CLAREMONT has strengthened its hold on fifth spot on the WAFL Colts ladder after trouncing Subiaco to the tune of 72 points in Albany on Saturday night. The Round 15 clash was littered with West Australian Under 18 representatives, as eight squad members took the field for Claremont.

The Tigers’ scoring power and depth of quality on each line showed out in the 12-goal victory, as they nearly doubled Subiaco for inside 50s (47-24) and scoring shots (25-13). We took note of the many prominent state representatives afield, as well as a few others who stood out.

CLAREMONT:

#5 Joseph Hopkyns
Key Defender | 194cm | 12/09/2006

Stats: 17 disposals, 7 marks

Hopkyns seemed to build as the game wore on, helping build a brick wall across Claremont’s backline with his intercept abilities. He was rock-solid in marking contests, often winning them cleanly before carrying momentum into the counterattack. Hopkyns’ long left-foot kicking helped his side clear out of tight spots, and he used the ball calmly during slow kick-mark play. While reliable deep in defence, he looked most impactful when operating across a high-pressing line.

#6 Charlie Banfield
Midfielder | 191cm | 18/07/2007

Stats: 20 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 goals

West Coast F/S

Having mostly cut his teeth as a wingman and forward in state colours, Banfield was unleashed into Claremont’s midfield. His size and clean hands were factors in the on-ball battle, as the West Coast father-son hopeful looked to bustle his way out of congestion. He absorbed plenty of pressure and sometimes that hurt his ball use, but Banfield’s ability to hit the scoreboard ensure he could impact the match. He wasn’t afraid to get stuck into the opposition either, showing a competitive streak.

#7 Cody Curtin
Key Forward | 200cm | 18/05/2007

Stats: 16 disposals, 8 marks, 6 goals

It’s little wonder why AFL recruiters are so keen to see how Curtin fares at senior level given his dominance in the Colts. Another imperious performance saw him bag six goals from nine scoring shots, playing with plenty of presence and getting his tail up so much as to show the opposition the ball when running into goal. Curtin otherwise converted reliably over the mark and was simply too big and strong aerially. He monstered his opponents one-on-one and read the ball well, while also presenting hard up the ground when possible. Arguably his best goal of the day saw him meet the loose ball at speed, fend off an opponent, and snap the ball home in the opening quarter.

#20 Benji van Rooyen
Ruck | 202cm | 17/09/2008

Stats: 10 disposals, 5 tackles, 22 hitouts

Reprising the primary ruck duties for Claremont, van Rooyen benefitted from a 10-15cm height advantage to win his share of hitouts. On top of giving the Tigers’ midfielders first use, the bottom-ager stayed engaged at the contest after his initial efforts to follow up at ground level and distribute the ball a second time. He was quite clean by hand and even dished out a long Polly Farmer-like handball in term two, showing good mechanics for a tall to feed his teammates.

#24 George Gale
Defender | 187cm | 06/09/2008

Stats: 25 disposals, 6 marks, 4 inside 50s

Gale led all comers with 25 disposals, proving productive across Claremont’s defensive half. He also pushed high up the ground, helping lock the ball in and launching into attack with four forward 50 entries. The bottom-ager looked poised in possession, using his smooth movement to buy time on the ball and identify a target by foot. Gale also proved his intercepting ability to cut off several Subiaco attacks before making good decisions on the counter.

Others:

The Tigers fielded three more members of Western Australia’s Under 18 training squad, two being bottom-agers in small forward Robert Farmer (10 disposals, one goal) and ruck-forward Charlie Watson. Wingman Oscar Willis was also amongst the action with 18 touches. Another Banfield coming through the ranks, Harper was terrific in midfield with 23 disposals, six tackles and eight inside 50s. He produced plenty of forward momentum alongside the likes of Joshua Grahame (19 disposals, nine tackles, eight inside 50s) and Max Hansen-Knarhoi (15 disposals, two goals.

SUBIACO:

#6 Hudson Walker
Midfielder | 179cm | 06/09/2007

Stats: 23 disposals, 3 marks, 6 tackles

It was no surprise to see Walker finish atop Subiaco’s disposal tally, with the energetic midfielder making his presence felt. He copped hits and dished them out, often swooping on the loose balls at stoppage and looking to break away from congestion. While he sometimes struggled to find the balance between trying too much and dumping the ball out, Walker offered an intensity few others could match. He maintained his pressure and physicality throughout the day, competing in all phases of play to be Subiaco’s main man at the source.

#12 Rydn Rae-Anthonysz
Defender/Midfielder | 181cm | 24/03/2007

Stats: 11 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles

A classy operator on the outside, Rae-Anthonysz started in defence before being injected into the midfield battle. He took the game on whenever possible, accelerating each time he won possession or peeled off on the overlap. The top-ager picked off some terrific passes by foot and looks well suited to being a playmaker, especially given his ability to attack intercept marks as he did with a strong effort in term two. He’s the type who turns defence into attack quickly.

#17 Wesley Walley
Forward/Midfielder | 184cm | 29/11/2007

Stats: 19 disposals, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal

West Coast NGA

Walley provided a spark at times throughout the game, seemingly playing on confidence. With Subiaco struggling to create forward half opportunities, he got going with a run at the centre bounces. Walley showed good spring and speed when presenting up the ground, offering a viable connection piece between the arcs. He used both feet to hit targets and produced some good moments of pressure out of possession. Walley’s lone goal came in the opening quarter after he converted a mark one-out inside 50. He’s dangerous when he can put it all together.

Others:

Undersized pair Jamie Woodward and Max McCullough gave it all they could in the ruck, competing against a quality couple of bottom-age talls. Both were named amongst Subiaco’s best, while Darcy Montgomery was the main threat up forward with his smarts and flair. He booted two goals alongside Dwayne Rider in a side which only kicked five overall.

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ROUND 15 RESULTS

Perth 8.14 (62) def. by Swan Districts 10.9 (69)
East Fremantle 16.14 (110) def. Peel Thunder 6.5 (41)
Claremont 17.8 (110) def. Subiaco 5.8 (38)

Bye: East Perth, South Fremantle, West Perth

WAFL COLTS LADDER

1. East Fremantle | 10-2 | 163.5% | 40 points
2. South Fremantle | 8-4 | 185.9% | 32 points
3. West Perth | 7-4 | 114.7% | 28 points
4. Swan Districts | 7-6 | 98.6% | 28 points
5. Claremont | 6-5 | 111.8% | 24 points
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6. Perth | 5-7 | 92.0% | 20 points
7. Subiaco | 5-6 | 85.1% | 20 points
8. East Perth | 5-7 | 78.4% | 20 points
9. Peel Thunder | 0-12 | 45.2% | 0 points

ROUND 16 FIXTURE

Saturday July 26:

Subiaco vs. South Fremantle @ Sullivan Logistics Stadium
East Fremantle vs. Claremont @ The Good Grocer Park
West Perth vs. East Perth @ HIF Health Insurance Oval

Bye: Peel Thunder, Perth, Swan Districts