M & J Chickens Player of Round 21Wednesday, August 29, 2018 - 8:56 AM - by Chris Pike

FOR a lot of the 2018 season the one last piece remaining in the puzzle for Claremont to solve was in attack and the form Alex Manuel has been a big part in that and he has been named M & J Chickens Player of Round 21 as a result.

Claremont has qualified for the finals in 2018 and will take on East Perth in an elimination final this Sunday at Claremont Oval having ended the season in fourth position with a 9-9 record.

Claremont has managed to do that based on winning the last three games of the home and away season against Perth, Peel Thunder and Swan Districts, and a significant reason for that has been a forward-line led by Manuel.

While Claremont's back-line led by Anton Hamp and Haydn Busher, and midfield led by Sandover Medallists Kane Mitchell and Jye Bolton along with ruckman Oliver Eastland and the tenacious Jared Hardisty has been strong all season, it's the forward-line where the Tigers could improve.
In the first 15 games Claremont played this season, they hadn’t managed to reach 100 points or kick more than 14 goals a game, averaging 74 points and 10.5 goals in that period.

But the past three weeks have been vastly more impressive for the Tigers averaging 98.7 points and 14.7 goals and while over the three games Tom Lee has scored six goals, Ian Richardson four, Jared Hardisty four and Jye Bolton four, but the true difference has been the form of Manuel.

Manuel had kicked two goals each while averaging 20 disposals and six marks a game in the wins against Perth and Peel in Rounds 19 and 20 to be an important and impressive player across the half-forward line.

Then on Saturday against Swan Districts at Claremont Oval with the Tigers needing to win to secure home ground advantage in the elimination final, Manuel went to another level and produced what is close to the best performance of his 41-game league career.

He finished the afternoon with five goals to go with 22 possessions, eight marks, five inside-50 entries and three tackles.

While his five goals and first 15 kicks of the afternoon were impressive, it was his last kick that found Bolton just before the siren and led to the game's winning goal that might have been his most crucial contribution on the afternoon.

It is the second time in his career that Manuel has kicked five goals having also done so in Round 3 last year against Perth where he also had 27 possessions and seven marks. He was named Player of the Round on that occasion as well.

Manuel's game on Saturday sees him also named to the TABtouch Team of the Round for a fourth time in the 2018 WAFL season, including each of the past three weeks.

He has now kicked 22 goals in his 15 games in 2018 and will be a key member of the Tigers' line-up as they look to make an impact on September and to try and win a final at least for the first time since winning the 2012 Grand Final against East Fremantle to make it back to back premierships.

M & J Chickens Player of the Round
Round 1 – Rhys Palmer (Swan Districts)
Round 2 – Fraser McInnes (East Perth)
Round 3 – Cody Leggett (Perth)
Round 4 – Shane Nelson (West Perth)
Round 5 – Patrick McGinnity (East Perth)
Round 6 – Marlion Pickett (South Fremantle)
Round 7 – Andrew Strijk (West Perth)
Round 8 – George Hampson (East Fremantle)
Round 9 – Nick Suban (South Fremantle)
Round 10 – Ben Howlett (Peel Thunder)
Round 11 – Michael Bennell (Perth)
Round 12 – Kyal Horsley (Subiaco)
Round 13 – Lachlan Delahunty (Subiaco)
Round 14 – Cody Ninyette (Perth)
Round 15 – Brant Colledge (Perth)
Round 16 – Aaron Black (West Perth)
Round 17 – Patrick Italiano (Swan Districts)
Round 18 – Shane Hockey (South Fremantle)
Round 19 – Luke Partington (East Perth)
Round 20 – Zac Clarke (Subiaco)
Round 21 – Alex Manuel (Claremont)