John Townsend

Claremont is not renowned as a republican stronghold but there was no red carpet rolled out for the visiting Royals on Saturday in their bid to be crowned king of the WAFL ladder.

Instead, it was blue-collar Claremont who confirmed their coronation as ladder-leader after producing the biggest first-quarter comeback in 25 years to dethrone East Perth.

Down 31 points at the first break after being overwhelmed by the pomp and ceremony of East Perth’s arrival at Revo Fitness Stadium, the Tigers produced one of their best fighting efforts in recent decades to win by seven points and cement their place on top of the ladder.

“It’s the greatest comeback since Lazarus,” one prominent Tiger exclaimed after the 13.13 (91) to 12.12 (84) thriller.

The hyperbole might be excused because it was the biggest turnaround since 1998, when Claremont overcame a 33-point first quarter deficit against South Fremantle.

Claremont’s first goal did not come until time-on in the second term, when recalled wingman Sam Alvarez converted a smart mark at half-forward to spark four majors in seven minutes.

The change of temperature was most pronounced during a vibrant 10-minute burst either side of three-quarter time when Claremont went from 18 points down to 12 points in front.

But it took remarkable resolve and significant poise under pressure, particularly in the gruelling final quarter when scores were tied for an extended period, for Claremont to record their fourth victory of the season.

It was founded on the universal work rate displayed across the ground, the class of the team’s best players in Sandover medallists Jye Bolton and Bailey Rogers who came to the fore when most needed and the ability of Ollie Eastland to confront, and eventually overcome, the biggest opponent and toughest individual challenge in the league.

Eastland and Scott Jones are likely to be team-mates when WA take on South Australia in Adelaide this month but there were no favours asked or given during their pivotal ruck battle.

Eastland gave away half a head to the 205cm Jones but compensated for that shortfall by working his way to the front of numerous stoppages where his deft tap work won 29 hit outs and helped him shade the bigger man.

Add the 16 possessions he won around the ground, four of which were pumped inside the forward 50, and Eastland produced the most influential performance of what has been his career-best season.

The blue-collar ethic was best demonstrated in the final five minutes when three desperate tackles provided critical to the outcome.

Claremont were ahead by just two points when East Perth wingman Angus Scott played on after marking near the top of the goal-square only for Joel Western to swoop and provide sufficient pressure to disrupt the close-range kick.

Ollie Sheldrick then held up Angus Schumacher in the middle of the ground to stop a forward movement while Zac Mainwaring trapped Jordan Hayden to lock the ball in Claremont’s 50m arc with a minute or two to go.

The lively Ben Elliott was the beneficiary of that effort by hooking a goal from a boundary throw-in to guarantee the win.

The absence of Ben Edwards (hand) placed more responsibility on Elliott and the left-footer responded strongly to be one of the midfielders who shone in the absorbing tussle with East Perth’s high-class starting quartet of Jones, Schumacher, Hamish Brayshaw and Mitch Crowden.

Bolton is Claremont’s “Emergency: Break glass” player and he was the catalyst for his team’s immediate response when he was moved onto the ball at the first break.

While Rogers had an impact in attack, with three goals complementing his 19 touches, Bolton generated great drive from the middle with many of his 32 disposals testing East Perth’s defensive capacity.

Max Minear provided a strong target in attack, though his goal-kicking remains a work in progress, while small forwards Talon Delacey, Anthony Treacy and Mainwaring were persistent throughout and occasionally dangerous as the Royals were eventually dethroned.

CLAREMONT 0.2 4.5 9.8 13.13 91

EAST PERTH 5.3 6.7 9.9 12.12 84

GOALS – CLAREMONT: Rogers 3; Mainwaring, Delacey 2; Treacy, Bolton, Alvarez, Elliott, Minear, Smallwood.

EAST PERTH: Schumacher, Scott, Schofield, Bonomelli 2; Saunders, Tedesco, van Diemen, Medhat.

BEST – CLAREMONT: Eastland, Bolton, Rogers, Elliott, Treacy, Delacey, Western.

EAST PERTH: North, Schumacher, Robertson, Scott, Crowden.