THE JOONDALUP breeze wreaked havoc on Saturday night, but Claremont utilised it perfectly to kick away from West Perth in a 10-point Round 1 Colts victory. Under the newly unveiled lights at Pentanet Stadium, the reigning premiers’ prime movers came up clutch at the death.

West Perth was made to rue a wasteful opening quarter, booting just two goals from nine scoring shots while keeping Claremont scoreless. The Tigers hit back in term two but still trailed, only to then boot three goals against the breeze and tie things up at the final break.

Another three majors to the Falcons’ two ensured Claremont would secure the four points in what was two opening weekend Colts fixtures decided by 10 points or less. We took note of how all eight state Under 18 summer squad members performed in our Match of the Round.

West Perth 6.10 (46) def. by Claremont 8.8 (56)

WEST PERTH:

#3 Kayle Gerreyn
Ruck/Key Forward | 199cm | 10/05/2006

Stats: 21 disposals, 15 hitouts, 1 goal

Gerreyn moves so well for a player of 199cm standing and leant on all his dynamism to impact on Saturday. Starting in the ruck, he snatched several clearances and looked comfortable stepping around opponents before delivering kicks on either foot. He was also prominent upon rotating forward, proving a combination too strong and nimble when presenting at the ball carrier. His finishing could have done with some polish though, ending the game with 1.3.

Others:

The Falcons were well served by a number of solid operators. Jayden Rigoll matched Gerreyn’s disposal count of 21, rolling through midfield alongside the likes of Jack Wooden (20 disposals, six inside 50s) and Codan Daddow (19 disposals).

Bottom-ager Judd Marcello was a productive marking target with six grabs and two goals, while Eli Alexander managed 1.3 deeper in attack. Up the other end, 2023 state summer squad member Trent Hiscock managed 11 touches.

CLAREMONT:

#2 Jaxon Douglas
Defender | 188cm | 07/02/2006

Stats: 22 disposals, 14 kicks, 4 marks

Douglas was Claremont’s designated ball user out of defence and it showed as he collected a game-high 22 disposals. His kicking was the main feature, proving tidy on the rebound and navigating tough kick-in conditions at one end of the ground. Douglas clearly wanted the ball in his hands and his teammates obliged, as he repaid the faith by hardly wasting a touch.

#3 Hamish Davis
Forward/Midfielder | 190cm | 02/05/2006

Stats: 11 disposals, 2 inside 50s, 1 goal

Davis was a force up forward and through midfield, hitting each contest hard and throwing his 190cm frame around. He looked ominous when hitting up at the ball in the early stages and utilised his power to split contests before swooping on the loose ball. His best moment was a second term stoppage goal from a slick rove and snap.

#7 Will Hayes
Wing | 179cm | 16/05/2006

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles

Hayes may be lightly framed but has some genuine class about him, ideally suited to the wing role. Despite that, he set the tone with a strong holding-the-ball tackle on a charging opponent before getting into his usual outside work. Hayes moved nicely and executed kicks off both feet, showcasing handy spatial awareness and decision making ability. The only thing missing from his game was a goal, instead settling for two minor scores.

#8 Lucas Ravenhill
Key Forward/Ruck | 199cm | 13/04/2006

Stats: 9 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal

Claremont’s spearhead, Ravenhill could hardly be faulted for effort on what was a tough night for marking types. He started strongly with a clean clunk and presented full-chested outside 50, at least attempting to bring the ball to ground when it came his way. Not much came completely clean, but he produced a nimble gather and blind turn before snapping his lone goal in the final quarter.

#10 Austin van der Struyf
Defender/Midfielder | 178cm | 17/03/2006

Stats: 18 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

Arguably the most highly touted of Claremont’s many state squad members, van der Struyf put his class on show when it mattered. He found things a little tough kicking into the wind as a defender, but was undeniably stylish when shifted into midfield. His ability to both navigate into space or time a run to receive on the outside led to several clean stoppage exits, including in the second quarter when he slammed home an excellent roving goal on the run.

#15 Aiden Riddle
Ruck | 199cm | 27/12/2005

Stats: 8 disposals, 3 tackles, 30 hitouts

Riddle performed his ruck duties well in the way of hitouts, amassing a game-high 31 – more than the two West Perth rucks combined. Particularly against Gerreyn, the over-ager stood his ground firmly and held space when competing for taps, but was arguably beaten when it came to impact outside of those contests and stoppages.

#22 Clancy Dennis
Key Defender | 195cm | 28/12/2006

Stats: 14 disposals, 12 kicks, 6 marks

Dennis held up the fort down back with a sturdy display, standing up against a tough range of opponents. His desperation when it came to defensive acts was clear, chasing and hitting contests with vigour no matter how stiff the competition. Some of his work was a little messy but Dennis proved when there’s a will, there’s a way.

Others:

Will Wildberger was named best afield for the victors after posting 20 disposals, while the Banfield’s – Bailey (18 disposals, two goals) and Charlie (17 and one) both hit the scoreboard at important moments. Sullivan Moody got busy for 21 touches and eight marks as one of the Tigers’ midfield mainstays, complimented by Jett Sibosado (16 disposals, five marks) behind the ball.

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

The tightest match of the round was decided by nine points, with East Perth downing South Fremantle in a fitting season opener. After trailing at the first two breaks, the Royals turned things around to end up 12.11 (83) to 11.8 (74) victors at Fremantle Oval.

East Perth’s Adam De Masi led all comers with 27 disposals, five marks and six tackles, with Luke Hallett the only other Royal to notch up 20 touches. Marcus Cassidy also had a say on proceedings with a game-high three goals from 17 disposals and five marks.

Meanwhile, Fred Rodriguez (26 disposals, one goal) filled his boots for the Bulldogs. Taj Longmuir – the son of Troy – also stood out with his control of the game, registering 20 kicks and seven marks. Rocco Darbyshire was the Bulldogs’ lone multiple goalkicker (two).

Perth enjoyed a strong 38-point win over Subiaco over at Mineral Resources Park, accelerating with seven goals to three after half time. The Demons more than doubled the Lions’ score in the 11.7 (73) to 5.5 (35) drubbing which was good enough to land them in top spot.

Robert Warrell had a day out with six goals for the victors, while Cooper Moore posted 27 disposals and 11 tackles in a well-rounded performance. Top prospect Malakai Champion (10 disposals, one goal) was relatively well contained for Subi, as Finley Henderson booted three majors.

East Fremantle was the round’s other big victor after downing Peel Thunder to the tune of 51 points. The Sharks led at every break and applied consistent scoreboard pressure to overwhelm their opponents across four quarters, winning 14.14 (98) to 6.11 (47).

Declan Pauline had the ball on a string, racking it up 37 times and snaring two goals to go with 12 tackles for the Sharks. Peel’s Will York also managed 30 touches, while prospects Deian Roberts (27) and Darcy Petersen (22) were also busy in the loss.