CLAREMONT hosted Perth at Claremont Oval on Saturday with both teams desperate for their second wins of the season, and that determination was on show with the Demons coming away with the one-point win on the back of the last five scoring shots of the contest.

 

Claremont and Perth have both had disappointing starts to the 2018 season coming into the game on Saturday at Claremont Oval as the WAFL resumed from the State game break where Western Australia beat South Australia in Adelaide.

 

With both sitting on 1-4 records, it shaped as a potentially season-defining contest and that's the way it panned out with the Tigers and Demons throwing everything at claiming the crucial four points.

 

Claremont looked to have the match won when James Egan kicked a goal at the nine-minute mark of the last quarter to put the Tigers 23 points in front, but the Demons wouldn't be denied.

 

Claremont only added one solitary behind over the game's last 23 minutes while Perth kicked goals through Cody Ninyette, Blake Johnson and Lachlan Dennis, before captain Clint Jones' behind as time was running down proved the match-winner.

 

That saw Perth snatch the 15.9 (99) to 14.14 (98) victory to see the Demons improve to a 2-4 record on the season while the Tigers slumped to 1-5 with their only win coming against the bottom placed East Fremantle on the last kick of the game from Keifer Yu.

 

Despite Claremont finishing the afternoon with 53 more disposals, 21 extra marks, five more inside-50 entries and 28 scoring shots to 24, it was Perth that came away from Claremont Oval victorious.

 

Without Spencer White and Sam Garstone in attack, Perth have struggled to find a way to kick goals from key targets again in 2018 but that changed on Saturday with Blake Johnson providing a strong option. He kicked four goals from 10 kicks and seven marks.

Brant Colledge also delivered an improved performance to kick three goals while Cody Ninyette and Kristian Cary both kicked two goals apiece.

Demons skipper Clint Jones was outstanding too leading from the front. Not only did he kick the winning behind on the siren, but he also finished the afternoon with 31 possessions, six tackles, four marks and a goal.

Cody Leggett continued his strong form too with 24 disposals and seven tackles while Brent Edmonds collected 20 touches, Laine Wilkins 19, Corey Yeo 16 (eight tackles), Matthew Taylor 16, Zac Hill 16 and John Levien 16.

Dakota Baldwin-Wright battled hard in the ruck too in his second game in the absence of Christian Eyres with 13 touches, 27 hit outs, four marks and three tackles.

Claremont's two Sandover Medal stars in the midfield couldn't have possibly done any more with Kane Mitchell finishing with 40 possessions, seven marks, four tackles and a goal. 

Jye Bolton, fresh off his second Simpson Medal last week in the State game, also had 34 disposals, 11 inside-50 entries, seven marks, four tackles and two goals.

Tom Ledger also picked up 25 possessions for the Tigers, defender Haydn Busher 23, Tom Curren 20, Bailey Rogers 20, Ryan Lim 18 and Jared Hardisty 18.

Ruckman Oliver Eastland had another impressive performance with 16 touches, four marks, three tackles and 46 hit outs.

Claremont's two key forwards Tom Lee and Beau Maister both stood tall kicking four goals apiece.

Claremont's reserves finished strongly to end up beating Perth 14.9 (93) to 12.7 (79) at Claremont Oval on Saturday.

Perth was on top leading by nine points at quarter-time and 14 points at half-time before Claremont worked on top by two points at the last change. The Tigers then booted five goals to three in the last term to win by 14 points.

Kaiden Gilbert kicked five goals for Claremont's reserves, Bailey Bennett two, Corey Mitchell two and Cooper Nitschke two.

Jacob Sideris racked up 21 possessions for the Tigers, Nick Winmar 20, Tom Shanahan 18 and Lachlan Martinis 17. Jeremy Goddard had 54 hit outs in the ruck.

Michael Bennell kicked three goals for Perth, Anton Scotney two, Marshall Jones two and James Corner two.

Mitch Henderson gathered 26 disposals for the Demons, Sam Perkusich 21 (nine tackles), Mitch Lague 19, Marshall Jones 19, Lennon Marlin 19 and Callum Marshall 19.

Claremont's task of getting a second win on the board for the season won't get any easier this Saturday when the Tigers travel to Fremantle Community Bank Oval to play a South Fremantle team on a six-game winning streak.

 

Perth is next up with the daunting task of taking on Subiaco this Saturday at Lathlain Park with the Lions having won their opening six matches of the 2018 season by an average of 78.7 points.

 

 

CLAREMONT – Goals: Lee, Maister 4; Bolton 2; Mitchell, Yu, Richardson, Egan.

Best: Mitchell, Bolton, Busher, Lee, Ledger, Eastland, Maister.

PERTH – Goals: Johnson 4; Colledge 3; Ninyette, Cary 2; Byrne, C Jones, Leggett, Dennis.

Best: C Jones, Leggett, Colledge, Johnson, Edmonds, Wilkins.