Optus WAFL Semi Finals WrapSunday, September 20, 2020 - 10:46 PM - by Chris Pike

CLAREMONT is the first team through to the 2020 Optus WAFL Grand Final after a stunning win over South Fremantle on Sunday while West Perth ended the fairytale finals return of Perth in some wild Joondalup weather.

The WAFL finals series for 2020 got underway on Sunday afternoon with the two semi finals and to say there was a different look to it without this century's dominant team Subiaco and with Perth there for the first time since 1997 would be a great understatement.

Perth had captured the imagination of the West Australian football public after scoring the upset win over South Fremantle the previous Saturday night to book a spot in the finals in 1997.

The Demons were the story of the town all week and while some hyperbole might have been a little over the top like saying it was the biggest accomplishment in WA football in years, but nevertheless it was a feat enjoyed by all that they had finally ended their drought of taking part in finals action.

Perth's reward was playing an opponent it has lost 18 games in-a-row against but by three quarter-time, the Demons were on target to win the first semi-final against West Perth with the advantage of the breeze in the last term and scores level.

Perth then went ahead by eight points with a big goal to last week's hero Matthew Rogers halfway through the last quarter.

That made it appear to be Perth's game to lose with the strong breeze behind them, but West Perth just wouldn’t be denied and the Falcons kicked three goals against the wind to snatch the 7.6 (48) to 5.7 (37) victory.

Claremont then shocked minor premiers South Fremantle, holding the Bulldogs goalless in the first half and then kicking the last five goals of the second semi-final to win 10.11 (71) to 3.6 (24).

WAFLW GRAND FINAL | THUNDER COMPLETE REMARKABLE RISE

OPTUS WAFL SEMI FINALS PREVIEW

DEMONS AREN’T DONE YET AFTER RELEASING PRESSURE VALVE

WAFL TEAM OF ROUND 9

The semi-final result now leave Claremont as the first team to qualify for the 2020 Optus WAFL Grand Final with the Tigers through to their first premiership decider since 2012.

South Fremantle and West Perth will then meet in Sunday's preliminary final at Fremantle Community Bank Oval for the right to take on Claremont at the same venue a week later.

It will be the second time in three years that the Bulldogs and Falcons have met in a preliminary final at the port.

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – SEMI FINALS

FIRST SEMI-FINAL
WEST PERTH 7.6 (48) defeated PERTH 5.7 (37)

West Perth made it 19 wins in-a-row against Perth and this time it was in the finals with the Falcons kicking the first semi-final's last three goals to win by 11 points at Joondalup's Provident Financial Oval.

Perth was playing its first final since 1997 having qualified with a stirring final round victory against South Fremantle the previous Saturday night while West Perth only narrowly missed a top two spot but still earned the right to host the first semi-final.

As is often the case the Joondalup venue, the breeze played a part in the contest while wet weather greeted the two teams as well in challenging conditions.

The game for the most part followed the team that was going with the wind and scores were all tied up at both half and three quarter-time.

With the breeze behind them, Perth then kicked away to an eight-point lead midway through the final quarter. But West Perth dug deep and were outstanding to kick the last three goals and ultimately claim the 7.6 (48) to 5.7 (37) victory in front of a strong crowd of 3850.

That means that West Perth advances to the preliminary final against South Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday while the season is over for Perth.

Perth's return to finals action for the first time since 1997 didn’t exactly get off to a perfect start but it wasn’t as disastrous as it might have looked on the scoreboard considering they were kicking into the famously strong Joondalup wind in the first quarter.

West Perth took advantage of having it at its back, though, and after just four minutes the Falcons had two goals on the board thanks to Mitch Peirce and Tyler Keitel.

Keegan Knott added a third before quarter-time and West Perth went into the first break having done well to take advantage of the wind to lead by 18 points.

The wind wouldn’t do all the work for Perth in the second quarter, but the Demons got off to a good start with it starting with Kristian Cary kicking a goal in less than two minutes in his first appearance of the 2020 season.

Last week's hero Matthew Rogers then kicked another for the Demons too and while the next 20 minutes saw both teams go goalless, it was Perth who closed the half with another major through captain Michael Sinclair and scores were all square at the major break.

The Joondalup weather really kicked up a notch in the third quarter with the strong wind joined by some torrential rain and that sure made life difficult for any effective ball movement from either side, but the commitment of both teams couldn’t be questions in an increasingly physical affair.

West Perth captain Aaron Black did still manage a goal despite the wet and windy conditions, but Perth then got the first of the game into the breeze for Perth and that ensured scores were still level heading into the last term.

That did appear in the favour of Perth, though, considering the Demons had the wind at their backs in the last term. That looked to be confirmed with a goal to Rogers as well at the eight-minute mark to put the Demons eight points up.

A first finals win in 23 years now looked a distinct reality for Perth but West Perth would have none of it. Despite the near impossible task of gaining ground into the breeze, the Falcons persisted and goals to Mitch Peirce and Luke Meadows gave them back the lead.

Tyler Keitel then sealed the deal with a converted set shot and the Falcons secured the 7.6 (48) to 5.7 (37) to book in another preliminary final appearance and end the fairytale of the Demons. 

In the tough conditions, goals were at a premium and Tyler Keitel and Mitch Peirce kicked two of them apiece for the Falcons.

Trent Manzone amassed 26 possessions and four inside-50 entries on the wing for West Perth with Luke Meadows brilliant with 24 disposals, four tackles, three inside 50s and a goal.

Shane Nelson was also tremendous with 23 touches, eight tackles and seven inside-50 entries while Aaron Black finished with 18 possessions and ruckman Ben Delaporte 12 to go with 24 hit outs.

Down back, Blake Wilhelm was again terrific for West Perth with 23 possessions while Zac Guadagnin also had 18 disposals and eight tackles.

Matthew Rogers was the hero last week for Perth to get them into finals and in his 150th WAFL match made up of 93 at Swan Districts and 57 at Perth, and kicked another two goals from four kicks and three tackles in the first semi-final.

Brady Grey has been an outstanding late pick up for the Demons and he was their best player on Sunday at the same ground he kicked the match winner in the elimination final the year before for the West Coast Eagles.

He had another 24 possessions, six tackles and five inside-50 entries on Sunday.

Matthew Taylor gathered another 18 disposals for the Demons, Fraser McInnes 16, Andrew Fisher 15, Michael Sinclair 15 and Brant Colledge 14 to go with a massive 19 tackles.

Christian Eyres also fought hard in the ruck with 14 possessions and 23 hit outs.
 

SECOND SEMI-FINAL
SOUTH FREMANTLE 3.6 (24) lost to CLAREMONT 10.11 (71)

South Fremantle might have dominated the WAFL season in 2020 to be clear on top as minor premiers, but it was a hungry and determined Claremont who turned up on Sunday in the second semi-final and walked away with the 47-point victory.

Coming off playing in the three WAFL preliminary finals and last year's Grand Final, South Fremantle took another step forward during the Optus WAFL Premiership Season in 2020 with Subiaco falling back to the pack.

The Bulldogs went on to win their opening seven matches to secure their first minor premiership since 2009 and ensure they now wouldn’t have to leave Fremantle Community Bank Oval during the finals.

Claremont earned the right to play in the second semi-final just clinging to second position ahead of West Perth on percentage, and the Tigers put together a brilliant performance all over the round on Sunday.

With Alec Waterman brilliant up forward and then the Claremont midfield getting well on top of a South Fremantle team dearly missing Jake Florenca and Kade Stewart, and the Tigers' back-line rock solid, the Bulldogs had no answer.

Claremont would kick the game's first four and last four goals on the way to the 10.11 (71) to 3.6 (24) victory to advance to the Grand Final in two weeks' time back at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

South Fremantle now hosts West Perth in this Sunday's preliminary final.

Claremont made the ideal start and it was an ominous sign of what was to come when Alec Waterman turned on to his lethal left boot and kicked truly. 

That would prove the only goal of the opening term with both teams missing some gettable opportunities, and the Tigers went into the quarter-time break leading by seven points.

It took 12 minutes for another goal to come in the second term as the armwrestle continued, but once again it was Waterman proving a class above in front of goal. 

His left-foot was on fire once more as he put the Tigers 13 points up heading towards half-time before Tyron Smallwood added another and their advantage was at 20 points at the main break with the Bulldogs held goalless.

The second semi-final appeared all but over when Claremont then started the second half with a quick goal to Tom Lee and the lead grew to 26 points with South Fremantle still yet to kick a goal after averaging almost 11 of them a game during the home and away season.

Eventually South Fremantle did get on the board thanks to Haiden Schloithe when he was isolated out of the goal square, drew the free-kick and kicked truly at the 10-minute mark of the third term.

But immediately Claremont responded with Waterman showing his class once more and not being able to miss in the difficult conditions when he had time to steady himself and had a bit of space.

The Bulldogs did add a second before three quarter-time thanks to Caleb Datson to give themselves a sniff getting the deficit back to 21 points at the last change.

South Fremantle then had some momentum for the first time in the game early in the final term with a goal to Travis Abbott to bring them within 16 points, but the Tigers pulled away from there in impressive fashion.

Claremont asserted their dominance over the contest with the last four goals of the game with Alex Manuel kicking two of them while Waterman added a fourth and Jye Bolton capped his big day nicely as the Tigers secured the 10.11 (71) to 3. 6 (24) victory.

Alec Waterman showed his quality and was a class above for Claremont in difficult conditions at the port. 

Now that he is over horrible run of illness that left him bedridden for almost three years thanks to glandular fever which cost him his AFL career, he's proving he deserves another crack at the top level and he delivered four goals from 17 possessions in the second semi-final triumph.

Alex Manuel made his return as well and was somewhat a risk from coach Darren Harris, but it paid off in spades with him kicking three class goals from 10 possessions and five tackles.

Claremont's midfield were also outstanding to help set up the win with Jye Bolton leading the way with 27 possessions, four inside-50 entries and a goal while Declan Mountford did a power of work with 22 disposals, 15 tackles and seven inside 50s.

Ryan Lim also had 21 possessions and six tackles to win his battle on the wing with Zac Strom with Bailey Rogers providing good run off half-back with another 19 disposals.

The Claremont defence stood tall as well even if South Fremantle only went inside-50 on 23 occasions with Haydn Busher the standout holding Bernie Naylor Medallist Mason Shaw to three kicks and one behind.

Oliver Eastland held down the ruck too and had a fascinating battle with Brock Higgins. The Tigers big man had nine possessions, seven tackles and 35 hit outs.

South Fremantle's three lone goals came courtesy of Haiden Schloithe, Travis Abbott and Caleb Datson.

Chad Pearson did continue his impressive form down back for South Fremantle and finished the second semi-final with a team-high 21 possessions.

His fellow defenders were the other major ball winners for the Bulldogs with Jason Maskos finishing with 18 disposals and four tackles, and Blayne Wilson 16 touches and four marks.

Of the other players at South Fremantle, Haiden Schloithe gathered 15 possessions, Steve Verrier 15 (seven tackles), Dylan Main 15, Caleb Datson 15, Tom Blechynden 14 and ruckman Brock Higgins 13 (41 hit outs).