

In contrast, there was not quite the same urgency in the Claremont ranks. Perhaps not every single player was fully switched on. Yes, they all wanted to win. But was there total 100 per cent commitment?

West Perth set the example in a see-sawing match in which the scores were level four times and the lead changed hands 12 times. The Tigers surrendered a handy three-goal lead at half-time and West Perth emerged deserving victors by four points, scoring a wasteful 11.21 to Claremont’s 12.11.

Now the Tigers face their moment of truth in 2013 when they go into battle in the preliminary final at Claremont Oval next Sunday against the rampaging East Perth side which flexed its not inconsiderable muscle in a 28-point demolition of Swan Districts in the first semi-final at Bassendean Oval.

The Tigers trained in the cold, wind and rain on Wednesday night with great zest and all players are fully focused on the task at hand.  

It was the same old story for much of Sunday’s game at Claremont Oval, with the West Perth players running harder and getting more numbers to contests. And Claremont made far more errors and turned the ball over more times than the opposition.

It took 16 minutes for the first major. This came when Marc Crisp seized an errant Claremont handpass close to goal. Eventually, after 24 minutes did the Tigers break through for their first goal after an inspirational effort from full-forward Chad Jones.

West Perth captain Jason Salecic had taken a mark in the centre of the ground and was taking a long time to deliver the ball. Finally, the umpire blew his whistle and called play-on. It was then that Jones raced forward and tackled Salecic before he could kick the ball. Jones was awarded a free-kick . Mark Seaby took the advantage free-kick and handpassed to Ian Richardson, who dashed forward and kicked the first of his three goals.

Jake Murphy won the clearance at the resultant centre bounce and initiated an attack which ended in a goal to half-forward flanker Matt Davies. Soon after that Luke Blackwell passed to Andrew Foster, whose kick was marked at centre-half-forward by winger Nick Winmar.

Winmar then was flattened by West Perth’s Josh Mellington. Mellington was reported for charging Winmar. But the Falcons repelled this attack. Then in the final minute of the term full-back James Thomson passed the ball accurately to Winmar, who surged forward and took two bounces before Jones fought hard to gain possession.

Jones then sent a short, wobbly pass to Winmar 35m out on the left flank. The siren sounded and Winmar’s goal gave the home side a nine-point lead at the first change.

A handpass from Jones to Paul Medhurst 50 seconds into the second term resulted in a behind and two minutes later a splendid tackle by Thomson got the Tigers moving forward again, with Medhurst taking a mark and handpassing top Jack Bradshaw in the goalsquare for Claremont’s fourth major and a lead of 16 points.

However, West Perth took charge and added three goals in the space of four minutes which turned the satisfied smiles on the faces of the Claremont faithful into deep furrows of concern.

Winger Sam Fong replied with a behind and from the West Perth kick-in Ryan Neates earned a free-kick at left half-forward. The goal from Neates temporarily halted the Falcons goalrush. But five minutes later Mark Hutchings booted his second goal for the quarter. Another seven minutes passed before Bradshaw flew high over Rohan Kerr to pull down an excellent mark on the right wing.

Bradshaw passed to Richardson, whose kick was marked a few metres out by Seaby, whose goal enabled the Tigers to regain the lead. A Trinity Handley handpass to Jones enabled Jones to force the ball forward for a bounce-down. Seaby rose high to gain the tap to Handley, who kicked truly.

The Tigers were firing and a fierce attack on the ball by Fong enabled him to fire out a handpass to Jones, whose deft left-foot short pass was marked by a diving Richardson. Richardson’s goal gave the Tigers a three-goal buffer at half-time.

The Falcons were far from dismayed and goals to Mellington and Matt Guadagnin in the first five minutes of the third quarter came as a powerful warning that they meant business. The Tigers hit back when Foster handpassed to Bradshaw, who passed to Anton Hamp, who delivered to Murphy. The ball went out of bounds in the left pocket where Fong handballed to Jesse Laurie.

Laurie’s kick was marked by Bradshaw in the left pocket and he quickly passed the ball back towards half-forward to Davies, who kicked his second goal.

West Perth were attacking relentlessly and there were Claremont turnovers galore. Finally, late in the quarter Winmar dashed forward, took three bounces to set up an attacking move which ended with Davies handballing to Jones, who handpassed to Richardson for his third goal.      

The three-quarter time margin was a point in favour of Claremont. West Perth were back in the lead after seven minutes when a free-kick in the centre of the ground led to a mark and goal to the dangerous Crisp. Hamp brought up his third behind before he booted a marvellous goal from the boundary to put his side one point in front.

The Claremont players were throwing everything at the opposition and a tremendous tackle by defender Blake Anderson halted Guadagnin in his tracks as he was running into an open goal. Anderson was awarded a free-kick and he delivered to Foster, who was flattened by Steven Browne 65m out from goal. No score resulted from Foster’s kick. Handley also came under notice for his fierce tackle on Mellington, which halted an opposition attacking move.

West Perth frittered away several opportunities and added five behinds before Jordan Jones took a mark in the left pocket and kicked a goal which put the Cardinals ten points in front. Claremont refused to surrender and Laurie earned applause for his great smother off the boot of West Perth’s Matthew Fowler as he took a shot at goal at right half-forward.

The energetic Bradshaw was still running hard and he gained possession at half-back before passing to Anderson, whose handpass found David Crawford in a move which resulted in Richardson booting to the goalsquare where Foster took the mark and kicked his side’s 12^th goal.

But the siren sounded 87 seconds later with Thomson in possession at left half-back. West Perth thoroughly deserved their victory and a spot in the grand final.

By Ken Casellas

Details:

West Perth 11.21 (87) beat Claremont 12.11 (83).

Scorers---WEST PERTH: M. Crisp 4.2; J. Mellington 2.1; M. Hutchings 2.0; M. Guadagnin 1.4; M. Fowler 1.3; J. Jones 1.0; J. Salecic 0.2; R. Bartholomew, R. Kerr, C. Keunen, S. Nelson, J. van Berlo 0.1; 4pts forced. CLAREMONT: I. Richardson 3.2; M. Davies 2.1; A. Hamp 1.3; J. Bradshaw, A. Foster, T. Handley, R. Neates, M. Seaby, N. Winmar 1.0; P. Medhurst 0.2; S. Fong 01; 2pts forced.

Best---WEST PERTH: J. van Berlo, M. Hutchings, M. Crisp, M. Guadagnin, S. Browne, S. Nelson, A. Black, R. Kerr. CLAREMONT: J. Bradshaw, M. Davies, S. Fong, J. Thomson, I. Richardson, L. Blackwell, J. Murphy, T. Handley.