Falcons Too Good For Tigers

Claremont (Reserves) remains in sixth position on the ladder and just one win outside the top five with a game in hand despite suffering a 44-point defeat to West Perth at HBF Arena.

The Tigers were well in the contest as they turned for home trailing the Falcons by 13 points, however, a six-goal-to-one final term saw the hosts run out comfortable winners, 17.13 (115) to 10.11 (71) and claim their eighth win for the season.

Declan Mountford, Jack Richardson, Mitchell Andrews and Lachlan Davey all tried hard for the Tigers and won their share of the football, while Isaac Baum layed eight tackles and Alex Manuel kicked three goals.

Callum Papertalk was brilliant for the Falcons as he reeled in eight marks and booted seven goals, while Hayden Yarran and Mark Hamilton each kicked three majors.

Dean Munns won plenty of the football and layed 10 tackles for the hosts, while Clint Hinchliffe was also prominent.

John Williams returned from injury and lined up in his first game for the Tigers since round 13 while Andrews and Keegan Knott were added to the side who thumped Peel Thunder a week earlier.

Jake Murphy, Darcy Cameron and Shane McAdam all earned League recalls.

Eddie Simpson took first ruck duties as Andrews lined up at full-forward for the Tigers, however, Papertalk kicked the first major of the game and gave the Falcons a seven-point lead four minutes into the contest.

Consecutive goals to Yarran then gave the hosts a 19-point lead after the silky forward reeled in two strong marks in as many minutes, as a sluggish Tigers outfit failed to fire a shot early on and gain any real ascendency around the ground.

In a blow to the Falcons, Yarran was forced from the field with the assistance of trainers after suffering a leg injury, although his partner in crime, Papertalk, kicked his second major minutes later and extended the Falcons’ lead to 24 points.

A 50m penalty and long kick forward by Matt Goyder saw Manuel kick the Tigers’ first goal after a classy finish from a tight angle as the visitors trimmed the deficit to 17 points late in the opening term, before a major to Mountford following a short pass by Bailey Rogers saw the navy and gold trailing by just 11 points at the first change.

A ferocious attack on the football at half-back by Davey late in the term highlighted the Tigers’ turn in fortunes despite an ordinary start to the game, with Brad Trpchev imploring the team to improve its work at stoppages and encouraging his defenders to get tighter on the West Perth forwards.

Multiple spoils and a spectacular mark in the middle of the ground by Davey lit up the opening stages of the second term for the Tigers, however, a goal to Troy Manners saw the Falcons extend their lead to 16 points.

A turnover in defence by the hosts then allowed Sam Bevan to set up Knott for his first major and saw the Tigers close to within 12 points, before Tyson Moulton gained the quick reply for the Falcons and pushed the lead out to 18 points.

A second goal to Manuel after a squaring pass by Goyder saw the Tigers respond once more, before Papertalk grabbed his third major following an errant kick by Williams at centre-half-back.

A late goal to Hamilton saw the Falcons take a 25-point lead in to the long break after kicking four goals to two for the term, and left the Tigers with plenty of work to do in the second half.

The Tigers’ cause was not made any easier when Goyder suffered a heavy knock in the opening stages of the third term and was forced to leave the field feeling dazed and groggy, as Hinchliffe extended the Falcons’ lead to 32 points with his first goal.

Andrews responded, only for Papertalk to grab his fourth major, before Andrews turned from goal scorer to provider and allowed Josh Barrett to kick his third goal for the club and reduce the margin to 26 points.

A second goal to Hamilton gave the Falcons a 31-point lead as Goyder returned to the field in good news for the Tigers, before Lawrence Evans was the beneficiary of some more good work from Andrews and kicked truly to trim the deficit to 25 points.

A third goal to Manuel saw the Tigers creep even closer, before a second goal to the hard-working Andrews saw the visitors close to within 13 points at three-quarter time after some herculean efforts around the ground by the big man.

With the Tigers now well and truly alive, a third goal to Yarran was not the start to the final term they were looking for as the returning Falcon gave the hosts an 18-point lead, however, an inspiring tackle by Cameron Palmer in the centre of the ground showed that the Tigers were up for the fight, and when Knott kicked his second major following a dashing run by Mountford the margin was back to 13 points.

Enter Papertalk.

Despite the exciting Falcon having a mixed game in front of the big sticks thus far, three of the next four goals saw his tally rise to 7.5 and the Falcons were home.

A third goal to Hamilton was the icing on the cake for the hosts, and left the Tigers turning their attention to a home clash against Swan Districts at the Show Grounds in round 19.

CLAREMONT 2.3 4.6 9.8 10.11 (71)

WEST PERTH 4.2 8.7 11.9 17.13 (115)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 3 A. MANUEL, 2 M. ANDREWS, K. KNOTT, 1 D. MOUNTFORD, J. BARRETT, L. EVANS

WEST PERTH: 7 C. PAPERTALK, 3 H. YARRAN, M. HAMILTON, 1 T. MANNERS, T. MOULTON, C. HINCHLIFFE, B. ANTONIO

BEST

CLAREMONT: M. ANDREWS, D. MOUNTFORD, L. DAVEY, A. MANUEL, I. BAUM

WEST PERTH: C. PAPERTALK, D. MUNNS, B. ANTONIO, M. HAMILTON, C. HINCHLIFFE