A DOMINANT patch between the second and third terms has seen Claremont defeat Peel Thunder by 12 points and return to the WAFL Colts winners list. The Tigers kicked seven goals to two in said period to set up the 9.5 (59) to 6.11 (47) victory at Lane Group Stadium.

With only two regular season rounds left to play, Claremont is well poised in second spot while reigning premier Peel is eighth and will miss finals. We noted some of the top performers from either side on Saturday, with a focus on state representatives and draft combine invitees.

>> Full list: All 61 National Combine invitees

PEEL THUNDER:

#6 Bo Allan

Perhaps WA’s leading draft prospect for 2024, the Peel Thunder bottom ager struggled to get involved until late in the second quarter, but became metronomic for his side in this game. The versatile Allan featured mostly as a forward, impacting in the air as a target for inside 50 entries and working hard along the deck. Possessing great strength and balance, Allan regularly cruised through traffic unbothered and dished off some gorgeous pinpoint kicks to his teammates. As a deeper marking target, Claremont struggled to find a man who could stop Allan. Finishing with a game high eight marks, his best saw him springboard off his man’s chest to launch himself towards a miskicked forward entry, leading to a successful set shot.

#13 Joel Rush

The over-age midfielder dished up a very gutsy performance, regularly throwing his body into the contest and the opposition ball carrier. Rush showcased his well-rounded skillset, impacting the game offensively and defensively. His tenacity and constant pressure on Claremont’s ball carriers created several opportunities for his teammates to capitalise on, producing one per cent effort after one per cent effort.

>> Rolling Rankings: AFL Draft Top 40

CLAREMONT:

#5 Joe Matthews

The dewy conditions saw the talls struggle to get involved in the first quarter of this game, but Matthews’ two-goal second quarter was instrumental in giving the Tigers the momentum to start to run away with this game. When the ball wasn’t moving to the talls’ advantage, Matthews’ ground work was superb for a forward of his stature, as he accrued four tackles in the first half. Once he set up deeper in the second half, his lead-up work and one-on-one contests saw Claremont use him regularly as a target. He was a straight shooter on the day, and between him and fellow tall forward Sam van Rooyen, Peel’s defenders weren’t given an opportunity to relax.

#18 Joe Fonti

The epitome of smooth and classy, Fonti set up in his usual half-back/wing role and was everywhere in this game. His two-way running and ability to impact the game going forward, while always getting back to defence to stop a quick counter, was phenomenal. Rarely did you see a miskick or a poorly placed handball from Fonti no matter how much pressure he was under – a trademark of his game. Defensively, he flew into multiple contests from out of nowhere to intercept what seemed like smart kicks from the Thunder, albeit not holding onto as many as he would have liked. He finished the game up forward where he worked well and took a brilliant mark under a hospital ball in the pocket, though failed to add to his one goal for the day.

#21 Zane Zakostelsky

From initially missing out on the state side to earning a National Combine invitation, Zakostelsky has had a whirlwind past couple months, and showed why recruiters want to see more of him. Locking down Peel’s tall forwards, Zakostelsky impacted several marking contests early on, though the slippery ball found its way through his hands a couple times as it had most players in the first quarter. For the most part, his disposals were fairly smart and came off the boot nicely. Zakostelsky regularly looked to get involved in rebounding play as well, though for the most part was his sides last line of defence, a role he was rarely beaten in.

>> Up the Grades: Curtin & Hall lock horns

AROUND THE GROUNDS

East Fremantle continued its strong run of form with an 18-point win over East Perth, making it eight on the trot in a streak that dates back to the first week of June. The Sharks booted 11 of their 14 goals at one end of the WACA to secure a 14.13 (97) to 12.7 (79) victory.

Samuel Otto and Maxx Della Franca each booted four goals to do the scoreboard damage for their respective sides, while state academy gun Koen Sanchez led all comers with 29 disposals and a goal in his second game back at the level after a Reserves stint.

Perth maintained its one-game buffer atop the Colts ladder with a strong 47-point win over Swan Districts. The Demons led at every break and kicked away comfortably after half time to take out a 12.13 (85) to 5.8 (38) victory and move one step closer to the minor premiership.

Michael Hall (six goals) had a day out, kicking more majors than the Swans combined. Big man Coen Livingstone (26 disposals, 20 hitouts) was also prominent, while Swan Chayse Martinson (33 disposals) led all comers as state Under 18s Luke Kelly (27) and Riley Hardeman (22) followed suit.

Seeing out the Round 18 action was a standalone game on Sunday, which saw West Perth take out a thrilling two-point victory over South Fremantle. While wasteful, the Falcons held on to win 8.17 (65) to 9.8 (62) on the road and have all but secured a finals berth in fifth.

Jye Skender went close to a massive haul with 2.6, finishing as one of just three multiple goal kickers. The Whan‘s – Toby and Jacob – were prolific with 28 and 20 disposals respectively, while four Falcons ticked up to 20 touches in an even team performance.