MEDHURST & MORTON ARE BACK
MEDHURST & MORTON ARE BACK
Posted on 16/01/2012
By Ken Casellas
Dial M for Matchwinners!
Many magnificent men with a surname beginning with an M have had a massive influence in Claremont’s fortunes ever since the club entered the WAFL competition in 1926, with Norm McIntosh the inaugural league captain-coach.
Since then a multitude of marvellous M men have generated a mighty M force at Tigerland. Heading those monarchs are Moloney, McClements, Maffina, Munro, Marshall, McIntosh, Mumme, Mycock, Moss, Mann, Morton, Mitchell and Malaxos.
Now the Monts’ major recruits for 2012 are Paul Medhurst and Jarryd Morton, prodigal sons returning home after stints in AFL ranks. Indeed, they promise to boost the club’s M power substantially.
It has been heartwarming to watch Medhurst and Morton, looking sleek and slick, work out in pre-season training at Claremont Oval under the guidance of new senior coach Marc Webb and his assistants Wayne Orzi and Jarrad Schofield.
Medhurst and Morton, home-grown Claremont products, will be wonderful acquisitions to the league side this year. The club is facing a fresh challenge after breaking a 15-year premiership drought with the stirring victory over Subiaco in the 2011 grand final last September.
The Tigers are going into the 2012 season without 11 men who represented the club in league football last year, most notably retiring captain Clancy Rudeforth, powerful forward Beau Wilkes (drafted by St Kilda)and Brett Jones (retired) and including Blake Anderson, Tom Ayton, Ryan Brabazon, Lewis Broome, Nick Derickx, Matt Orzel, Ian Rowe and Marley Williams.
So there will be many opportunities for young players to step up and clinch a permanent spot in the league side.
Hardy club supporters who ventured to Mandurah on a murky evening on April 22, 2000 will have vivid and wonderful memories of the magnificent league debut of an 18-year-old youngster by the name of Paul Medhurst in the round four match against Peel Thunder.
I still marvel at some of the wonderful marks he took and was in awe as he booted three goals with his first three kicks in league football before his fourth shot slammed into a goalpost to register a behind. And then came the great sadness. He was kneed in the back in a spirited marking contest and received serious damage to a kidney.
Medhurst spent the night in hospital and was forced out of action for many weeks before returning to play with the reserves side. And who will forget his terrific performance which played the major role in Claremont’s grand final victory in the reserves competition in 2000.
So after only one league appearance in his first season he returned to league action with a tremendous impact in 2001. He was chosen in the WA State side and played 20 league matches in which he scored 78 goals to head the WAFL goalkicking list.
He then was taken in the 2001 AFL draft by the Fremantle Dockers and he booted 166 goals in 99 games before switching to Collingwood after the 2006 season. He kicked seven goals against Carlton in a round ten match at Subiaco Oval in 2003 and his nine goals against Brisbane in a round nine match against Brisbane at Subiaco Oval the following year stands as the equal second-highest tally by a Dockers player, one behind Tony Modra’s ten majors against Melbourne at the MCG in 1999.
Medhurst was Fremantle’s leading goalkicker in 2003 (50) and 2004 (41). In his time with the Dockers he also made seven league appearances with Claremont in 2006 before moving to Collingwood where he played another 69 AFL games and kicked another 108 goals until he retired at the end of the 2010 season.
He made an auspicious AFL debut, kicking three goals against the West Coast Eagles in 2002, a performance which earned him a Rising Star nomination.
Medhurst reached great heights during a stellar season with Collingwood in 2008 when he finished second in the club’s fairest-and-best award and was the side’s only member chosen in the all-Australian side. He was Collingwood’s leading goalkicker that year with 50 majors.
As well as that, he was awarded the Anzac Day Medal as the best player on the ground when he kicked six goals against Essendon at the MCG.
After spending much of 2011 travelling overseas the 30-year-old Medhurst is happy to be back in Perth and is looking forward keenly to wearing the Claremont colours again.
The 23-year-old Morton, middle son of Noel Morton, a member of Claremont’s 1981 premiership side and league captain in 1984 and 1985, is back at Tigerland after being snapped up in the 2006 AFL draft and spending five seasons at Hawthorn where he made 22 senior appearances.
He made his AFL debut in 2008 and was the AFL Rising Star nomination after round 13 that year when he had 33 disposals against North Melbourne at the MCG. He is a tall, extremely fit and hard-running player. He can perform strongly in a variety of positions and will provide great versatility at Claremont.
Morton has yet to play a senior match with the Tigers. He was a 17-year-old when he was one of the stars of Claremont colts side in 2006. He represented WA at the national under-18 championship carnival in Melbourne and was chosen in the WAFL colts Team of the Year.
