Perth look to future as losing streak ends
Earl Spalding is a realist.
The Perth coach said at the WAFL season launch that the Demons were a chance of playing finals only if there was a top eight, while he blamed the high first-half free-kick count at Claremont Showground on Saturday purely on his players being second to the ball.
And while reluctant to rain on Perth’s parade after their drought-breaking nine-point victory over Claremont, he immediately issued a significant warning to his team.
“The big challenge for this group is buttering up next week,” Spalding said.
“You could see the supporters were over the moon about the win and sometimes if you treat it like a grand final you can have a two or three week let-down.”
Perth’s history has been so barren over the past three decades that any glimpse of success has been celebrated wildly. Spalding does not expect 2015 to bring great glory but intends to build a foundation of sustained effort and spirit that will augur well for the future.
“The effort over the past couple of weeks has been pretty good but if you keep coming up short it can become difficult for the players to keep at it,” he said.
“Hopefully they are encouraged by getting a reward for their effort.”
That was evident against the wasteful Tigers who were 28 points up just before half-time but were overrun in the second half to lose 11.9 (75) to 10.6 (66).
It ended Perth’s 18-game losing streak, made Claremont the only winless team this year and according to Spalding, marked the first day of a new era.
“It was a monkey off the back of the group,” he said.
“One of the senior guys said after the game that it meant last year was now gone and we are into the future of the club.”
Perth were thrashed in the ruck, with Claremont duo Mitch Andrews and Darcy Cameron producing 71 hit-outs to just 27, but it was a remarkably different story once the ball came to ground.
Liam McKenna, Aidan Tropiano and Brett Wolfenden are discards from other clubs but, aided by homegrown captain Dene White, displayed their value with exactly 100 disposals between them.
Nearly a third of those were gained at stoppages, with Tropiano leading the way with 15 clearances while McKenna’s eight contributed to his career-high 34 touches.
And Claremont’s midfield frailty was exposed when they took the ball away from just one centre bounce in the second half.
Given the team’s best players were small forwards, wingmen and close-checking defenders, Claremont face a tough future in the absence of injured skipper Jake Murphy and other contested ball winners.
