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Elimination Final Match Report – Claremont v East PerthMonday, September 3, 2018 - 8:15 PM - by Chris Pike
FOR the third time in six years Claremont and East Perth did battle in a cut-throat WAFL final and this time it was the Tigers prevailing on the back of five goals from Tom Lee to win by 28 points on Sunday.
Claremont and East Perth locked horns in the elimination final on Sunday at Claremont Oval making it the third time in six years they met in a cut-throat WAFL final.
East Perth advanced to the 2013 Grand Final beating Claremont in the preliminary final also at Claremont Oval while also winning an elimination final in 2015 at Leederville Oval, but it was a different story this time around.
Despite East Perth mounting a comeback a couple of times throughout the second half, Claremont had the answers all afternoon leading from start to finish strongly in front of 3669 at Claremont Oval to end up winning 12.11 (83) to 8.7 (55).
It is Claremont's first win in a final since the 2012 Grand Final triumph against East Fremantle and their first win in a final at Claremont Oval since the second semi-final of that same year against Swan Districts.
Claremont will now take on West Perth in the first semi-final at Joondalup Arena with the chance to advance to a preliminary final against the loser of the second semi-final between Subiaco and South Fremantle.
The loss ends the season of East Perth and it could be the end of an era with the potential that its partnership with West Coast ending as soon as 2019.
Tom Lee was the best forward on the ground and finished the afternoon with five goals from 15 possessions and eight marks turning back to the clock on his dominant 2012 season that saw him earn a second crack in the AFL at St Kilda.
Claremont's Sandover Medal winning midfielders Jye Bolton and Kane Mitchell were both superb with Bolton finishing with 29 possessions, 10 inside 50s and seven marks, and Mitchell 25 disposals, 13 tackles, seven marks and seven inside-50 entries as he celebrated his 100-game milestone.
Haydn Busher was superb for Claremont across half-back and then getting forward as well for 22 possession and two goals with Tom Ledger gathering 20 disposals, Ryan Lim 17, Jared Hardisty 17, Keifer Yu 16, Ian Richardson 16 and Bailey Rogers 16.
Teenager and likely high draftee Jordan Clark stood up to finals football too with 15 possessions, 10 marks and four tackles.
Oliver Eastland continued his strong season in the ruck for the Tigers with 18 disposals and 31 hit outs.
Brayden Ainsworth was East Perth's leading ball winner on the afternoon despite some mistakes along the way. He did end the elimination final with 25 possessions, six marks and four tackles.
Patrick McGinnity collected 24 disposals for the Royals, Luke Partington 19, Brendon Ah Chee 18, Sharrod Wellingham 16, Jarrod Brander 16 and Jackson Nelson 16.
Ajang Ajang battled hard in the ruck in the absence of Fraser McInnes and ended up with 13 touches, 28 hit outs and two goals while captain Patrick McGinnity finished with 24 possessions and six tackles.
Francis Watson was impressive again in defence with 20 disposals and four tackles while Matthew Allen finished off the best season of his career showing more good signs that he would be a solid forward at AFL level with 13 touches, five tackles, four marks and a goal.
Tom Lee set the tone for the afternoon when he kicked the game's opening goal at the eight-minute mark when 100-gamer Kane Mitchell pitched a shot from 50 to the top of the goal square instead of trying to shoot for goal.
East Perth would go on to manage just the one behind the entire first quarter with Tyron Smallwood and Ryan Lim adding goals for a wasteful Claremont who had only managed three goals from nine scoring shots but still led at quarter-time by 23 points.
It was another strong mark and goal for Lee to put Claremont 29 points up to start the second term but East Perth then steadied.
Despite a couple of missed opportunities themselves, Oscar Allen kicked their first goal of the game and then Ajang Ajang added another following a 50m penalty after Keifer Yu encroached on the protected zone and wasn’t close enough to his East Perth opponent he was chasing.
That helped the Royals to only trail by 16 points at half-time and then when Nathan Blee kicked truly to start the second half and Ajang Ajang delivered a dazzling spin move after the ball bounced off Patrick McGinnity to snap a remarkable goal, the margin was only four points and the game was on.
Claremont did manage to respond with the next four goals courtesy of Alex Manuel, Ian Richardson, Haydn Busher and Lee, but East Perth kept in touch just before three quarter-time when Matthew Allen and Brendon Ah Chee both kicked truly from the 50m arc to keep the margin at 16 points.
East Perth was right back into the contest when Oscar Allen kicked his second goal to make it a nine-point ball game at the six-minute mark of the last quarter.
But Claremont wouldn’t be denied and went up another level the rest of the game starting with a Keifer Yu goal. When Haydn Busher bamboozled one opponent with a balk and then snapped truly, the Tigers were up by 20 points again.
Lee capped his best on ground showing with the last two goals for the Tigers to make it a 34-point lead before Jack Petruccelle kicked a consolation goal for East Perth on the siren.
CLAREMONT 3.6 4.7 8.8 12.11 (83)
EAST PERTH 0.1 2.3 6.4 8.7 (55)
CLAREMONT – Goals: Lee 5; Busher 2; Yu, Richardson, Lim, Manuel, T Smallwood.
Best: Lee, Bolton, Busher, Mitchell, Eastland, Lim, Clark, Ledger.
EAST PERTH – Goals: Ajang, O Allen 2; Blee, M Allen, Petruccelle, Ah Chee.
Best: McGinnity, Watson, Ajang, Partington, M Allen, Ainsworth.
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