Dangerous Tiger focused on back-to-back questFriday, August 23, 2024 - 2:10 PM - by Chris Pike

CLAREMONT'S Cody Angove continues to enhance his football future every time he runs onto the field but the 18-year-old is solely focused on attempting to win back-to-back colts premierships with the Tigers.

Angove has found some hot form as well ahead of the finals as he continues to show that he has that rare and highly sought after talent of winning plenty of the ball, and being able to kick multiple goals.

On the back of last year's premiership that Angove was part of with Claremont, the Tigers have now locked away the minor premiership for 2024 heading into the final round match up with a Subiaco team still with a chance to grab second.

Angove has a bright future on the back of his continued strong form with Claremont that has also seen him take part in the National 18s Championship representing Western Australia and having now been invited to the 2024 AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne in early October.

Last game of season

Claremont had the bye last weekend and that was on the back of suffering just a second loss of the season prior to that against West Perth.

So that has Angove and the Tigers keen to bounce back this Saturday against Subiaco at East Fremantle Oval as part of the Colts Super Round even though they have already secured the minor premiership.

"The season at Claremont has been really positive I think we started the year very well," he said.

"That was shown as we had 11 Claremont colts invited to the state program which was an amazing achievement but meant we would lose a lot of players in the middle of the season but I think the depth of our squad was on full display with us only having 2 losses this season so far."

Quest to go back-to-back

It might only be natural to think about what the future might hold, but for Angove he is just proud of the way the Claremont colts have backed up that premiership of last year to put themselves in a strong position to now go back-to-back.

"Yes 100 per cent I think the group has worked so hard to put us in the position we are in," Angove said.

"We have confidence we can do it but we know there are very good sides who have tested us multiple times this year and beaten us so we will need to put our best foot forward if we want to achieve another premiership."

Bouncing back from slow start to 2024

Coming off playing in that premiership triumph last year where he played a key role in the Grand Final win against Perth at Optus Stadium by grabbing his chances and kicking two goals, Angove does admit to some struggles early in 2024.

However, over the past five weeks with Claremont he has been in some blistering form averaging 21.4 possessions a game and continuing to show what a dangerous threat he is around goals with eight goals in that stretch.

That included kicking four goals in the Round 17 win against East Perth.

Angove has no doubt that everything he has gone through in 2024 and to now come out the other side in terrific form will only hold him in good stead for whatever the future holds.

"I started the season a bit out of form with missing all pre-season games and the first couple rounds with injury so I came back into colts with no real games," Angove said.

"But I think I started to find my feet again once the state 18s started and was happy with how I went in that program and felt like I’ve built that form in my return to colts.

"I have had really good support around me this season and I have felt like I’ve developed so much throughout the season as a person and a player."

Outstanding colts program at Claremont

Claremont continue to set the benchmark in the colts competition in the WAFL and the Tigers do such an outstanding job of bringing young players together from all over the state within their zone.

Whether the players are from the metropolitan area and the private school areas, or from down south in Albany or up north in Kimberley, Claremont sets the benchmark highlighted by what Angove has again been part of attempting to play in a second straight premiership.

"The staff are the people that make these teams happen every year, we have coaches and talent managers that scout talent from all over Perth, Albany and the Kimberley that are finding the best players in the state and they do an amazing job," Angove said.

"Also our regional programs are terrific we have had so many players play for the colts this year and be successful from the regional areas and we wouldn’t be the team we are without them."

State 18s experience

After playing his first two colts game of the season with Claremont, Angove entered the State 18s program and not only enjoyed the chance to play for the WA team, but everything about being part of the set up and learning what it takes to prepare, train and recover at a whole other level.

"State 18s was an amazing experience I made some friends for life and it is an experience I will never forget," he said.

"All the staff in the program were so good and it’s felt like they have made me such a better footballer and person from growing my knowledge in nutrition, gym, culture and football IQ."

What the future might hold

It's certainly well within the realms of possibility that Angove finds himself on an AFL list in 2025 considering the development he continues to show with the rare traits of being able to win plenty of the football and to kick goals.

He has also been invited to the AFL Draft Combine so his talents have been identified, and obviously it would be his dream come true to be drafted.

At the same time, he's making sure he has a career path set up for what can focus on should the AFL not be in his immediate future.

"It would mean the world to me hearing that I think that’s most footballers dreams ever since they were a kid. At the moment I’m focused on finishing the season with Claremont though and building my form into finals," Angove said.

"I am doing a Bachelor of education secondary majoring health and physical education at ECU. I want the career path of physical education teacher outside of footy."