Curtin and Tigers claim Colts premiershipSunday, September 24, 2023 - 2:44 PM - by Chris Pike

CLAREMONT has shaken off a flying start from Perth in the WAFL Colts Grand Final for 2023 and then held them out with Dan Curtin captaining the Tigers to the 11-point triumph.

The stage was all set for a mouth watering Grand Final contest in the colts at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon with Perth and Claremont both scoring a win against the other in 2023, and playing out a draw in the last round of the home and away season.

That saw the Demons claim the minor premiership by percentage before the Tigers won the second semi-final to be the first team into the Grand Final.

Perth won the way through with a preliminary final win last Sunday against East Fremantle and on the back of that, the Demons made a flying start to the Grand Final at Optus Stadium with the first two goals to Aiden O'Driscoll.

However, Claremont was able to take charge to set up a match-winning lead with Zane Zakostelsky a dominant presence in the ruck and expected draft pick Dan Curtin coming back to lead admirably.

Claremont kicked the first four goals of the third quarter to open up a 33-point advantage before going on to score the 10.7 (67) to 8.8 (56) victory holding out a desperate Perth in the final quarter.

The win continues the impressive run in the Colts for a long time now of Claremont with the Tigers having won 17 premierships since a first in 1976. It's also a sixth premiership for Claremont since 2008 and makes up for losing back-to-back Grand Finals in 2020 and 2021.

There's great speculation of just how highly Dan Curtin will be drafted into the AFL later this year and after finishing the Claremont season at League level, he came back to captain the Tigers to the premiership on Sunday.

He finished with 23 possessions, five marks, four tackles and three inside-50 entries having played the majority of the game on the ball.

Ruckman Zane Zakostelsky was a dominant presence with 22 touches, 18 hit outs, four tackles and three marks with Bailey Banfield also collecting 22 disposals, Riley Disisto 19, Ashton Bryant 19 and Kane Dehavilland 16.

Hamish Davis stood tall as a key forward for Claremont kicking three goals with Cody Angove and Will Hayes adding two apiece.

Perth's hopes of a first Colts premiership since 1999 with ruckman and Jack Clarke Medallist Coen Livingstone ruled out through injury, but the Demons still threw everything at the Tigers.

Aiden O'Driscoll, Mitch Keene and Noah Cachard all kicked two goals apiece for Perth in the Grand Final.

Defender Jake Watson was tremendous for the Demons with 19 possessions and seven tackles while Noah Murray finished the game with 18 touches, Cooper Moore 17, Cachard 17, Elijah Scoble 17 and Brodie McLean 16.

Perth made a tremendous start to the Grand Final and inside the opening eight minutes, two goals to excitement machine Aiden O'Driscoll had the Demons up and about.

Claremont eventually steadied and 15 minutes in got a first goal to Cody Angove on the back of terrific defensive pressure from Sam Van Rooyen. After missing a set shot, he forced the spoil on the Perth kick-in and it got to Angove who rammed the goal home.

Will Hayes then added a second for Claremont to tie scores up before late in the quarter the teams traded goals through Mitchell Keene for the Demons and Hamish Davis with scores all level by quarter-time.

It took little over a minute into the second term for Claremont to grab the lead with a second goal to Angove but Perth answered almost immediately thanks to captain Michael Hall.

Claremont was back in front after big man Max Rohr converted and the Tigers were out to their biggest advantage of the half soon after with Davis kicking his second.

Perth did stay in touch by half-time, though, thanks to a late goal from Keene to cut the Claremont advantage to eight points at the main break.

Claremont blew the Grand Final wide open with a blistering start to the second half beginning with an early goal to Sullivan Moody. Davis soon added a third before Austin Van Der Struyf kicked another and Hayes booted his second.

That put the Tigers out to a game high 33-point advantage but Perth was able to keep in touch with two late goals from Noah Cachard and Jake Watson.

That got the Demons back within 22 points at three quarter-time, but Perth dominated the final term. Claremont went defensive to try and defend the lead, and the Demons continued to pepper the goals.

Cachard did kick a goal at the eight-minute mark to make it a 14-point game, but both Perth's kicking at goal and going inside-50 cost them a chance with Claremont holding on to win by 11 points despite a scoreless final term.

WAFL COLTS GRAND FINAL 2023

CLAREMONT            3.1    6.4    10.7    10.7    (67)
PERTH                3.1    5.2    7.3    8.8    (56)

CLAREMONT – Goals: Davis 3; Angove, Hayes 2; Moody, Rohr, Van Der Struyf.
Best: Zakostelsky, Curtin, Banfield, Davis, Disisto, Bryant, Hayes.
PERTH – Goals: Cachard, Keene, O'Driscoll 2; M Hall, Watson.
Best: Watson, Moore, Scoble, Cachard, Murray, Waite, Keene, O'Driscoll.

MEL WHINNEN MEDAL: Zane Zakostelsky (Claremont)