Colts Grand Final | Vanirsen powers Subiaco to premiershipSunday, October 4, 2020 - 2:42 PM - by Chris Pike

JACK Clarke Medallist Lachlan Vanirsen continued to put his name up in lights with a brilliant Simply Energy Colts Grand Final for Subiaco to inspire the Lions to the premiership triumph against Claremont at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.

Claremont might have finished the home and away season on top of the colts ladder and then defeated Subiaco in the second semi-final to move straight into the Grand Final, but on Sunday it was the Lions who proved too strong.

After Claremont managed to kick two of the game's first three goals, Subiaco was the dominant side kicking 14 of the 18 goals in the Grand Final to end up winning 15.12 (102) to 6.7 (43) to make it two colts premierships in the last three years for the Lions.

Having accepted his Jack Clarke Medal award earlier in the week as the fairest and best player in the colts competition for 2020, Lachlan Vanirsen is now the Mel Whinnen Medal winner as well after a brilliant Grand Final performance.

He finished with 32 possessions, 11 marks, five tackles and a goal to be judged best afield in the 59-point triumph for Subiaco.

Neil Erasmus wouldn’t have been far behind kicking four goals to go with 13 possessions while Sandon Page also kicked two goals.

Matthew Johnson also collected 21 disposals for Subiaco, Connor Patterson 20, Blake Morris 16, Lachlan Henderson 14, Trey Kennedy 14 and Jaxon McGowan 14.

Kieran Gowie kicked two goals in a losing effort for Claremont while Jack Avery amassed 33 possessions, Joel Western 25, Jacob Van Rooyen 17, Logan Young 17, Jacob Blight 16 and Jake Willson 16.

Having been the first team through to the Grand Final and being minor premiers, Claremont kicked the first goal of the Grand Final thanks to Jacob Van Rooyen.

Subiaco answered courtesy of Neil Erasmus but Claremont quickly regained the lead when Jacquin Ciminata kicked truly. The momentum continued to shift in the first term and went back to the way of Subiaco with two goals in a minute to Campbell Henderson and Connor Faraone.

But Claremont hit back with a goal on the siren to Jake Willson to cut the deficit at the break to just the one point.

Subiaco then really took up the momentum for the first time in the Grand Final in the first 13 minutes of the second term with goals to Erasmus, Jaxon Bilchuris and Matthew Johnson to see their lead grow to 21 points.

Claremont, though, stayed in touch with the last goal of the first half to Ben Ramshaw to close to within 15 points at the main change.

The teams traded goals to start the third quarter but after Kieran Gowdie kicked truly for Claremont at the four-minute mark, Subiaco turned on perhaps their best burst of football for the season t the best possible moment.

Erasmus added a third and fourth goal for the Lions, before Tyler Brockman added another and then before three quarter-time Sandon Page added two more and suddenly Subiaco had the Grand Final in control leading by 45 points.

While Gowdie did kick a second in the final term for Claremont, Subiaco went on with the job and ran away 15.12 (102) to 6.7 (43) victors.

SIMPLY ENERGY COLTS PREMIERSHIP SEASON – GRAND FINAL

SUBIACO            3.3    6.6    12.8    15.12 (102)
CLAREMONT            3.2    4.3    5.5    6.7 (43)

SUBIACO: Goals – Erasmus 4; Page 2; Bilchuris, Brockman, Faraone, Gouge, Henderson, Johnson, McKay, Patterson, Vanirsen.
Best – Vanirsen, Erasmus, Johnson, Henderson, Kennedy, Patterson, Morris.
CLAREMONT: Goals – Gowdie 2; Ciminata, Ramshaw, Van Rooyen, Willson.
Best – Avery, Western, Young, Van Rooyen, Lane.

MEL WHINNEN MEDAL: Lachlan Vanirsen (Subiaco).