By Dan Scamozzi

Claremont’s Reserves returned to winning ways and recorded their 12^th win of the season after crushing Peel Thunder by 105 points at David Grays Arena in round 17.

The Tigers’ 18.18 (126) to 2.9 (21) demolition is their highest score and biggest winning margin of the season to date, and included a whopping 168 more disposals, 35 more marks, 16 more hit-outs, 16 more inside 50s and 25 more scoring shots than the hosts.

The emphatic triumph also included 13 goal kickers and every player executing their role for the team, as the Tigers suffocated the overwhelmed hosts with their fierce and relentless pressure and forced them into repeated turnovers.

Hardworking forward Jack Bradshaw (28 disposals, three goals) responded to his League omission in the best possible way as he hauled in a game-high 12 marks and recorded a game-high nine inside 50s to win best player, while prominent midfielder and acting captain Tom Ledger (one goal) recorded a game-high 39 disposals to continue his outstanding form.

Defender Ben Edwards (23 disposals, one goal) also continued his strong form and won the players’ player award after starring with his uncompromising attack on the ball and composure in traffic, while hardworking forward Tyron Smallwood (eight marks) proved a handful for the hosts both in the air and at ground level as he kicked a game-high four goals.

Midfielders Jacob Sideris (30 disposals, six tackles, one goal) and Bailey Bennett (game-high eight tackles) were other solid contributors, while back-pocket Tom Baldwin (16 disposals) made a fine debut.

In further good news, midfielder Tom Curren (21 disposals, one goal) played three quarters as he works his way back to full fitness, while fellow midfielders Jake Murphy (23, one goal) and Jared Hardisty (18, one goal) returned from injury.

The Tigers kicked to the northern end of the ground in the opening term and were superior from the outset as Hardisty won the first two clearances and Smallwood kicked the first goal inside the opening three minutes.

Ruckman Jordon Reid (seven marks, 15 hit-outs, one goal) made an early statement with a strong pair of marks before a turnover from the Tigers across half-back gifted Peel their first goal.

Remarkably, the hosts would not kick another goal until the nine-minute mark of the final term.

A second goal from Smallwood reclaimed the lead for the Tigers before Curren brilliantly gathered the ball at half-forward and gave it to Jake Anderson, who found an unmarked Cooper Nitschke for the visitors’ third major and gave them a 10-point lead at quarter-time.

The Tigers began the second term +11 in clearances and +19 in contested disposals before a ferocious tackle from midfielder Jordan Law earned the Tiger a free kick, before Murphy delivered a spearing right-footed pass to Bradshaw who split the middle from 50m.

Another holding-the-ball free kick in midfield set up the Tigers’ next goal as Bradshaw found Anderson, before a quick kick out of the pack from Curren gave the visitors their sixth major.

Fierce pressure then allowed Edwards to finish with aplomb before Bradshaw kicked his second, before Reid split the middle from 50m and fellow big man Callum Jamieson added the Tigers’ 10^th goal.

The result was a 55-point lead at half-time after a dominant and brilliant seven-goals-to-none term and included eight goal kickers for the half.

The third term may not have produced as many goals for the Tigers but it produced more of the fierce pressure which was suffocating the hosts, as Ledger kicked truly and Edwards produced another crunching tackle in midfield which earned a free kick.

Sideris then made Peel pay for a 50m penalty when he kicked the Tigers’ 12^th goal to extend the lead to 70 points at the final change, with the visitors now +34 in contested disposals and +58 in handball receives, as coach Brayden Duckworth implored the team to produce a four-quarter effort and finish the game off strongly.

Goals to Nick Allan and Hardisty gave the Tigers 13 in a row and a strong start to the final term, before Peel finally kicked their second major.

More pressure created another turnover in the Tigers’ front half and allowed Murphy to kick truly from a 50m penalty, before Bradshaw and Smallwood both added their third goals.

A spearing kick inside 50m from Ledger was converted from Smallwood after the final siren as the prominent Tiger capped off a dominant performance from the visitors.

The top-of-the-table Tigers will aim for consecutive wins when they host second-placed West Perth at Claremont Oval in round 18.

Meanwhile, Claremont’s Colts saw their four-game winning run come to an end after Peel Thunder defeated the Tigers by 16 points, 12.4 (76) to 9.6 (60).

CLAREMONT 3.2 10.7 12.13 18.18 (126)

PEEL THUNDER 1.4 1.6 1.9 2.9 (21)

GOALS

CLAREMONT: 4 T. Smallwood, 3 J. Bradshaw, 1 T. Curren, J. Murphy, J. Hardisty, T. Ledger, C. Jamieson, J. Sideris, N. Allan, J. Anderson, C. Nitschke, J. Reid, B. Edwards.

PEEL THUNDER: 1 H. Matthews, J. Quinn.

BEST

CLAREMONT: J. Bradshaw, T. Ledger, B. Edwards, T. Smallwood, J. Sideris.

PEEL THUNDER: H. Matthews, C. Morris, B. Osborne, K. Scarrott, C. Wrigley.