Brave Tigers Fall Short Against Lions

An injury-hit Claremont (Reserves) has suffered a 48-point defeat to Subiaco at the Showgrounds despite a spirited effort in which the team were down two players before half-time.

With Toby Plant and Max Bentley suffering knee and collar bone injuries respectively, the Tigers trailed by 18 points at the final change, before the second-placed Lions slammed on four goals and held the hosts scoreless in the final term to prevail 17.13 (115) to 10.7 (67).

The result sees the Tigers remain in fifth spot and well-placed to have another tilt at the finals with one game in hand on East Perth and Perth who sit in sixth and seventh place.

Isaac Baum and Ben Higgs both won plenty of the football and combined for 11 marks, while Keegan Knott kicked four goals, including three in the opening 16 minutes.

Matthew Palfrey added two goals to go with the customary run and dash he provides from half-back, while Darcy Cameron won 38 hit outs as he worked tirelessly in the ruck and around the ground.

Harrison McCracken gave the Tigers’ forwards first use of the football with his superb clearance-work from midfield, while Francis Watson provided a cool head and rebound from defence.

Jack Richardson found himself in the unfamiliar role of defender, however, the Tiger embraced the challenge and took seven marks.

The Lions were well served by Matthew Bogensperger, Max Walters and Jordan Bestry, while the side had 10 individual goal kickers and welcomed 2014 Bernie Naylor medallist Matt Boland into the team for his first game in 2015 as he makes a return from injury.

Cameron and Watson headed the inclusions as the pair returned from stints in the League side, with Lawrence Evans and Peter Mark added to the team who defeated Perth six days earlier.

Tom Swift, Mitch Andrews (League), Steven Edwards and Chaz Flint all came out of the team as the Tigers kicked to the southern end in the opening term with the aid of a healthy breeze.

With the Tigers wasteful in the early stages and only able to register four behinds, Jeremy Woodley kicked the opening major to give the Lions a two-point lead after nine minutes.

Three goals to Knott in the next six minutes saw the Tigers take a 17-point lead after the side were finally able to add some scoreboard pressure to their early dominance, as McCracken and Watson were proving prominent.

A long-range goal to Palfrey then saw the lead out to 23 points before Boland got the Lions’ second major and trimmed the Tigers’ lead to 16 points.

The Tigers then lost Plant to a knee injury as the Port-Melbourne recruit was stretchered off the ground at the 24-minute mark, before a second goal to Boland saw the hosts’ lead trimmed to 11 points at quarter-time.

The Tigers’ early inaccuracy had the Lions much closer than what the game had reflected in general play, with the hosts recording six more scoring shots.

First-year coach Brad Trpchev paid tribute to the efforts of Peter Mark and Mark Mullally at the first change, and was also pleased with the Tigers’ tackling intent, marking and inside 50m entries.

The only element missing from the Tigers’ impressive style of play was a better return on the scoreboard, although when Bentley kicked truly at the six-minute mark of the second term following a one-two with Evans, the hosts were out to a 16-point lead once more.

The next five minutes, however, would belong to the Lions, as goals to Sean Bradley, Cody Grace (two) and Woodley (second) saw the visitors take an eight-point lead at the 13-minute mark.

Goals to Tom Gajewski and Knott (fourth) had the Tigers back in front not long after, before the Lions wrestled back control and momentum of the contest on their way to a 22-point lead at half-time.

Compounding matters for the Tigers, was Bentley leaving the field injured.

With the Tigers now having their backs to the wall and requiring a herculean effort to remain in the contest, their cause was not helped when the heavens opened and the ground was hit by heavy rain in the opening stages of the third term.

Despite the inclement weather, a second goal to Palfrey resulted from a free kick and saw the Tiger kick truly from a near-impossible angle to give the hosts an ideal start to the second half.

Further goals to Evans following a terrific gather and kick by Knott and Sam Bevan had the Tigers trailing by just four points at the eight-minute mark despite Subiaco’s numerical advantage, before the Lions responded through Hoskins (second) and Reece Blechynden to take an 18-point lead into the final change.

Sadly for the Tigers, the third-quarter fightback had taken the wind out of their sails and the Lions pounced in the final term through goals to Ray Daniels, Woodley (third), Bradley (second) and Chris Wrigley.

The Tigers will now turn their attention to East Fremantle at ATOM Stadium in round 14 as the side looks to bounce back ahead of its final bye for the season.

CLAREMONT 4.6 7.6 10.7 10.7 (67)

SUBIACO 3.1 11.4 13.7 17.13 (115)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 4 K. KNOTT, 2 M. PALFREY, 1 L. EVANS, M. BENTLEY, T. GAJEWSKI, S. BEVAN

SUBIACO: 3 J. WOODLEY, C. GRACE, 2 M. BOLAND, S. BRADLEY, C. HOSKINS, 1 M. WALTERS, C. WRIGLEY, R. BLECHYNDEN, M. MCPHEE, R. DANIELS

BEST

CLAREMONT: I. BAUM, B. HIGGS, K. KNOTT, D. CAMERON, H. MCCRACKEN, M. PALFREY

SUBIACO: M. BOGENSPERGER, M. BOLAND, J. WOODLEY, C. HOSKINS