Claremont claimed a 25-point win over East Fremantle at ATOM Stadium in round two of the pre-season last Saturday thanks to a five-goal-to-one third quarter and nine individual goal-kickers.

Dampier-Sharks recruit Zac Langdon was the Tigers’ sole multiple goal-kicker, with the visitors prevailing 10.10 (70) to 6.9 (45) in fine conditions.
A host of new and familiar faces lined up for the navy and gold despite some key players sitting out the contest, with the tireless running of Ryan Neates and Tom Ledger, and tackling from Matthew Palfrey all hallmarks of the win.

Beau Maister provided a focal point and crashed several packs, while ruckman Darcy Cameron got better as the game wore on and Haydn Busher also played his part in the victory.

Tigers’ captain Jake Murphy, Brandon Franz, Mitch Andrews, Aaron Holt and Francis Watson were some of the names who didn’t feature, as Jye Bolton, Langdon, Tom Shanahan and Justin Speed lined up for their new club.

Carl Green and Jesse Adamini combined for four of the Sharks’ six goals, while Ryan Lester-Smith worked hard in defence and Brett Peake lined up for his first game since coming out of retirement.

With Cameron in the ruck, Maister at full-forward and Dylan Ross opposing Carlton-recruit Matthew Watson at full-back, the visitors elected to kick to the northern end in the opening term with the aid of a healthy breeze. 

However, the Sharks were first to strike through a pair of goals to Green and took a 12-point lead at the 13-minute mark, before Oliver Tate replied for the Tigers seven minutes later.

A late goal to Bolton saw the Tigers take a two-point lead at quarter-time thanks largely to Neates’ gut-running and Palfrey’s tackling, however, it was now the hosts’ turn to kick with the breeze at their backs.

The Sharks retook the lead at the nine-minute mark of the second term through a goal to Cameron Eardley, before Ian Richardson kicked truly six minutes later to restore the Tigers’ two-point advantage at half-time on the back of a largely uneventful quarter.

An early goal to Busher saw the visitors begin the second half in ideal fashion, before a major to Jack Bradshaw resulted from a spoil by Maister and bullet pass from Ledger as the Tigers extended their buffer to 15 points at the six-minute mark.

When Sam Petrevski-Seton snapped a clever goal three minutes later after some fine efforts by Ledger and John Williams, the Tigers were out to a 23-point lead on the back of some scintillating play.

A badly-needed goal to Dion Anthony restored some parity for the hosts at the 14-minute mark, however, their joy was short-lived as a pair of quick majors to Langdon gave the Tigers a 29-point lead at three-quarter time.

Five goals in the space of 14 third-quarter minutes had suddenly blown the game open in the Tigers’ favour, with coach Michael Broadbridge lauding his players’ tackling at the final change.

With the breeze becoming stronger as the game wore on, the Sharks trimmed the margin to 21 points at the eight-minute mark of the final term through a goal to Adamini, before Maister grabbed a quick reply following a clever handball from Bradshaw and pass by Richardson.

When Powell kicked truly following some more hard running by Neates, the Tigers took a game-high 32-point lead, before Adamini added his second and a late consolation for the Sharks at the 20-minute mark.

Claremont will now turn its attention to their final pre-season hit out against Peel Thunder at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday, with their round-one encounter against East Perth in the home-and-away season fast approaching.

CLAREMONT 2.4 3.7 8.10 10.10 (70)
EAST FREMANTLE 2.2 3.5 4.5 6.9 (45)

GOALS
CLAREMONT: 2 Z. LANGDON, 1 J. BRADSHAW, R. POWELL, J. BOLTON, H. BUSHER, O. TATE, I. RICHARDSON, S. PETREVSKI-SETON, B. MAISTER
EAST FREMANTLE: 2 C. GREEN, J. ADAMINI, D. ANTHONY, C. EARDLEY

BEST
CLAREMONT: R. NEATES, Z. LANGDON, M. PALFREY, T. LEDGER, H. BUSHER
EAST FREMANTLE: C. GREEN, R. LESTER-SMITH, J. ADAMINI