Reserves: Claremont hit by injuries

By Ken Casellas

Football is a wonderful, much-loved game. It is tough, challenging, combative and enjoyable. But, sadly, it has its heartbreaking moments as well.

It was one of those rare days at Leederville Oval on Saturday that brought tears of anguish to players and supporters when a series of serious injuries decimated the Claremont reserves side in its match against East Perth.

First-half injuries to four men left the Tigers with only one man on the side’s five-man interchange bench for the entire second half. Claremont fought valiantly and were gutsy in defeat, scoring 7.6 to East Perth’s 11.9.

Captain Aaron Holt, Rowen Powell, Aden Wilkins and Tom Shanahan were laid low by injury in the first half.

Eighteen-year-old Aden Wilkins dislocated his left shoulder in a marking duel late in the opening term and he faces several weeks on the sidelines. This was a particularly unfortunate mishap for a dedicated young man, who has fought hard over the past three months to recover from a hamstring strain.

Holt, who required treatment for a gash in the head after eight minutes of play, was forced to retire in the second term with a recurrence of nasty trouble in his left foot. The 25-year-old veteran of 63 league appearances faces an uncertain future.

The 20-year-old Powell had to be assisted from the ground 19 minutes into the second quarter with a fractured left ankle. It is debatable whether he will be able to resume playing this season.

Three minutes later Shanahan, a hard-running midfielder recruited from East Perth, limped off the ground with a strained left ankle. Fortunately, the injury is not serious.

The first quarter of the match was extremely scrappy, with very little cohesive action. An early highlight was a splendid smother off the boot of East Perth’s Tom Goyter by Claremont half-forward flanker Alex Manuel and six minutes later Zac Langdon gave a further example of his fine competitive spirit with a fierce tackle in the centre of the ground which earned him a free-kick and foiled an East Perth attacking move.

Soon after that Jack Richardson passed to Ash Fitzgerald for Claremont’s opening goal. The ball went back to the centre where Langdon earned another free-kick for his strong tackle on Callum Hart.

Shanahan kicked Claremont’s second goal late in the second term before limping off the field. East Perth led 4.5 to 2.2 at half-time and with a one-man bench for the second half the Tigers faced an impossible task. But they played with admirable spirit before going down by 27 points.

Goals to Lawrence Evans and Jack Richardson early in the third quarter got the Tigers to within eight points of East Perth. But the visitors then found the going tough with just one player on the interchange bench and East Perth led by 21 points at three-quarter time.

However, Claremont refused to give in and Morgan Davies, Harry McCracken and Ash Fitzgerald each booted a goal in the final quarter.

Details:

East Perth 11.9 (75) beat Claremont 7.6 (48).

Scorers---EAST PERTH: A. Gardoud 2.2; A. Ajang, M. Allen 2.0; T. Omedi 1.2; D. Roche 1.1; T. Ameduri, S. Jones, D. Perkins 1.0; C. Adamson, D. Burgess, M. Howlett 0.1; 1pt forced. CLAREMONT: A. Fitzgerald 2.0; J. Richardson 1.1; M. Davies, L. Evans, H. McCracken, T. Shanahan 1.0; Z. Langdon 0.2; T. Plant, J. Speed 0.1; 1pt forced.

Best---EAST PERTH: C. Hart, J. Ameduri, T. Omedi, M. Howlett, S. Jones, C. Adamson, B. Miller, T. Gorter, D. Roche. CLAREMONT: Z. Langdon, J. Speed, M. Davies, H. McCracken, A. Manuel, I. Rowe, H. Sinclair.

Colts: Exciting Guelfi is on fire

By Ken Casellas

Matt Guelfi gave further convincing proof at Leederville Oval on Saturday morning that he is destined for big things in football with an outstanding performance in the centre which played a major role in Claremont’s hard-fought six-point victory over a dogged East Perth side.

In the closing stages of a see-sawing contest in which the lead changed hands several times, Guelfi was still working tigerishly and played a part in the lead-up play which enabled Jake Waterman, switched from a wing into attack, to boot Claremont’s only two goals in the final term.

The 18-year-old Guelfi, who has gained considerable experience by training with the senior squad for much of the pre-season, took four marks, had 21 kicks, made 15 handpasses and had, by a big margin, a match-high tally of 11 tackles as well as a match-high nine inside 50s.

Other shining lights in Claremont’s victory included Bailey Banfield. Keanu Shandley, Declan Hardisty, Waterman and Oliver Eastland.

Coach Ross McQueen, satisfied with the side’s performance and the four premiership points, predicted that the colts competition this year would be extremely even.

“Our game was a little bit scrappy, but, overall, it was nice to get the result,” he said. “We moved the ball well at different times and we struggled defensively initially before we gradually adjusted to the speed of the game.

“We had seven boys from the Great Southern playing, including four first-gamers, Bailey Bennett, Ben Fitzgerald, Chistoff Cronje and Dylan Wallam. And it was good that Nick Ashworth, Corey Roberts and Dylan Smallwood, each of whom had a brief taste of colts football last year, adjusted well to the tempo.

“Our midfielders, led by Guelfi and Banfield, were strong. Banfield (four marks, 18 kicks, 14 handpasses, two tackles and seven inside 50s) was moved to half-back in the final quarter to shore things up a bit. He’s strong over the ball, reads the play well and has a good work rate.”

Hardisty (no relation to league player Jared Hardisty) stood out with his strong work in defence, both in a key position and as a rebounding backman. Eastland showed promise in the ruck and in attack, while Shandley (from the Looma Eagles) and CJ Oakley (Broome) were creative and dangerous in attack.

Sam Petrevski-Seton (20 disposals and four tackles) again revealed his class. After next weekend’s bye, Claremont will be without Petrevski-Seton, Waterman and ruckman Jeremy Goddard for the round-three and round-four matches. They will be in Victoria with the AIS squad. Their absence will provide opportunities for a few more boys.

Details:

Claremont 9.12 (66) beat East Perth 9.6 (60).

Scorers---CLAREMONT: L. Nicholas, J. Waterman 2.3; C. Oakley 2.1; O. Eastland, K. Shandley 1.1; B. Bennett 1.0: B. Fitzgerald, T. Lawrence, S. Morton 0.1. EAST PERTH: E. Christofis 2.2; H. Stack 1.1; T. Amos, H. Blanch, M. Dobson, K. Fontaine, S. Monkhouse, M. Young 1.0; C. Ameduri, J. Balestra 0.1.

Best---CLAREMONT: M. Guelfi, B. Banfield, K. Shandley, D. Hardisty, J. Waterman, O. Eastland, S. Petrevski-Seton, J. Goddard. EAST PERTH: H. Blanch, S. Wright, J. Cahill, J. Edwards, M. Young, T. Bayok.