Competition for places in Claremont’s colts, reserves and league sides for the opening round of WAFL fixtures will be fierce after further encouraging performances in scratch matches against Perth at Claremont Oval on Saturday.
All three sides were successful in entertaining contests, following a clean sweep of matches against Swan Districts a week earlier.
The Tigers will open the 2010 season with matches against Peel Thunder at Rushton Park in Mandurah next Saturday week (March 20).
A squad of 25 represented Claremont in the league scratch match against the Demons, with Claremont leading throughout and recording a 14-point victory, 11.9 to 9.7.
Senior coach Simon McPhee and his cohorts were highly satisfied with a series of experiments and with the skill and endeavour of all players.
Smooth-moving West Coast Eagles squad member Lewis Stevenson excelled on a half-back flank. Better known as a wingman and half-forward flanker, Stevenson looked completely at home in defence and his spirited bursts set up many promising attacks.
He was particularly dominant in an 11-possession first half, during which a wonderful pass to Ian Richardson brought up Claremont’s third goal.
Shining on the other half-back flank was Jesse Laurie, who finished with six marks, nine kicks and ten handpasses.
The Tigers defence worked well and made scoring difficult for Perth. Eleven players were used in the backlines and all performed admirably.
Among the pleasing features were the form of tyros Tom Derickx, Joel Coyne and Brad Nisbett.
The lanky Derickx leapt high at the bounce-downs and throw-ins and he is a ruckman of considerable promise, capable of providing splendid support to Andrew Ruck.
The quicksilver Coyne sparkled on a wing where he had 12 kicks and made eight handpasses. He drew applause from the small crowd late in the third quarter when he showed tremendous dash and took two bounces down the scoreboard flank before sending a pass to Chad Jones in the right pocket. Jones took the mark, played on and booted the second of his three goals.
Andrew Browne gained the clearance from the resultant centre bounce, and this led to another major to Jones.
Nisbett, making his first appearance in senior ranks for Claremont, revealed his clean ball-handling skills as a nuggetty in-and-under midfielder.
Details:
Claremont 11.9 (75) beat Perth 9.7 (61).
Scorers---CLAREMONT: C. Jones 3.2; I. Richardson 2.1; D. Ross 1.1; P. Arias, L. Blackwell, R. Brabazon, M. Orzel, C. Sibosado 1.0; J. Ninyette 0.2; B. Franz, J. Laurie 0.1; 1pt forced. PERTH: M. Moody, T. Mzungu 2.0; B. Davis 1.2; M. Ferguson, A. McLeod 1.1; S. Armstrong, A. Elari 1.0; S. Siekierka 0.1; 2pts forced.
Best---CLAREMONT: L. Blackwell, R. Brabazon, L. Stevenson, J. Coyne, T. de Nardi, K. Mitchell. PERTH: S. Siekierka, A. Thornton, B. Hodge, R. Young, T. Mzungu.
Again there were many pleasing features in Claremont’s 20-point victory in the reserves contest. Twenty-seven players were used.
Wingman Henry Roberts injured a knee in the opening quarter and was unable to continue. He has medial ligament damage and will undergo scans to determine the extent of the injury. This is indeed sad news and everyone at the club will be wishing Henry a speedy recovery.
Keifer Yu, playing in the centre and on the ball, was a stand-out performer. Tough and uncompromising, Yu looks set for a fine season.
Details:
Claremont 14.14 (98) beat Perth 12.6 (78).
Scorers---CLAREMONT: A. Gillespie 3.1; K. Yu 3.0; I. Rowe 2.0; J. Staples, T. Willett 1.2; P. Jannings, J. Woods 1.1; A. Holt, J. Murphy 1.0; L. Broome 0.2; P. Brennen, S. Dann, J. McMahon, M. Swarbrick 0.1; 1pt forced. PERTH: T. Bekkevold 2.1; J. Brennan, J. Eades, M. Rogers 2.0; E. Browne, S. Clifford 1.1; K. Lang, T. Whyte 1.0; J. Leeson, S. Ugle, D. Venditti 0.1.
Best---CLAREMONT: K. Yu, A. Gillespie, J. Murphy, T. Willett, I. Rowe, S. Starling. PERTH: K. McLaughlin, K. Lang, C. Vidot, D. Venditti, T. Bekkevold, B. Luttrell.
In a high-class colts match, the Tigers emerged triumphant by nine points, 17.9 to 15.12, and look set for another tremendous season.
Former Hale School students Anton Hamp and Tom Mitchell gave superb displays and are stars of the future. Hamp is a polished centre-half-forward and the left-footed Mitchell is a slick-moving and enterprising midfielder-forward.
Others to excel included North Albany’s Jeremy McGovern, who took some fine marks in attack and later showed plenty of promise as a ruckman, midfielders Tom Ledger, Warrick Proudlove, Matt Rawlinson and Matt Taylor, defenders Angus Litherland and Ben O’Regan as well as Nick Kyriakacis, who gave a solid exhibition in the ruck after Leigh Ashby received a hip injury early.
There were dozens of highlights, but two are well worth recording.
Fifteen minutes into the first quarter O’Regan got the ball on to Matt Taylor, who burst down the scoreboard wing and bounced the ball three times before sending an excellent left-foot pass to McGovern.
McGovern then passed to Proudlove for Claremont’s second goal. Three minutes later, Taylor sent the ball forward. The mark was taken by Hamp, who coolly handpassed to a running Taylor, who slotted Claremont’s third goal with his right boot.
After Perth had scored two goals in 90 seconds to move to within eight points of the Tigers ten minutes into the second quarter it was Litherland who sparked Claremont with a tremendous dash out of defence. Litherland took three bounces before spearing a left-foot pass to Jesse Cox.
Details:
Claremont 17.9 (111) beat Perth 15.12 (102).
Scorers---CLAREMONT: T. Mitchell 4.2; A. Hamp, J. McGovern 3.0; H. Garland, M. Taylor 1.1; J. Cox, M. Evans, N. Kyriakacis, W. Proudlove, B. York 1.0; T. Ledger 0.2; J. Pindan, M. Rawlinson 0.1; 1pt forced. PERTH: D. Hurley 4.3; M. Duffy 4.1; R. Garlett 3.1; M. Boyle, J. Moody, B. Robinson, R. Richardson 1.0; D. Murray 0.3; M. Hunt, F. McInnes, K. Stuart, D. Warner 0.1.
Best---CLAREMONT: A. Hamp, T. Mitchell, T. Ledger, J. McGovern, M. Rawlinson, A. Litherland, M. Taylor, W. Proudlove, B. O’Regan. PERTH: R. Garlett, K. Stuart, R. Conca, D. Hurley, M. Hunt, M. Duffy.
